Conversations

ITO Corporation: a changing workplace where anyone can be a leader

We are working towards the bold mid-term milestone of raising revenue threefold by 2020.
To that end, we are currently creating a system to achieve this goal.
What kinds of things is ITO Corporation putting first and foremost?

In this installment, we spoke with Mrs. Furui, External Director of the company,
and Ms. Houjou, Head of the Marketing Department.

Company profits mean growth for the individual:
investing in talent as the top priority

I am currently affiliated with an American technology company and in charge of creating our operational strategy in my role as a Supplier Relationship Manager. At the same time, I have been serving as external director of ITO for three years.

I made the decision to work with ITO Corporation based on my sense that the company is growing. With the upper management all strongly on board with the idea that "talent is an asset for growth," we are working to create a concrete system to realize this vision. These aspects of ITO Corporation greatly appealed to me.

I met Hiroshi Ito, Executive Vice President of the company, over ten years ago at business school in New York. When I heard about his interest in bringing profits back to employee growth, it really resonated with me.

ITO Corporation: A great place for women to work

I have been with the company for over ten years; when I first joined, it was still primarily male-centric, with women working behind the scenes. However, once Vice President Ito came on board, things started to change drastically. When I first started, women sort of supported men from the background, or should I say, the idea of women being on the frontlines of work was not a real concept at the time. However, it is now a culture where women, myself included, find it easy to work.

One of the things I am emphasizing in my role as external director is creating a place that is great to work at not just for women, but also for people of all ages, nationalities, and ethnicities, creating a place they will feel motivated to exist.

That's right. By the upper management taking the initiative to start things in the right direction, the team feels our commitment and this is giving things shape. We want to create a basis and culture where the best of the best can become even better. That positive feedback loop is precisely what we feel ITO Corporation needs to grow.

A company where anyone can add their ideas into the mix

One key to our future growth is investing unsparingly in talent and creating a culture where individual employees share their own ideas and put them into action.

That area is evolving, albeit slowly but surely. For a current project in the Middle East, things began with one department taking the lead. That project may have the potential to turn into a lucrative and viable business. We want to serve as role models to inspire individual employees to take the initiative and create new workflows.

That is outstanding! Another reason why ITO Corporation emphasizes a diverse body of talent is that having people from a wide variety of backgrounds fosters a wide variety of ideas. We hope to continue creating a culture where employees of all sorts can share their ideas.

Forming the basis for a new culture: become an agent of change

I live in Silicon Valley, where there are numerous technology firms. Many evolve at a breakneck speed, which allows them to obtain a competitive advantage in the market. Even newly formed companies and tiny firms continue to develop new business models and products with a vital energy.

To that end, we need to create a culture where anyone can feel free to contribute his or her opinion and take part. Being able to air one's ideas out in the open, even if that may invite risk, it also invites positive change for the individual. The idea is to create a place where we can cope with that change and where that change is itself enjoyable.

We want to have a workplace where people feel free to pursue their own ideas and change the organization and business. If people exchange opinions in a free and open manner amongst each other, regardless of age, sex, nationality, and so forth, this will foster innovation for the company. We have high hopes that lots of new talent to lead the future of the company will emerge.

Profile

Mrs. Furui
External Company Director -
Works at an American technology company
Ms. Houjou
ITO Corporation - Head of the Marketing Department

Conversations

  • Thailand and China - Challenges in New Lands
  • Embracing Change in the Workplace

Employee Interview

  • Mr. Akutagawa
  • Mrs. Yosano

In order to protect individual privacy, the names of people in the interviews and discussions on this recruitment website have been changed.