Interview

Why did you decide to move to the PD office?

I thought that the PD Office was a job that would allow me to be close to management and have an immediate grasp of the company's situation. It was also very attractive to be involved in large-scale investment decisions at Nissan, a B-to-C business company.
At the PD Office, each PD, as the president of a particular model, organizes plans for next-generation models and lifecycle proposals for current models, and makes proposals to management.
Specifically, at each of the many milestones that exist from vehicle planning to production and sales, we will work with various departments within the company, including product planning and development, to formulate product/profit plans. We are proposing an investment in a single proposal can cost from several tens of billions of yen to more than 100 billion yen, and a major feature is that we are involved in large-scale investment projects.
In addition, the attractiveness is not only the scale of investment, but also the ability to discuss design and cost in front of the clay model, confirm the customer's response after the market launch, and reflect the results in the planning of the next model. I feel a great sense of responsibility and satisfaction in being in a special position unique to an automotive OEM, where I am involved in the decision making of final products.

Did you fit smoothly into the area different from your previous career?

The work at the PD office does not mean that you cannot start without specific expertise from the beginning, but I believe that it is a job that you can fit in by accumulating practical work based on the knowledge and experience you have cultivated up to that point. Nissan HR system and diversity culture also provided a tailwind for forming a career path, and I was able to get used to the work relatively smoothly.
When I started the job in the PD office, I was in charge of the current model, and was involved in various project proposals and decision-making in a short span. None of the projects were routine, and I was constantly exposed to new challenges. Currently, I am in charge of planning the next-generation model with a larger investment scale, and the team is working together to tackle the most difficult issues.
I have pursued a career that I have chosen for myself, but I feel that I am still in the process of developing when it comes to establishing my own style. The process will change during the 4-to-5-year development period, and of course the environment outside the company will also change. In addition, the PDs are unique, and the skills and experience they require are different. It's a completely different challenge and an environment where you can continue to grow.
5 years from now, social conditions will have changed more than we could have imagined, and customers' tastes, expectations and needs for Nissan, and of course the challenges will be different. Next time you work on a new project, you will be surprised at the magnitude of the changes and excited about the new challenges. I believe it's unique to the PD Office that I can work while having expectations for the future, wondering what kind of person I can grow into next.