Oral History Interview with Stephen E. Van Nostrand, April 20, 1987 Page: 79
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79
If that's enough of an opinion on that subject, I think
the more important idea to Japan that Voss evolved was the
establishment of the annual meeting of the directors of
Caltex and the joint venture companies in Japan. As a
pattern, it was so seemingly successful that it was later
established for Korea and, I think, for Australia, where
we have outside ownership. But you can imagine this monster
growing in Japan and having to sit in the local boardroom and
say, "Well, this sounds like a good idea, and we will propose
it to New York and get their understanding of it." After a
period of time, to the Japanese executives New York got to
be a vague, menacing figure back there--a faceless gigantic
corporation: "How do they feel about us?" "Do they really
know what we're doing out here?" Voss, by bringing these
guys head to head across the table from each other once a
year, eliminated the idea that it was a large impersonal
arrangement. The Japanese chief executive officer of Nippon
Petroleum Refining Company could be sitting next to the Texaco
or Chevron vice-president director and size him up on a
business plane, listen to his ideas, and then on the social
side have a few drinks, get out on the golf course and
further know him. They became people rather than organiza-
tions, and it relaxed everybody. And they began to look
forward to the meetings as something very valuable to the
conduct of the operation. They didn't sit down and conduct
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Marcello, Ronald E. & Van Nostrand, Stephen E. Oral History Interview with Stephen E. Van Nostrand, April 20, 1987, book, April 20, 1987; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc306889/m1/81/?q=%22~1%22~1&rotate=90: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Oral History Program.