Brand trust starts long before a product reaches the customer. On Wednesday July 8th 2026, Lakeland University Japan (LUJ) proudly welcomed Mr. Mehmet Uysal, a Senior Manager at Amazon Japan, to present a special guest lecture titled, Brand Trust as Strategy: Protecting Brand Value Through Ethical Supply Chains. Students from LUJ’s MBA and undergraduate programs joined the highly interactive session.

Hosted by Dr. Seval Yurtcicek Ozaydin as part of the MBA course BA750 Applied Marketing Management, the session explored how global companies build, protect, and sometimes rebuild brand trust through ethical supply chain management, transparency, and effective crisis communication.

A Global Journey of Impact and Challenge

Mr. Uysal shared his expansive 16-year professional journey, which began in telecommunications with Ericsson in Turkey and took him across the globe to the Middle East, Sweden, the United States, India, Ethiopia, Taiwan, and Japan. Continuing his trajectory, he will soon be transitioning to AWS Australia to lead digital and supply chain transformations.

When asked by a student about the most impactful role he has held, Mr. Uysal explained that impact is deeply tied to the level of difficulty and commitment involved. Reflecting on a high-stakes, near-break-in contract during his time in Taiwan, he noted, “When you look at the impact for the society, for the customer, for my company, for me in my career, I would say that was definitely a very good turnout. The most challenging assignment became the most impactful success story as well.”

Visibility, Risk, and Brand Trust

Connecting supply chain realities directly to Dr. Yurtcicek Ozaydin’s marketing curriculum, Mr. Uysal emphasized the fragility of brand trust. He asked the class to consider if they knew whether the workers behind their recent online deliveries were paid fairly, illustrating the massive disconnect between consumer trust and supply chain visibility.

Addressing a student’s question about how massive corporations prevent supplier abuses, Mr. Uysal offered a grounded perspective on risk management. “It’s impossible to 100% avoid these kind of problems,” he explained. “But we more focus on try to bring more visibility on where the risks are and to be prepared how to respond when the incident happens.” He emphasized that a company’s true test is how its top management responds to crises and protects its core brand value.

Academic Rigor, Student Benefits, and Institutional Impact

For LUJ undergraduate and MBA students, interacting with a global executive like Mr. Uysal offers profound, real-world developmental benefits. Students gained practical insights into the growing connection between marketing, sustainability, and corporate reputation while engaging in thoughtful discussions throughout the session. By examining practical case studies involving major brands like Nike and Amazon, students develop advanced executive insight into the intersection of corporate social responsibility and marketing strategy.

Lakeland University Japan’s guest lectures are open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students.

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