Wismettac GroupRECRUITING SITE
Wismettac Group RECRUITING SITE
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Aiming to expand the European market,
Take yourself and your department to even greater heights.
Aiming to expand the European market,
Take yourself and your department to even greater heights.
- #New graduates joining
- #Asian Food Global Business
- #Overseas sales
- #global
- #Asian ingredients
- #New graduates joining
- #Asian Food Global Business
- #Overseas sales
- #global
- #Asian ingredients
Joined as a new graduate in 2015
*Affiliations and content are current as of the time of coverage.
Spreading Asian food to the European market
Provide further added value.
- What kind of business does the overseas sales team of the Asian Food Global Business that you belong to carry out?
This department handles sales, proposals, and export-related document support for Asian food products, including Japanese food, sourced from all over the world, to countries and customers outside our branch offices and group companies. While ensuring that repeat orders from existing customers are handled without fail, we also develop new customers and propose new products. In addition to selling existing products to existing sales channels, we are also taking on new challenges such as selling high-priced products with added value and selling on EC sites.
- Please tell us about your role in the Asian food global business.
I am currently in charge of sales, belonging to the European team. In addition to sales work, since June 2020 I have also been involved in processing the end-of-month and end-of-year closing figures for the department and creating monthly documents. In sales, my main work involves handling repeat orders from my clients, proposing new products, providing quotations, samples, and documents, and developing new clients. Before COVID-19, I would go on overseas business trips once every two to three months, visiting clients and holding business negotiations, seeing the local market with my own eyes, understanding the needs of my clients, and applying that to my sales.
We started attending to overseas customers from scratch,
The experience of building deep relationships of trust will come in handy.
- What is the most memorable episode in your career so far?
I was particularly impressed by my work attending to our Norwegian clients when they visited Japan. For a total of six days, I coordinated the schedule with each manufacturer, put together an itinerary from scratch, and attended to them fully from morning to night. This was work I had never experienced before, so it was tough work both mentally and physically. I felt that this attendance helped me to build a stronger relationship of trust with the clients, and that business interactions became smoother.
-Have you noticed any changes in yourself or those around you as a result of this experience?
Although I hadn't felt it was a clear challenge until then, the Norwegian customer was a woman in her late 50s, and I think she was a little worried about me, a young employee in my 20s. However, after this visit, I gradually grew closer to the customer, and I could feel that she was beginning to trust me. You can't build trust in an instant. I learned once again the importance of doing each job carefully and with all my effort, even if it takes time.
Not just the task at hand,
We boldly take on new challenges.
- Please tell us about your future goals.
As a salesperson, I want to work closely with customers, build relationships of trust, and contribute to the expansion of the market in Europe. To do this, I need to do my best in my daily work and the tasks at hand. In this way, I need to strengthen the relationship of trust with customers more than ever before. In addition, I think that I need to proactively take on new challenges outside of routine work, such as new fields and products, so that I can provide more value not only to myself but also to the department as a whole. To that end, I feel that we need to work together as a team, and make an effort to create time and mental space for each employee to take a new step. Specifically, I want to expand the market for our customers in the areas we are currently developing, and raise the priority of the Wismettac Group as a whole. In Europe, where the Asian food market has already expanded to a certain extent, I would like to develop high-priced products with added value.
4 QUESTIONS 4 questions to ask Wismettac employees
To deliver Japanese food to the world,
Don't give up and keep trying.
To deliver Japanese food to the world,
Don't give up and keep trying.
- #New graduates joining
- #Asian Food Global Business
- #Purchasing and product development
- #global
- #Asian ingredients
- #New graduates joining
- #Asian Food Global Business
- #Purchasing and product development
- #global
- #Asian ingredients
Joined as a new graduate in 2016
*Affiliations and content are current as of the time of coverage.
In order to spread the food culture of Japan and Asia to the world,
Responsible for everything from product development to supply.
- First of all, please tell us about the Purchasing and Product Development Team of the Asian Food Global Business to which you belong.
Our company has local subsidiaries that serve as sales bases in various countries around the world, and our main role is to procure and develop Asian foods that these bases import and sell. In fact, our department developed the Japanese food private brand "Shirakiku®," which was registered as a trademark in 1921. We plan and design the products to be developed, select the appropriate countries and suppliers, and supply the best products to the bases. Our biggest mission is to support the sales bases in increasing their sales and profit margins.
- What role do you play in the Asian Food Global Business, an important department within the company?
Because our department handles a large number of products, we have separate staff for each product category, such as processed foods, seasonings, agricultural and livestock products, confectionery and beverages, and non-food products. As a playing manager for product development and procurement, I am involved in all of these categories. Before COVID-19, I used to travel overseas once every two months to develop new suppliers, inspect existing business partners, and conduct market research in export destination countries. Aiming for stable supply and improved competitiveness, I plan and execute plans based on daily business negotiations with suppliers and current situation analysis.
In order to broaden the scope of our products,
Taking on the challenge of an unprecedented registration application process.
- Tell us about the most memorable work experience you've had in your career so far.
In my fourth year at the company, I applied for a product that could not be handled without certain registration due to regulations, and successfully obtained approval. Traditionally, such application work would be outsourced to specialized consulting companies, but the costs are high, and the products that can be outsourced are naturally limited to those that are highly cost-effective. If things continue like this, the range of products will not expand, and we will lack sustainable competitiveness. With this in mind, I thought I would try to apply for it myself, even if it was a long shot, and I got to work on it.
- It must have been an unprecedented challenge. What were the particular challenges you found difficult?
For registration, not only do you need to understand the regulations, but you also need knowledge about food safety management and manufacturing, and you have to neatly organize that information and put it in writing to submit to the government agency. I remember working very hard, being conscious of how the judges would see things, and trying to clearly communicate the safety and appropriateness of the product, while also directly contacting the US government agency when there were points I was unclear about. In the end, we were able to successfully register, and since this was an unprecedented achievement within the company, I was happy that we were able to make an impact on the entire company. Rather than giving up because you think you can't do it, you need to think about how you can do it and take action first. This incident taught me once again that such execution skills are important in the workplace.
The goal is to develop a global hit product.
Always keep in mind your challenging attitude.
- Please tell us about your future goals.
As a department, the contribution of product development to business varies from one location to another, and there are still some countries where our department has not made a significant contribution, so we would like to create a new product that will be a hit across all locations. Personally, there are still many analog and personal tasks remaining in the company, so I would like to first hone my IT skills to streamline my current work and improve my skills as a business person. Also, since I work for a global company, I would like to have the experience of working at an overseas location at least once. It is no exaggeration to say that children today are learning IT as part of their compulsory subjects, and that we live in a completely different world from the one we grew up in. That is why I would like to always try new things and grow myself so that I can be a business person that the children of the new era can be proud of when they become adults.
4 QUESTIONS 4 questions to ask Wismettac employees
Delivering Japanese seafood to the world,
We aim for sustainable procurement.
Delivering Japanese seafood to the world,
We aim for sustainable procurement.
- #New graduates joining
- #Asian Food Global Business
- #Purchasing and product development
- #SDGs
- #Fishery products
- #New graduates joining
- #Asian Food Global Business
- #Purchasing and product development
- #SDGs
- #Fishery products
Joined as a new graduate in 2019
*Affiliations and content are current as of the time of coverage.
We purchase seafood from Japan and around the world,
Providing a stable supply to the world.
- Please tell us about the mission and role of the Fisheries Department of the Asian Food Global Business to which you belong.
The mission of the Fisheries Department is to procure products for our overseas bases. Our suppliers are not only from Japan, but also from a wide range of countries such as China, India, Vietnam, and Indonesia, and we collect products from all over the world and supply them all over the world. We work to find ways to provide the products required by each base in a stable and high-quality manner that meets the needs of our customers.
- Please tell us what kind of work you are in charge of.
I am in charge of suppliers in Japan and Taiwan, and we handle products such as yellowtail, squid, tilapia, and flying fish roe. Yellowtail is one of our large products, and I am involved in inventory management and shipping adjustments. I am working hard every day to eventually be able to expand the scope of my work to include price negotiations and product development. I am also in charge of price negotiations and product development for squid, tilapia, and flying fish roe, and I do my best to check the status of raw materials and information from other companies to make the best purchases. When I see information about products I have been involved in on the websites of our suppliers, I feel happy because it makes me realize that I am achieving my goal of spreading Japanese seafood overseas.
Experience is the best in anything.
I work hard every day to improve my language skills.
- What is the most memorable episode that you have had so far?
In my second year at the company, I was assigned to a supplier in Taiwan. I was very happy when I was told that I would be assigned to that position, but I was also anxious because I was not good at English. I realized that I couldn't do my job without English, so I signed up for an English conversation school and downloaded an English study app. At first, it took me a long time to write emails and understand the content of messages from the other party, but thanks to my studies, I gradually got used to it and can now respond smoothly. Also, when a supplier contacted me about a price increase, I was really nervous the first time I negotiated the price over the phone. I wrote down what I wanted to say on paper and conveyed it in English, although my English was poor, with all my heart, and I was able to somehow keep the price increase to a minimum, which is a memorable experience.
- How did you feel you grew through this experience?
I learned that it's important to try things you're not good at and gain experience. Even if you think it's impossible at first, you'll be able to do it little by little as you gain experience. However, I still often find it difficult to negotiate with suppliers. I learned the importance of gathering as much information as possible and preparing in order to be able to negotiate on an equal footing with experienced supplier personnel.
We will procure seafood that takes SDGs into consideration,
Providing safe and secure food to the world.
- Please tell us about your future goals.
Currently, we deal with a lot of natural seafood, but in the future, we will be required to supply sustainable products. Even in the case of aquaculture, it will be necessary to pay attention to the breeding method, feed, and seedlings. In recent years, we have had more opportunities to hear words such as SDGs and ESG, but this is not a passing fad. Sustainable supply of seafood can be achieved by managing catches and cultivating with consideration for the environment, so in the future, we would like to purchase products that take into consideration the fishing and farming methods of the raw materials. In addition, by utilizing the experience of training and research at aquaculture farms during university, we would like to expand our scope of coverage to upstream, such as aquaculture farmers, and purchase better products. Another goal is to be stationed at an overseas base. When you are in Japan, it is difficult to see the local situation, and there are times when you feel that it is difficult to understand what is required. I would like to gain experience overseas in order to become familiar with the local market and improve my skills.
4 QUESTIONS 4 questions to ask Wismettac employees
In order to expand sales of imported fruits and vegetables,
With passion that is unmatched by anyone.
In order to expand sales of imported fruits and vegetables,
With passion that is unmatched by anyone.
- #New graduates joining
- #Agribusiness
- #Domestic Sales
- #Fruits and vegetables
- #New graduates joining
- #Agribusiness
- #Domestic Sales
- #Fruits and vegetables
Joined as a new graduate in 2016
*Affiliations and content are current as of the time of coverage.
Facing various challenges,
Provide a stable supply of imported fruits and vegetables to Japan.
- Please tell us about the mission of the Produce Division of the Agricultural Business to which you belong.
I belong to the produce division within the Agricultural Business. This division is responsible for a large portion of the sales in the domestic business. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that the work of the produce division directly affects the management of the entire company. Our mission is to support the company and, from there, to bring a positive wind to the entire import produce industry.
- What kind of work are you in charge of in the produce department?
As a domestic sales representative, I sell citrus products to markets and mass retailers in eastern Japan. I mainly share daily information and decide sales quantities with market customers over the phone, and hold regular business meetings with mass retailer customers to decide on products to sell and sales plans. In addition, as a product manager, I plan sales plans such as orange arrival quantities and quality control. I am also in charge of testing for residual pesticides and overall quality control. Due to the nature of imported fruits and vegetables, things do not always go as planned, due to factors such as growing conditions and ship disturbances. That is why I feel such great joy and satisfaction when I solve various problems and make profits for our customers and our company.
A strong passion for expanding product sales
It was the deciding factor for success.
- What is the most memorable episode in your career so far?
It was the first time that I was involved in all aspects of the Oro Bronco (Sweetie) product, from purchasing to quality control and sales. As it was my first challenge, I received a lot of advice from my seniors and exchanged opinions with customers who had a sales record, searching for the best purchasing and sales methods. It was a difficult but fulfilling time. My current job mainly involves sales, and I do not generally engage in purchasing work, but last season's sales of Oro Bronco were well received, and I will now be entrusted with everything from purchasing to sales.
What do you feel you learned through this experience?
Passion is contagious. When we started selling Oro Bronco, everyone on my team understood my feelings and put more effort into expanding sales than usual. We also received strong support from the mass retailer, who secured a larger, more visible sales space than we had planned. Of course, we made logical proposals, but I think it was my own strong passion that was the deciding factor in the end. I was reminded that I am not alone, and learned the importance of believing in myself and working hard with a positive attitude.
With a wide range of experience,
Proposals that are not bound by existing methods.
- Please tell us about your goals for your department and as an individual.
The first thing we need to achieve as a department is to expand sales to a wide range of sales channels. Although we have a high market share in the industry, there are still mass retailers that do not carry our products. We want to focus on expanding sales so that Sunkist products, our strong point, are available at any mass retailer.
Personally, I would like to become a salesperson who is not bound by sales channels or products. Because this is a job that requires expertise, the basic career plan is to be narrow and deep, but I think there must be ways of being active that only people with broad knowledge and experience can do. I would like to try more things than ever before so that I can respond more flexibly to various matters. I would like to seriously consider what I can do now and how I can grow more, so that I can eliminate barriers such as not being able to sell because I am in a different department or in a different position, without being bound by existing sales methods.
4 QUESTIONS 4 questions to ask Wismettac employees
Through the creation of new markets,
Wismettac's presence
To something even bigger.
Through the creation of new markets,
Making Wismettac's presence even greater.
- #Career Joining
- #Agribusiness
- #Overseas sales and business development
- #global
- #Fruits and vegetables
- #SUGOI
- #Creating new markets
- #Career Joining
- #Agribusiness
- #Overseas sales and business development
- #global
- #Fruits and vegetables
- #SUGOI
- #Creating new markets
Joined the company in 2015
*Affiliations and content are current as of the time of coverage.
From purchasing and procurement to standardization and sales
A job that involves taking on all roles as a trading company.
- Mr. Tsukamoto, what kind of business does the Agricultural Business Overseas Sales and Business Development Team that you belong to carry out?
The mission of this department is to build the foundations for our goal of becoming the world's leading fresh produce company, including farming, trading, and distribution businesses.
- What is your main role within this?
My main job is to formulate and implement measures so that the products proposed by our department can be used worldwide. We aim to develop and expand the business by implementing a series of PDCA cycles, such as building partnerships with suppliers and retailers, creating products and standards, and selling. When I see the products that I have been involved in from procurement to standardization and sales being released into the world and being sold in every sales floor, I feel like my efforts have taken shape and it is rewarding. Of course, creating a new market is no easy task, but that's why I feel motivated to overcome the barriers and the joy I feel when I actually overcome them is great.
To move people's hearts,
It’s important to believe in yourself.
- What is the most memorable episode from your career so far?
It's not a specific job, but with the assumption that the domestic market will shrink due to the decline in the domestic population, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has set out a 5 trillion yen export plan by 2025 as a guideline, and at first glance, it seems that the export of fruits and vegetables is also in a favorable mood for the entire country. However, in reality, many people such as shipping associations and farmers have a negative view of exports or misinterpret them, so things do not always go smoothly. In response to voices such as "It's too much trouble, so I don't want to deal with it" and "Fulfilling domestic demand is enough," the work of exerting the coordinating function as a trading company, taking into account the intentions of both customers and suppliers, and delivering benefits to both parties is always stimulating and impressive. When I give speeches at lectures, give presentations to farmers, and communicate closely with them and they say, "I'm willing to do it with you," all the hard work I've done so far is blown away. In pioneering businesses, you don't see the results until you put it into practice, but I think the key to success is to be firmly committed to what you and your company believe in.
Further development of private brand products,
Aim for greater self-improvement.
- Please tell us about your future goals.
As a department, my goal is to deliver our private brand, "SUGOI," to more people around the world. In addition to "SUGOI," we also have a variety of other private brands, so I would like to expand these and further increase our presence in the world of food. In addition, I would like to further strengthen Wismettac's unique strengths by developing exclusive varieties and items. Personally, I will of course continue to work hard at my current job, but if the opportunity arises, I would like to work in a different department or participate in a joint venture within the group to broaden my horizons. If I can grow in this way, I will be able to deliver more value to more people than ever before, including the company and our customers.
4 QUESTIONS 4 questions to ask Wismettac employees
Developing new markets through our own efforts
Responsibility and pride as a salesperson.
Developing new markets through our own efforts
Responsibility and pride as a salesperson.
- #Career Joining
- #Amenity & Retail Business
- #Domestic Sales
- #global
- #Starting a new business
- #Career Joining
- #Amenity & Retail Business
- #Domestic Sales
- #global
- #Starting a new business
Joined the company in 2010
*Affiliations and content are current as of the time of coverage.
We handle special products that you would want to eat on special occasions,
I wish for people to live rich lives.
- Please tell us about the mission of the P Cube Business Group, which handles the amenity and retail business of which you are a member.
The mission of our division is to give people joy and excitement through food and to support a richer life. We handle a wide range of foods, such as Mexican food used at parties and herbal tea to enjoy during breaks. Event products for Halloween and Christmas, sweets in collaboration with various characters, organic products that are healthy and environmentally friendly, and even high-end chocolates that cost several hundred yen each. The amenity foods we handle are not necessarily necessary products for people's lives. However, we work hard every day in the hope that these foods will make people smile and enrich their lives.
- Please tell us what kind of work you are in charge of.
I am the sales manager. Our clients are a wide variety of stores, including imported food specialty stores, mass retailers, general stores, convenience stores, drug stores, department stores, and mail order sales channels. Our main battlefield is imported food specialty stores, which this division has been focusing on since its launch. I am in charge of major customers in these sales channels while also managing the sales staff. With so many clients and products, I lead a busy business life every day, but all the sales members work together to achieve our division's mission.
Rather than learning from success stories,
The aim is to become a success story.
- What is the most memorable episode from your career so far?
In 2015, we signed an agency contract with a famous brand in the brand chocolate business. Since our company had never participated in a large-scale Valentine's Day event at a department store, I remember feeling my way through the work while seeking advice from my superiors. There are no correct answers for new work within the company. It all lies with the customer and the field. To succeed in a job that you are unfamiliar with takes time and effort, and can be physically and mentally tough, but I learned that the only way to do it is to listen to the customers, make hypotheses, and move forward.
- How did you feel you grew through this experience?
I experienced firsthand the procedures and methods of business development. In the jobs I had been involved in up until then, my predecessors had already found the steps to success, but this was not the case with a new business. Instead of being told by someone, I had to search for and find the answers myself. It was by no means easy, but I think that experience made me a tougher person.
Expand both the vertical and horizontal axes,
I want to achieve growth for myself and my department.
- Please tell us about your future goals.
Our goal is to expand our current business domain while stepping into new business domains. If we use a matrix as an example, it is like expanding the vertical and horizontal axes at the same time. Until 2020, we secured profits from three categories: mass brand products, event products, and branded chocolates, but we would like to add a new health-conscious category and work to generate profits. We also want to work to expand our amenity and retail business. We do not just import products from overseas, but have the capabilities and know-how to customize our own products. Many of our products are original products of the Wismettac Group. In the future, we would like to expand our original products to Asian countries that are interested in Japanese amenity culture. To that end, we consciously observe the sales floor and try to keep abreast of the movements of our customers, competitors, and trends.
4 QUESTIONS 4 questions to ask Wismettac employees
Entertaining people
Seasonal and event products
Deliver it to the world.
Entertaining people
Delivering seasonal and event products to the world.
- #New graduates joining
- #Amenity & Retail Business
- #Purchasing and product development
- #New product development
- #New graduates joining
- #Amenity & Retail Business
- #Purchasing and product development
- #New product development
Joined as a new graduate in 2012
*Affiliations and content are current as of the time of coverage.
Captured the trend
Developing unique products.
- Please tell us about the mission of the P Cube Business Group, which handles the amenity and retail business of which you are a member.
We plan and develop products based on the concept of the "3 P's" that our division name is derived from: Pleasure, Producing, and Presenting. Our mission is to introduce unique overseas food brands that are not available in Japan, plan and develop products for seasonal events such as Halloween and Christmas, and propose new events and products on a daily basis.
- Please tell us what kind of work you are in charge of.
Our team develops approximately 300 items per year. Product development is not done by an individual, but by the entire team, and if everyone does not work hard individually, we cannot create a product. Therefore, it is my job to manage the entire project so that the team can proceed smoothly. As a product manager, I mainly work on product design, profit calculations, and production schedule management, while also managing budgets and actual results, planning the progress schedule of each project, and coordinating with other teams. The market demands products that are new, interesting, and fun, so it is both difficult and rewarding to develop products that match the trends every year.
Responsible for the overall progress of the project
Improved management skills.
- What is the most memorable episode from your career so far?
I remember the first time I was in charge of the overall progress of a seasonal project. It was an important position in which I was responsible for managing the overall progress, including budget and actual management, planning the overall schedule, analyzing sales results, and revising and discontinuing products. I remember not knowing how to proceed at first and just feeling anxious every day. In that situation, I tried to fulfill my role in my own way, but in reality, I couldn't make progress.
When we proposed a limited edition product to a customer, we had to revise the plan many times under a tight schedule. With advice from my superiors, we made steady progress one step at a time, and with the cooperation of my team members in gathering information and sourcing, we succeeded in developing a new, unprecedented product. We were able to meet the deadline and achieve our budget without any delays.
How did you feel you grew through those experiences?
Having experienced the entire project process, my perspective has broadened and I can now see things from a bird's-eye view. I now try to proceed with the project while understanding the entire project, and I try to avoid waste by identifying potential stumbling points in advance. As a result, I feel that projects are progressing more smoothly than before.
A project that transcends team boundaries
I want to be involved in new product development.
- Please tell us about your future goals.
Opportunities to get involved in new business ventures beyond the boundaries of my team have been increasing. Although I am sometimes confused, I hope to contribute to the expansion of the business by participating in various new projects. In fact, last year I was involved in the development of a new product for a department store event held by another team, and although my contribution was small, I was able to contribute to the development. It was difficult to proceed with the planning with people I had little contact with before, but in the end we were able to create a good product, and I feel that it was a good experience.
4 QUESTIONS 4 questions to ask Wismettac employees
Introducing "Food x Healthcare" to the world,
Solving global issues.
Introducing "Food x Healthcare" to the world,
Solving global issues.
- #Career Joining
- #New Business Development (WBD Company)
- #Food × Healthcare
- #Creating new markets
- #Starting a new business
- #New product development
- #Career Joining
- #New Business Development (WBD Company)
- #Food × Healthcare
- #Creating new markets
- #Starting a new business
- #New product development
2020 Career Joined
*Affiliations and content are current as of the time of coverage.
In the food and healthcare field
Developing new solutions.
- Please tell us about the mission of WBD Company (Wismettac Business Development Company) to which you belong, and your own role.
WBD's mission is to uncover customer needs and continually create new business models and products, as well as to implement them in actual operations and deploy them globally.
In this role, I am involved in creating new businesses in the field of "food x healthcare." Specifically, I am in charge of a project to expand food for the elderly overseas and a project to launch a new business for food for specific diseases. We start by researching customer needs and the market, then consider the business model and strategy, and then consider whether it will actually work as a business and whether there is any significance for our company to take on the project. If we deem it to have marketability and feasibility, we consider specific operational methods and proceed with product development. In addition to planning, I am also in charge of the phase of actually sending the product to the market, with the ultimate goal of expanding the business overseas and in multiple regions.
- Please tell us about the rewards and fun aspects of your job.
It's not a job where you follow a set path, but rather you get to try new things based on your own ideas, which is rewarding. Based on the information obtained from research, you decide which customers to target, what product concept to create, and how to sell it. The "handmade feel" of creating a product while considering all phases together as a project member is appealing.
The experience of launching a business from scratch
This will be useful in developing our next solutions.
- Please tell us about a memorable episode in your current job.
In 2021, we launched a new business in the field of "food x healthcare." Starting with market research, we were able to launch the business in about a year. There were many twists and turns because we thought up the process of launching a new business ourselves. Just before the launch, we had a lot of urgent tasks piled up, and our team members even said, "It's like the day before the school festival" (laughs). We prioritized tasks and worked together as a team, supporting each other beyond our areas of responsibility in emergencies, helping each other to launch the business within the target deadline.
- How did you feel you grew through this experience?
I think that by sharing this difficult experience as a team, the team's cohesion has been further strengthened. In addition, there are many parts of this experience that can be put into a process, so I think that from next time onwards, we will be able to promote business development in a more systematic way. There is no set way of doing things for new businesses, so we have to think of everything ourselves. This project also targeted a different customer base from existing businesses, and while we experienced the difficulty of planning sales using a different method than before, we also felt a great sense of accomplishment.
To establish a healthcare business,
Don't neglect your daily studies.
- Please tell us about your future goals.
My goal is to get the new business I recently launched in the field of "food x healthcare" on track. I want to develop new sales channels by expanding my target customers and expanding into multiple countries, and establish the healthcare business within the Wismettac Group. Personally, I would like to continue to be involved in a business that solves global issues by finding areas where Japan has strengths, especially in a country that is advanced in issues such as an aging society and a declining birthrate and aging population, and expanding solutions overseas. I would also like to gain experience in creating something from nothing and find my own winning pattern for creating new businesses. To achieve my goal, I have started attending graduate school (MBA) at night and on weekends. I hope to further promote new businesses by building a network with people outside the company and systematically relearning business knowledge.
4 QUESTIONS 4 questions to ask Wismettac employees
Delivering attractive products to countries around the world
Aiming to become an expert in food exports.
Delivering attractive products to countries around the world
Aiming to become an expert in food exports.
- #Career Joining
- #Quality Control/Manufacturing/Food Tech
- #global
- #TETOP
- #Career Joining
- #Quality Control/Manufacturing/Food Tech
- #global
- #TETOP
2018 Career Joined
*Affiliations and content are current as of the time of coverage.
Dealing with various regulations,
Achieve exports to countries around the world.
- What kind of business does the TETOP Export Department that you work in carry out?
TETOP's Export Department is responsible for product maintenance and regulatory compliance to ensure a stable supply of existing products to sales bases around the world. It also serves as a platform for handling all work related to overseas exports, from product management to trade, such as checking regulations and import documents when introducing new products to increase sales at bases and registering them in the system. Rather than handling the food and products themselves, it is a department that handles the laws and regulations that accompany them.
- What role does Park play in this?
I maintain existing confectionery products, comply with regulations, check regulations and import documents for new products, and register them in the system. I summarize changes in regulations for destinations, and confirm and respond to them as a project. I also serve as the team leader for the product management teams for seasonings, agricultural and livestock products, non-food products, and confectionery, and am in charge of managing the project progress of the entire team. When the products I design to comply with regulations and the new products I register reach people living overseas and sales increase, it means that more people are enjoying the products, so I feel a great sense of accomplishment.
If we all join forces,
There is no wall that cannot be overcome.
- What is the most memorable episode in your career so far?
One particularly memorable episode was when we received an order from a base and were in the process of placing an order, but the ingredients for a product suddenly changed, so we quickly checked the specifications with the manufacturer, registered the product, and adjusted the shipping schedule in order to make sure it was ready in time for the scheduled ship. By making an effort to communicate quickly and reliably with all the parties involved, including the manufacturer, the food safety team in charge of quality control, and the trading team, we somehow managed to get through the situation safely.
- What did you learn from this experience?
In the above episode, we received cooperation from many people, including manufacturers, the food safety team responsible for quality control, and the trade team responsible for ship coordination. There is a limit to what one can do alone in a limited amount of time, but if we can work together with colleagues from each field, we can overcome any difficulty. This was an incident that allowed me to experience this firsthand, and taught me the importance of building strong relationships of trust through daily communication.
Building on each and every experience,
To food export professionals.
- Please tell us about your future goals.
Each country has different regulations, and with those regulations changing regularly, it is not easy to remember all of them. That is why I think it is important to keep studying through my daily work, such as what documents are required in this country and how to label the packages locally. By accumulating knowledge every day in this way, I believe I can become a food export expert who can smoothly check ingredients, register products, and check documents in accordance with regulations in any country. I myself am not yet very experienced, but I am proud to say that I have gained a considerable amount of knowledge and experience, at least regarding products for North America. I would like to continue to grow by accumulating more knowledge and not be satisfied with my current situation.
4 QUESTIONS 4 questions to ask Wismettac employees
To realize the management's intentions,
He works hard, transcending departmental boundaries.
To realize the management's intentions,
He works hard, transcending departmental boundaries.
- #Career Joining
- #business administration
- #Chairman's Office
- #Organizational reform
- #Career Joining
- #business administration
- #Chairman's Office
- #Organizational reform
2020 Career Joint Hire
*Affiliations and content are current as of the time of coverage.
Demonstrating management intent,
Commit to a wide range of projects.
- Please tell us about the role and mission of the Chairman's Office, of which you are a member.
The Chairman's Office is a department that discusses with the board members, including the Chairman, to unify the management's will and manage the steady implementation of the management agenda as an organization. In addition, the Chairman's Office also leads many projects, such as promoting company-wide projects that require coordination with overseas branches and domestic business divisions in Japan, and planning and managing projects that fall between branches and business divisions.
- What role does Kitaguchi-san play in the chairman's office?
As a middle manager, I am mainly in charge of managing projects led by the Chairman's Office. In addition, I clarify the policies for the agenda set by the Chairman and implement them for each overseas branch and domestic business division in Japan, and provide support and advice for individual projects promoted by each overseas branch and domestic business division in Japan. Although I often struggle with things that I cannot change on my own, I work with hope that each small effort will lead to improvement of the entire organization. This position makes me feel that everything that happens within the Wismettac Group is my own, and my motto is to tackle matters related to the management of the company without being bound by the boundaries of my responsibilities.
Through trial and error in communication,
Transforming “community” into “organization.”
- Please tell us about the challenges you are facing at the Wismettac Group.
For better or worse, the Wismettac Group has been run as a "community" based on free and loose human connections, but I am continuing to take on the challenge of transforming it into an "organization" where each employee acts vigorously, strongly, and efficiently. Naturally, it is difficult for me, who just joined the company as a career hire, to penetrate the depths of the community. At times, I have to communicate directly and strongly, making myself the unpopular person, but at the same time, I have to take the initiative to help solve problems even in small matters, and convince people that I am a useful person. This requires a risky and laborious commitment from an organizational member. Although it is very arduous, I feel that it is a rewarding job that allows me to penetrate the business to a depth that I was not able to be involved in in my past career.
-What obstacles do you face in this challenge?
Communicating with people is a continuous challenge. Simply issuing orders from the top down will not get the organization moving properly. Careful communication is required so that the person in charge feels the desire to achieve things and can take steps toward change. As diversity has emerged within the company, there are cases where conflicts arise between management and employees. As a member of middle management, I try to find ways to communicate while observing the motivation and emotions of each employee to ensure that even the lowest employees have a positive desire to achieve things. Sometimes it is necessary to accompany a particular employee until they have a small experience of success, and for me, the biggest hurdle may be how to use my limited "time". Still, as a result of perseverance, the mindset of the people involved in the project with me changes, and when I see each person demonstrating leadership and taking action, I feel very happy and feel that my efforts and time have been fully rewarded.
We treat the group as a family.
Contributing to creating an environment conducive to business development.
- Please tell us about your future goals.
Due to the impact of Covid-19, I have not been able to travel overseas since joining the company, but I would like to be seconded overseas. Ideally, we would like to create an environment where employees of diverse origins, not just Japanese, have a sense of organizational unity as one family, respect each other and cooperate to develop business around the world. Even overseas, I am working hard without setting my own limits so that I can be seen as someone people want to work with, regardless of language or cultural barriers. Fortunately, I am in a position where I can see the entire Wismettac Group, so if it is an important project, I try to be actively involved even if it is something I have never experienced in my career so far.
4 QUESTIONS 4 questions to ask Wismettac employees
