Excelling on the Front Lines of Healthcare, Urban Development and Automobiles

—— Today I am speaking with three MC employees who have been with the company for between six and nine years. First off, I would like to ask each of you to give me a broad overview of your work.

Hirai I'm a member of MC's Consumer Industry Group's Healthcare Division, which provides a variety of products and services to the medical-, nursing- and preventative-care industries. I was involved in the 2020 launch of White Healthcare, which is a joint venture between MC and Tokio Marine Holdings. I was also seconded to the new company, meaning that I'm now in my fourth year with it. I help to oversee its business operations. We established White Healthcare to address a serious issue that has been plaguing Japan in recent years, namely the strain on its health insurance system. Due to changing disease patterns in Japan's aging society, the burden of medical expenses on the general public has been growing every year, and there are even concerns that our current universal health insurance system will not be able to withstand the pressure. White Healthcare's business is to leverage receipts and other medical data to assess where there's room to rectify these expenses, its aim being to balance healthcare affordability and disease prevention. One way we're doing this is to promote correct use of over-the-counter (OTC) medications and other pharmaceuticals, and we're also developing a variety of new ideas for healthcare facilities and proposing them to local government authorities, medical clinics and health insurance providers. We're basically creating completely new kinds of businesses that are committed to solving a challenging societal problem. Watanabe I'm a member of MC's Urban Development Group, which is engaged in the construction and management of cities and their services. Our business, which includes but is not limited to real-estate projects, requires us to take advantage of MC's collective capabilities in energy, mobility, healthcare and so many other fields. I work in the Urban Development & Infrastructure Division's Domestic Business Development Office. Right now, I'm involved in a large-scale redevelopment project in the Fujisawa and Kamakura area of Kanagawa Prefecture. I help to conceive city-management and development plans and make proposals to the concerned parties.

Koike About 18 months ago, I was posted to Mitsubishi Corporation Services Office Riyahd, which is located in the Saudi capital. I work for the office's Automobile & Mobility Department, and part of my job is to assist with sales of Isuzu pickup trucks and SUVs in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Yemen. I'm also responsible for planning and implementing marketing strategies for the entire Middle East. Saudi Arabia accounts for roughly 50-60% of all vehicle sales in the Middle East. The Japanese automakers have a particularly large presence in the Saudi market, and sales of pickup trucks have been very brisk here due to increased demand in the construction industry. Pickup trucks are our main product, so we've been benefitting from this surge in demand, which is being driven by a variety of public services and infrastructure projects that the Saudi government is promoting as a means of diversifying the country's economy. An influx of rival automakers from China and elsewhere has ramped up the competition, so I'm working hard with the local staff to ensure that we can maintain our healthy market position over the medium and long terms.

Close Communication a Key to Career Development

—— Can you tell me some of the interesting experiences you've had since joining MC?

Hirai When I was a student, I learned about Japan's social security system, and I became determined to work in the healthcare industry. I spent roughly my first three years at MC doing finance, accounting and other corporate work as an Administration Department Trainee.^* I was appointed to the Healthcare Division in my fourth year with the company. ^{*MC's Administration Department Trainee system is designed to equip young employees with the basic finance and accounting skills that are required of business professionals.} Watanabe I was also a trainee under that system, but in my third year I was seconded to a company that manages real estate funds. I was very pleased with that appointment because it was a position that I'd been hoping for. In my seventh year with MC, I was dispatched to a real estate investment firm in the US as a Global Trainee.^* Although I was still part of the Urban Development Group, I was given a lot more responsibility than I'd had previously. I learned a great deal about real estate, financing and new business development. ^{*MC's Global Trainee system also focuses on young employees, but it is designed to help them learn the languages and cultures of the countries to which they will be assigned in the future. For that purpose, Global Trainees are enrolled in business schools outside Japan.} Koike My goals when I first joined MC were to do work that would connect me to consumers and get me overseas as soon as possible, so my assignment to the Automobile & Mobility Group seemed perfect. In my second year, I was sent to India as a Global Trainee, and after gaining some business experience at a subsidiary there, I was transferred here to Saudi Arabia. That was at the end of my fourth year.

—— Your careers thus far seem to have gone very smoothly, but do you have opportunities to discuss desired appointments and other matters with your HR representatives or superiors?

Hirai In my case, MC's HR managers knew right from the start that I wanted to work in healthcare, and as my transfer date neared, my boss approached me to have a word about it. I've always been impressed with how familiar and considerate MC's HR people are with employees. Koike I feel the same way. Every year, I've been given the opportunity to discuss my career and growth aspirations with my boss, but I've also found that even the everyday working environment is conducive to talking about my professional future. It's a healthy, positive atmosphere, and my superiors often ask me about where I want to go from here and what kind of work I want to be doing to help me get there. The HR managers are just as encouraging, because they advise me appropriately and provide me with options that show they're aware of my career ambitions. Watanabe MC has HR pros who cover the company as a whole, but it has also assigned some to work specifically for the business groups. They have a thorough grasp of the businesses and working environments, so I think they're very capable of determining what kind of people each of the groups needs. Obviously it's impossible for all of us to be assigned to our jobs of choice, but even when we are sent somewhere unexpected, it will still be relevant because the skills we'll acquire there will help us to continue along our desired career paths. The HR departments are always very accommodating of employees' needs.

—— Ms. Watanabe, I understand that you actually split your time between several positions in the Urban Development Group. Can you tell me about those different roles?

Watanabe Of course. Since the summer of 2023, MC introduced its Dual Career System to help give employees more autonomy over their career development. Under this system, employees can spend up to 15% of their working hours in areas that are of most interest to them. When I heard about this, I immediately signed up, and now I'm also doing work for a department that's engaged in venture-capital investments. I look for investment opportunities and partners that offer promising venture-capital technologies or ideas in industries like agriculture, plants and space, all of which could have connections to my main, city-building work or the group's other operations. I find that this extra responsibility really stimulates my imagination, and even though It's made me busier, it's given me some new perspectives, plus I think it's been a good experience working with people from other departments.

Always Questioning the Business's Aims and Significance

——What are you most conscious of in the course of your daily work?

Hirai When you work at MC, regardless of the business or field, you're going to be dealing with specialists whose knowledge and experience far exceed your own. For example, I work in healthcare, which connects me with doctors, pharmacists and public officials from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, but obviously I can't compete with any of those people when it comes to specialized knowledge of the industry. In the beginning, I was very concerned about finding my role and earning trust. Watanabe I know exactly what you're saying. Every industry has its own pros. I've worked with people who've specialized in US logistics and real estate for 40 years and others who've spent five decades developing office buildings in major city centers. I can't hold a candle to any of them. Hirai At times like that, I think it's important to work harder than everyone else on the big picture, focusing on what kind of world or society we're trying to build. Drafting a clear blueprint means envisioning ideal future healthcare systems, identifying what will be necessary to realize them and engaging everyone involved; but in my opinion, you don't necessarily need specialized expertise to do that, just the right information, which I'll continue using both my time and intellect to gather and analyze. Watanabe The questions that I'm always asking myself are, "What's this business trying to achieve?" and "What's the significance of MC getting involved in it?" I think that this capacity of getting to the essence of a business is one of the indispensible skills of MC employees, whose work connects us to specialists and other professionals in myriad fields. These days, I'm also working as an instructor for young employees, and I make a point of asking them what they believe to be the most important aspects and significance of the projects they're involved in. Koike When I first arrived in the Middle East, I experienced similar difficulties and pressures. I knew that the local employees and pros at the car dealerships were looking at me and thinking, "Great, another young kid from Japan" (laughs). During my first year here, I learned a lot about the unique characteristics of the Middle East's auto industry from my boss and coworkers who are native to the region and extremely experienced. I knew how important their advice would be, so I did my best to soak it all in. Eventually though, I realized that there are times when even the most experienced of my colleagues and the dealership staff won't have all the answers. Knowing how difficult it is to plan an effective marketing strategy that's based on an accurate understanding of the market, I visited auto souks (traditional bazaars) as often as I could, so that I could be one of the first to get the latest information. In the Middle East, cars are sold not only at dealerships, but also at souks, so you can glean a lot of information at those marketplaces, including the movements of your competitors, consumer opinions, and so on. I speak directly with the market vendors, but because English isn't spoken at these souks, I ask my locally hired colleagues or use a translation app to help me with the Arabic. Before I ask the vendors anything though, I make sure to offer them any information that I have which I think they'll find useful. I want them to have a positive impression of me, as someone who watches the auto market closely and comes armed with helpful reports. As I've done this, I've gradually earned more trust at these souks, which has just naturally led to more information flowing my way. I now have some very strong trust-based relationships with our partners. Regularly getting fresh intelligence also helps you to understand who the most reliable and credible sources are. The modest approach of learning what we can from others is important, and I intend to continue doing that, but I also want to create my own value. Those are both things that I'll be working at earnestly from now on.

—— I see. You all have your own ways of performing your roles as MC employees.

Watanabe Naturally. MC employees also do a lot of unglamorous work, such as staring all day at Excel spreadsheets wondering how we can cut costs, or repeatedly visiting customers and coming away with less than we'd hoped for. There are many trials and tribulations in the life of MC employees.

Hirai I agree. I started with a similar approach. I took part in our customers' workshops and made sure to ask a lot of questions, and I did other things as well to help me gradually build trust-based relationships with everyone, such as helping those who were unfamiliar with online meetings to set up their systems. I think that's a smart approach to developing new businesses, as it can have a positive ripple effect, but my true sense is that laying the groundwork will always be a humbling experience. You have to be prepared to grope around on your hands and knees for a bit, because in our lines of work, unless you're willing to keep doing the seemingly unrewarding grunt work, then I don't think you'll have any chance of achieving any big career goals. Koike One thing that may be tough for others to recognize is just how much one has to know about religious and cultural practices here in the Middle East, as well as the complex historical implications that surround life and business here. Personally, I still have so much learn, and I feel that I won't even be at the start line until I've finally familiarized myself with those complexities.

EX and DX Reshaping Industries and Regions

—— MC's mission under Midterm Corporate Strategy 2024 is to further its EX and DX strategies. How do those strategies tie in with your work?

Hirai In health and preventative care, health insurance reps typically aren't very proactive about researching the most appropriate tests or medical clinics when trying to arrange health examinations. Usually, they just say, "This is how the exams were given last year, so we'd like things done the same way this year." However, if we could recommend certain tests or facilities that are more tailored to individual patients based on data about health risks, existing conditions and other factors, then I'm sure you'd agree the health insurance societies would be more convinced to go with more detailed and customized proposals. If we can leverage the strengths of digital technologies and data to optimize medical services for patients, then they'll choose the most cost-effective services, which should help to normalize healthcare related expenses in Japan. My understanding of digital transformations (DX) is that they are designed to take advantage of those tools to reshape industries as effectively and appropriately as possible. I'm really excited and encouraged about DX, because it's a movement that promises to solve problems that are encountered not only by the users of products and services, but also by industries as a whole.

Koike In terms of energy transformations (EX), Saudi Arabia has set a target to be carbon neutral by the year 2060. MC has engaged in a wide range of businesses here for more than 50 years, both with state-run enterprises and private conglomerates. The challenge right now for our interests in this country, is how do we wield our main role as an operator of fossil-fuel and automobile businesses to help Saudi Arabia achieve its 2060 target? A concrete focus of our current discussions is recognition that this market is an extremely competitive one in not just fossil fuels, but renewable energy as well, so we're looking into how we can use next-generation fuels that take advantage of that to help achieve carbon neutrality in Saudi Arabia, Japan and the automotive industries.

——How about the Urban Development Group? Surely the joint promotion of EX and DX projects has a lot of relevance for regional revitalization plans.

Watanabe Absolutely. EX-and DX-driven regional revitalization is a critical mission for MC in terms of substantiating its future vision as a business enterprise. I think that one of the keys to achieving this mission will be leveraging urban development and management services to both solve each region's unique problems and highlight its local appeal and characteristics. I mentioned that I'm working on a project in the Fujisawa and Kamakura area. It's a healthcare MaaS proof of concept, and thanks to cooperation from Mr. Hirai's team, in December we'll be holding an event for the local citizens to try this service out and exchange information on cutting-edge developments in healthcare treatment, conveyance of medical supplies, patient mobility, and so on.

Experiencing Professional Growth and Continuing Rewarding Work

——MC has been advocating the creation of energetic, dynamic workforces and organizations. Do you feel that energy and dynamism in your work?

Koike For sure. Whenever I see Isuzu pickup trucks and SUVs driving on the streets here in Saudi Arabia, I feel even more inspired, but I'm also reminded of my responsibility to help maintain the automaker's strong presence in this market, so it's both energizing and bracing at the same time. Also, we're currently working on a large-scale, government project that involves the use of several thousand of our vehicles. Even though I'm largely behind the scenes, I still feel really motivated to help this swiftly developing country. Hirai I feel blessed to be able to work in a field that has always been my passion and help to realize its future vision. I'm also fortunate in that even though I'm only in my eighth year with MC, I'm in a position where my only boss is the company's president. That affords me quite a bit of authority, which is very challenging and satisfying at the same time. Watanabe I love working in a boisterous environment with friendly colleagues, where I always feel like I've had a very productive day. I also have a perfect work-life balance, which is important because everyone needs to be able to switch on and off from work mode. On my most recent break, I took a trip to Europe. Also, I never used to have much confidence in my English, so I'd get nervous speaking it in unfamiliar environments. Now though, I'm able to speak English without hesitation, which has just fueled my curiosity and enjoyment when venturing into unknown worlds. I really feel that all the varied experience we can gain at MC, including through international appointments, will aid in our professional growth.

——To conclude our discussion, please tell me what goals you have in your respective lines of work.

Hirai The annual cost of healthcare in Japan today is more than 40 trillion yen. The sector's biggest goals right now are to transition to value-based healthcare, prevent a breakdown in health insurance coverage, and give rise to a new and sustainable health insurance system. I'd like White Healthcare to put all of its capabilities as a private enterprise to work in helping Japan achieve those goals. Watanabe MC's urban development and management operations take advantage of its collective capabilities, so I'm working as hard as I can to help ensure that results in the creation of vibrant, attractive communities. I also want all of my colleagues, both junior and senior alike, to continue working energetically and making a positive impact on society. Koike My goals are to help protect Isuzu's market presence in the Middle East and develop our operations even further. I also think that contributing to growth in this part of the world is a significant mission for MC. The automotive industry is experiencing a once-in-a-century revolution, and I'm determined to apply our strengths towards the creation of new businesses that fit these changing times. Speaking to all of you today has reminded me of MC's broad industry footprint and the diverse know-how, intellect and professional resources at its disposal. If we can maximize all of that potential, then the possibilities to create MC shared value are limitless, and I expect that as we do so, we'll also be able to come up with good solutions to societal problems. Ever since I was a student, my philosophy has been to never limit myself and work in environments that encourage me to keep taking on challenges. I'm delighted that those environments are precisely where MC puts its people, and I know and appreciate how lucky I am to be one of them. I will continue doing my best to help MC make valuable contributions to society.