New opportunities exist for ITO Corporation as it expands into overseas markets.
You both joined ITO Corporation in the middle of your careers. Could you begin by telling me more about why you decided to join ITO Corporation?
I always wanted to work in sales and I wanted to challenge myself at a new company. The deciding factor for me to join ITO Corporation was how friendly the people I met for my interview were, and the feeling that I really want to work together with these people.
Meeting Mr. Saigo of ITO Thailand was the most important factor for me. Because my previous job involved a lot of business travel, I was looking for work inside Thailand. When I was talking with Mr. Saigo, he was passionate about building a new company with new colleagues. Listening to him made me want to work to make ITO Thailand a success.
That's a beautiful story. ITO Thailand was established only very recently, so I imagine you are all very busy at the moment expanding the business.
Ms. Fujiwara, why did you move to your job at ITO Corporation?
My previous company decided to relocate, and it made my commute very difficult. That's when I made up my mind to find other work. I knew that ITO Corporation was trying hard to globalize and expand into overseas markets, and I thought that new challenges and opportunities might be waiting for me at this company. My main affiliation is with the Corporate Personnel Department, but I'm also working on a new overseas operations project that I proposed to the company myself, called the "Middle East Project." It involves selling construction machinery made by Japanese companies to buyers in the Middle East. While I already have a lot of responsibilities within the Corporate Personnel Department, this new project has been a rewarding new challenge for me.