Yuma
Bachelor of Sociology
Joined in 2022
Strategic Planner
Group Strategy Office
General Planning Department
What are your current responsibilities?
I’m responsible for business portfolio management, a role that involves monitoring and analyzing various performance indicators to facilitate informed decision-making regarding the overall business portfolio of Rakuten Group. My work brings me into contact with people from a variety of departments and backgrounds, which means I need to understand things from many different perspectives with a high degree of detail.
Since my department is under the direct oversight of the COO, I’m closely involved with the top management team in supporting the management and operations of individual group companies. In 2022, I was responsible for handling Vissel Kobe, a professional soccer club in the J1 League, and in 2023, I was tasked with assisting Rakuten Mobile. When providing support to various businesses, I have a lot of opportunities to visit not only their offices but also the frontlines of where the businesses operate. I try to propose the best solutions based on the information that I personally see for myself.
How do you feel you have contributed to customers and society through your work?
Working in back-office departments often makes it difficult to see the immediate results of your work. However, as the term “Innoperation” (innovation + operation) coined by Mickey implies, streamlined operations are crucial for any company’s success. I believe timely and appropriate information-gathering and analysis are indispensable to achieving this. The continuous improvements driven by our team's analysis and strategic planning directly influence Rakuten's service quality and competitive edge. While this responsibility can be stressful, it instills a sense of pride and I always strive to embody the company’s principle of being “Passionately Professional” – one of Rakuten's Five Principles for Success.
What do you find satisfying and interesting about your work?
Examining questions that don’t have definitive answers, identifying practical and optimal solutions, and then implementing those solutions can be a challenging process, but it is also immensely rewarding. In our department, members with less experience can also exchange thoughts and ideas with the top management team to discuss significant issues. I find the energy and dedication of top management not only very inspiring, but their mindset also aligns with Rakuten’s Five Principles for Success. I have been treated as a professional regardless of my experience level or age, and this has bolstered my ambition to grow both as an individual and as a professional.
What do you keep in mind in the course of your daily work?
In the General Planning Department, we put a lot of emphasis on presenting objective and logical evidence through analysis, but it is equally important to transform these insights into practical plans for implementation. Regardless of how well-reasoned and brilliant a proposal may be, it will not be accepted by the people involved nor will it achieve the intended results if it disregards the real-world situation.
To solve problems, you can’t just rely on theories devised at one’s desk. A deep understanding of the subject and information-gathering that’s grounded in the real world is essential. Consequently, I put emphasis not only on desk-based analysis but also on getting out there and listening to people involved to verify matters firsthand. My department is home to many employees with experience in consulting and business planning, who excel at logically solving management issues. Meanwhile, staff in the business divisions often have specialized expertise and a passion for driving business initiatives forward rapidly, which makes for a very dynamic and engaging workplace.
SCHEDULE
- 09:00
- On-site visit. Assess the situation and sort out necessary actions.
- 10:00
- Arrive at the office. Share task progress and challenges with team members. Talking often helps me to clarify my thoughts and deepen my understanding.
- 12:00
- Lunch. If alone, I check the news while eating.
- 13:00
- Collect detailed first-hand information from the site. This is a crucial step that impacts the quality of my analysis work.
- 14:00
- Sort through the information I have collected and begin analysis work.
- 15:00
- Online meeting. I participate in important meetings regarding portfolio management and create meeting minutes.
- 16:00
- Meetings with people at businesses I provide support to. I share information about progress with analysis and the direction for problem resolution.
- 19:00
- Finish work. If on a long train journey returning home from a business trip, I enjoy getting some reading done.
*This article is based on information provided at the time of the interview.
RECRUITING INFORMATION
Business Positions
For those who want to deepen their understanding of the entire Rakuten Group and aim for versatile career development.
- Comprehensive Business Specialty Hiring Track
- Corporate Specialty Hiring Track
- FinTech Specialty Hiring Track
- Design Specialty Hiring Track
- Marketing Specialty Hiring Track
- Comprehensive Business Specialty Hiring Track
- Corporate Specialty Hiring Track
- FinTech Specialty Hiring Track
- Design Specialty Hiring Track
- Marketing Specialty Hiring Track
Engineer Positions
For those who aspire to become world-class engineers.
- Applications Engineer
- Infrastructure Engineer
- Data Scientist / Researcher
- Security Engineer
- Information Security / Privacy Governance Specialist
- Technology Management
- Product Management
- Development Support（Q&A, etc.)
- Applications Engineer
- Infrastructure Engineer
- Data Scientist / Researcher
- Security Engineer
- Information Security / Privacy Governance Specialist
- Technology Management
- Product Management
- Development Support（Q&A, etc.)