Episode #39: Andrew Hankinson, President, Zwilling J.A. Henckels Japan

Andrew Hankinson is the President of Zwilling J.A. Henckels Japan and host of the podcast Now and Zen. Originally from Seattle, Washington, Mr. Hankinson’s passion for Japan grew at a young age, having been exposed to Japanese culture by family members living in the country, leading him to learn the language in high school. After briefly teaching English in Osaka, Mr. Hankinson returned to Japan with a degree in international business and Japanese language from the US. He shortly began working at a Japanese department store as a menswear buyer which he describes as an “eye-opening” experience and a “great foundation to be living and working in Japan.” Currently, as head of a much larger organization, Mr. Hankinson leads about 250 employees in the Japanese office of a global kitchenware manufacturing company that have introduced many innovative products such as Japanese kitchen knives and pots that have become popular on a global scale.