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On Achieving Career Goals

by Fred Nwaozor Achieving career goals is a deliberate and continuous process that requires clarity, discipline, and persistence. It begins with a clear understanding of what one truly wants to accomplish in a chosen field. Without a defined direction, efforts become scattered, making it difficult to measure progress or attain meaningful success. Therefore, setting specific and realistic career goals is the first critical step. Self-assessment plays a vital role in this journey. Individuals must evaluate their strengths, weaknesses, interests, and values. By doing so, they gain insight into areas where they can excel and identify skills that need improvement. This awareness helps in aligning personal abilities with career aspirations, ensuring a more purposeful pursuit. Education and skill acquisition are fundamental to achieving career goals. Formal education provides foundational knowledge, while continuous learning helps individuals stay relevant in an ever-evolving profe...

Suntory CEO, Niinami resigns over Drug Probe

RostrumNews
The outspoken Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Japanese global liquor giant, Suntory Group, Takeshi Niinami, has resigned after police raided his house in a n ongoing probe on illegal drugs deal.

Niinami, 66, was put under police investigation following the arrest of a close ally in an illegal drug case in July, 2025.

Consequently, police searched Niinami’s house in August, but he has denied involvement, and no illegal drugs have been found.

“An investigation was conducted into supplements he purchased under the belief that they were legal,” Suntory president Nobuhiro Torii told news conference on Tuesday, September 2, 2025.

Niinami was reportedly suspected of importing products containing THC, an active ingredient in cannabis, from the United States.

During the search, Niinami told police that he thought it was a legal product, saying a female acquaintance sent it to him unsolicited.

Niinami, who also serves as the head of the country’s business lobby, joined Suntory Holdings in 2014, after serving as CEO of convenience store chain Lawson.

Suntory is known for its world-famous whisky and the company’s brands include Jim Beam bourbon, Laphroaig whisky and Courvoisier cognac.

In 2014, it acquired the United States' maker of Jim Beam for $16 billion to become one of the world’s biggest spirits makers.

NiinIt's noteworthy that Niinami is known as a vocal business leader. In 2023, he openly criticised Japan’s former biggest boyband agency following revelations about decades of sex abuse by its late founder.

Japan has strict drug laws and possession can result in jail time. In 2024, the German-born former CEO of optical equipment firm, Olympus, was found guilty of a drug charge.

In 2017, a German executive working at Volkswagen’s Tokyo office was arrested on suspicion of drug use.