Anna
Bachelor of Business Administration
Joined in 2016
Operation Planning / Section Manager
Operation Deployment Department
Rakuten Mobile
What are your current responsibilities?
I am in charge of building and managing the data infrastructure for base station construction at Rakuten Mobile. Specifically, I work on helping to visualize the number of base stations and progress of base station construction projects. I also help create systems to efficiently provide the information necessary for construction, both internally and externally. I therefore engage with various people in charge of each project throughout the construction process to collect, select and define data and discuss operation methods before construction. For any project, it is important that we determine the optimal solution based on data, grasp the overall picture so that the foundations are secure and ensure consistency with other ongoing projects. We are working to create a system that will serve as a common language connecting all parties involved and ensures that the entire project progresses smoothly.
Why did you join Rakuten?
I feel the most attractive thing about working at Rakuten is there are many people who are able to continuously search for ways to overcome difficulties and I have the opportunity to work with people who are focused on ways to make improvements. The corporate culture also encourages taking new challenges and being open to change, so it’s not only possible to change roles within the business but also to engage in new challenges in new fields. I have been working here for about seven years and, in a positive sense, have never settled down. This opportunity to grow – and never stagnate – is also a reason to work for Rakuten. We are encouraged to leave behind any preconceived ideas about new types of work, gain an understanding of the situation and the people we’re working with and continue to think flexibly about the best way to move forward. My team has a lot of work to do in collaboration with other departments and we maintain a flexible approach to our work in order to quickly grasp ever-changing situations.
What has your career path been like, and how have you grown?
I was initially assigned to the Rakuten Ichiba business and was in charge of proposing new store openings on the platform at the Kyoto and Osaka branches for about two years. I made proposals to companies of all sizes from multiple industries and considered how Rakuten Ichiba could contribute to their business. At the same time, I interviewed them about their objectives, issues and focus areas and developed the ability to systematize the information I gathered. Since there was a department on the same floor responsible for services that come after my area of sales (namely, support for opening stores and increasing sales), I was able to learn what other departments were doing and find out more about how the businesses I had worked with were doing, after they opened their stores on Rakuten Ichiba. This made me even more aware of how my proposals and work could affect the next stage of the project. Even now, I try to visualize the processes that come before and after me and keep the entire picture in mind to ensure the project reaches its final goal without any hiccups.
Tell us about your experience with overseas assignments.
In my third year with the company, I was assigned to the U.S. branch office for three months as part of a short-term program to expand international e-commerce for the Rakuten Ichiba business. During that time, I conducted outbound sales throughout the United States, held e-commerce seminars, visited companies and more. In my seventh year with the company, I traveled to Germany for two months to work on Rakuten Symphony, where I worked on visualizing project progress and improving data management. Until I understood how the business structure differed from that in Japan and established relationships with local team members, discussions did not progress and there were some struggles. However, by participating in practical operations and making time to collaborate, we were able to see things from the same perspective and started working as a team to make improvements. It made me realize that my past experience was also applicable overseas and I felt just how interesting my job was. It was a good opportunity for me to objectively look at my own way of thinking and way of working in Japan.
SCHEDULE
- 08:30
- Arrive at the office, review and prioritize today's tasks and meetings. Organize information and discussion points so that meetings can lead to an agreement.
- 11:30
- Department meeting. Share project trends and discuss the direction of each project.
- 12:30
- I often have lunch by myself due to irregular meeting times. Refresh by buying a cup of coffee at the in-house café or taking a walk around the company.
- 14:00
- After a meeting with other departments, a section meeting is held. Check the progress of the assigned tasks, organize issues and discuss how to manage them.
- 16:00
- Project Meeting. Discuss data management methods and proposals with relevant parties.
- 17:30
- Handle remaining tasks, organize the next day's to-dos and leave the office. On days off, I visit small stores in my neighborhood or places I’ve read or heard about. Sometimes I get together with friends at home and try my hand at cooking some slow cooking recipes.
*This article is based on information provided at the time of the interview.
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- Infrastructure Engineer
- Data Scientist / Researcher
- Security Engineer
- Information Security / Privacy Governance Specialist
- Technology Management
- Product Management
- Development Support（Q&A, etc.)