ASICS Leader Tomoko Koda Sees Product Innovation and Consumer Wellbeing as One Mission

Meet the Leaders Interview ASICS Managing Executive Officer Tomoko Koda on Sound Mind, Sound Body and the rise of the ASICS brand. Tomoko, could you tell us about your background? Before joining ASICS in 2016, I spent 20 years working in marketing for US sports and fashion brands.

ASICS is a Japanese brand that’s widely respected in the global sports industry. For a Japanese person like myself, it was an easy decision to join ASICS when the opportunity came along. What would you say are the strengths of ASICS?

ASICS takes product development very seriously and has wonderful creative expertise that can solve any difficult challenges. As we saw from the C-PROJECT that led to the METASPEED running shoe, ASICS is capable of developing excellent products even during bad times.

Another strength is the consumer focus that derives from our philosophy of Sound Mind, Sound Body. And you’ve made this central to our brand story. I believe in the importance of communicating everything through the filter of our Sound Mind, Sound Body philosophy…