Know MC's People

My boss said them to me when I was seconded to Metal One Corporation, which is an MC joint venture that specializes in steel manufacturing, distribution and other comprehensive, steel related services. I was negotiating with a Middle Eastern national energy company to sell steel pipes for a natural gas expansion project. The head of the company's purchasing department contacted me and said that they wanted to meet us in Malaysia. When I reported this to my boss, he said "I'd like to trust you with that."
These were new talks for a deal that was worth several billion yen, and the people I met with were more than twice my age. I felt a lot of pressure because I'd received the cooperation of many people, including both my MC colleagues and people outside the company. I didn't want to let anyone down, but the fact that I had my boss's trust gave me the confidence and determination to meet everyone's expectations.
In the end, we managed to secure the order, and I began overseeing the deliveries of steel pipes from suppliers in Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other countries. The experience was a valuable opportunity to learn about diversity and develop good judgment skills at a young age.

I am involved in supporting and promoting new business concepts and business strategy formulation in the Materials Solution Group, which was established in April 2024. Our group handles a variety of materials, including carbon and ceramics, steel products, and chemicals. This work has reminded me that there are new things to be learned every day, and I can really feel the potential of this new business group. It's been incredibly inspiring and motivating.
When formulating new businesses, I think it's important not only to understand the strategies of MC and our business group, but also to take into account global trends and industry needs. We must also be willing to take on new challenges without fear of change. To ensure that I'm capable of doing those things, I try to actively communicate with a variety of stakeholders, both inside and outside the company, and I study hard every day by closely following the news and going over the relevant literature.
Being involved in diverse businesses makes me discover new things every day, and it's refreshing to find an environment where I can still find inspiration even in my late 30s. In many cases, promising ideas are born of simple awareness, and as I work hard to create businesses that can provide new value, I'm always keeping that in mind.

My goal is to help create expansive and significant businesses by strengthening ties both within and outside the Materials Solutions Group and leveraging our businesses' diversity and collective capabilities. I'm confident that I can use my experience in the UK and the Corporate Staff Section (Corporate Communications) to help build that connectivity organically, and I'm looking forward to broadening my perspectives and developing new businesses that extend beyond the scope of our existing domains.
Having said that, creating large-scale businesses is a collective undertaking. It's not something that one person can do alone, so I'm keen to engage as many other professionals as I can, including both our partners here in Japan and around the world, and my senior and junior colleagues as well. By working together, we can take on that challenge with the best chance of success. I think that in doing so, we can also help to address a number of problems facing both the materials industries and society at large, such as decarbonization for example. I'm hoping that our teamwork will help to better our world and ultimately bring smiles to all those who live in it.