Episode
Robert Roche — President & CEO, Oak Lawn Marketing
- Published
- Jun 26, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3746
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Summary
"I think what I know now is to be a little more slow." "My style was to steal the best from Japan and the U.S." "What I would do is pick your fights." "Someone who can make a decision without all the information." "A leader can function gracefully with an abundance of ambiguity." Robert Roche is the President and CEO of Oak Lawn Marketing, the company behind the Shop Japan brand. His career in Japan began as an exchange student at Nanzan University in Nagoya, followed by law school in Denver and further study in Nanzan's law department. He returned to Japan without a conventional corporate career path and built his business through persistence, experimentation and a willingness to learn from failure. Early ventures in importing were unsuccessful, but they led to the creation of H&R Consultants and eventually Oak Lawn Marketing. Roche helped pioneer the infomercial and direct-response television shopping model in Japan, building a major business from Nagoya before it became widely known in Tokyo's foreign business community. He later established Acorn International in China, adapting a related television-shopping model to a very different market. His career reflects deep adaptability across Japan, China, media, retail, entrepreneurship and large-company partnerships, including working with NTT Docomo as a major shareholder in the business. Robert Roche's business story is a powerful lesson in entrepreneurial leadership, cultural adaptability and decision-making under uncertainty. His path did not begin with a polished strategy, venture capital or a prestigious corporate appointment. It began with an exchange programme at Nanzan University in Nagoya, an interest in Japan, a willingness to learn Japanese and an instinct that he could build something of value despite h…