Imamu
Bachelor of Informatics and Sciences
Joined in 2016
Strategic Planning
Data Platform Department
Rakuten Vissel Kobe, Inc.
What are your current responsibilities?
I provide data analysis support to the coaching staff, backup staff, and scouting staff of the professional soccer club, Vissel Kobe. My goal is to facilitate better decision-making and help the team win by combining the qualitative analysis of highly experienced staff members with the quantitative analysis capabilities of Rakuten Group. Stationed at the clubhouse where players train, I am part of a team comprising former professional soccer players and staff with over two decades of scouting experience. I utilize my expertise as a data professional to develop strategies based on thorough analysis. Every day I help strengthen the team by creating a wide range of reports while incorporating feedback from those around me.
What do you feel you have contributed to society through your work?
I believe I’m able to contribute to society through my work in two ways:
Firstly, I contribute to the local community by aiding the development of Vissel Kobe, a team that embodies the spirit of the city of Kobe. This boosts the energy of the city as a whole. The sight of satisfied fans leaving the home stadium after a win is an immensely fulfilling experience for me.
Secondly, I contribute on an international level. Helping to make J1 League matches more exciting encourages more people to visit Japan to see J1 matches, thereby contributing to the Japanese economy. Vissel Kobe, with its capacity to attract superstar players, holds enormous potential to globalize the J1 League's fanbase. Helping the team fulfil this potential is, I believe, a challenging but rewarding task.
Why did you join Rakuten?
I chose to work at Rakuten because of the unique opportunities the company provides for tackling various challenges. I started my journey at Rakuten in 2016 as an e-commerce consultant at Rakuten Ichiba before transitioning to process management at Rakuten Mobile. Since August 2019, I’ve been on secondment to the data analysis department at Vissel Kobe. The ability to apply my analytical skills and best practices I gained before my secondment allows me to continuously take on new challenges to strengthen the team.
Utilizing data, even in seemingly unrelated fields like sport, is something I consider a defining characteristic of Rakuten’s corporate culture.
Where do you feel you have improved since joining Rakuten?
Being “Passionately Professional” is one of Rakuten’s Five Principles for Success, and it has always guided me in my work. I feel I have grown the most in developing a professional attitude focused on improving customer satisfaction. At Rakuten Ichiba, where I was assigned right after joining Rakuten, I worked with long-standing merchants, providing them with innovative solutions.
Regardless of their years of experience, these merchants could benefit from our consulting expertise. Rakuten’s vast data resources and ability to leverage this data helped me to bridge the gap with merchants. Utilizing Rakuten’s strengths enabled me to engage with merchants as a business professional, on an equal footing right from the start.
SCHEDULE
- 08:30
- I commute by car. After arriving at the clubhouse, I often end up diving into lively discussions about the previous day’s matches and other soccer-related news.
- 10:00
- Summarize scouting staff observation reports, update various data sets, and prepare meeting materials.
- 12:00
- Lunch in the newly opened cafeteria, which is also used by the players. The meals, which are developed by nutritionists for the players, are healthy and delicious.
- 14:00
- Since the team practices in the morning, meetings are generally held in the afternoon.
- 15:00
- Share reports looking back on the latest matches with the management team. We set KPIs and work to make sure we’re in broad agreement about positive and problematic areas.
- 16:00
- Prepare analysis materials. When carrying out analysis in response to frontline requests, I make an effort to exceed expectations in both speed and quality.
- 17:00
- Review proposals from companies that analyze overseas soccer teams. Since many of the cutting-edge companies are based in Europe, I communicate with them in English.
- 17:30
- Finish work. Once a week I play soccer after work with other staff members. It’s a friendly game, but we all play to win!
*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.)