Interview

Our Jobs and Careers
at the Planning Function

Corporate Management office

A.T.

Senior Manager

Mid-career recruitment in 2008

My career

Since I was a student, I was involved in the start-up of an American restaurant chain in Japan that my senior at university had worked on, and I joined the company as a new graduate as it was. However, it was not the job in the global market that I had originally hoped for, so from my second year, I began my job search with a focus on Japanese global companies and joined Nissan. After joining Nissan, I was assigned to Project Purchasing, Vehicle Group in Common Purchasing Department, and in 2012 I was transferred to the Global Tax Group in Finance Department. In 2017, I was transferred to Argentina with my family. In 2018, I was transferred to a joint venture company between Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors, and I have been with the Corporate Management Office since 2019.

You are working to strengthen governance within the company.

The Business Management Office, to which I belong, is a new organization established in 2019. Our mission is to manage various risks within the company and strengthen governance. Very few people have experience in this work, and while other companies may have specialized consultants to provide support, Nissan has a dedicated organization within the company that is seriously committed to strengthening governance. Now that several years have passed since the department was established, I feel that employees from various job ranks have told me that compliance and governance are fundamental and important for Nissan to grow over the medium to long term.
My main tasks are to identify corporate risks, assess the level of management within the company, and report to the leadership team. Corporate risks include a variety of risks, including disaster risks such as earthquakes and pandemics, compliance risks such as misconduct, and strategic risks. Simply put, corporate risks are disincentives that affect the mid- to long-term "ideal state" of the entire Nissan Group.
Managing corporate risk is an important agenda item in Nissan's management, and the leadership team faces it with a sense of urgency. My work is discussed at management meetings and may influence management decisions, making it a tense job, but it also allows me to take on a sense of responsibility.

Anything you keep in mind in your work?

We are very careful about how we communicate. This is because governance and compliance cannot be quantitatively expressed in numbers, such as how much operating income is generated, and the way we communicate can make a big difference in the impression we give. When our team reports to the board, we try to keep it as simple as possible, without adding our own color. On the other hand, when identifying risks, we try to collect objective facts by obtaining as much data as possible and confirming the R&D's voice with the sales as well. Since this is a new job, there is no right answer, and I often struggle with my supervisor, which is both painful and rewarding.
Also, since the job involves working with people in various job ranks and departments, it necessarily broadens my network within the company. I also benefit from my past experiences in other departments. I believe that this job is for people who can look at things from a bird view, people who are curious, have a lot of imagination, and above all, people who like people.

VISION

In my career, I have experienced many jobs that can be called "defensive" such as compliance and governance. For Nissan to challenge what others are not doing and to continue to be "aggressive," "defense" is essential. In order to support Nissan's future growth, I would like to become an expert in "defense". Also, since the Corporate Management Office is a new organization, one of my goals is to raise awareness within the company through my daily work and to make as many people as possible aware of the importance of risk management.
When I joined Nissan, I started working more than 10 years ago with the mindset that if I really didn't fit the job, I could just change jobs. Nissan has people of all ages, but they are kind enough to teach even amateurs about cars, and the evaluation system and personnel transfer system are fair, making it an ideal working environment in which I want to work for a long time. I would like to continue my career at Nissan because it is the best place to work even while I am raising my child and I can easily get paid holidays.