Our Japanese students at IESE aim not only to advance our careers but also to consider what we can do for Japan’s future as business leaders and to encourage similar thinking among the Japanese community.
In this interview, we spoke with Shigeki Uchihashi, an IESE alum (Class of 2011) and VP of Strategic Change Management at JERA Americas Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of JERA, one of the world’s largest energy companies originating from Japan. We discussed his career, the impact of an MBA on organizational management, and his views on maximizing career value.
About Mr. Uchihashi
Shigeki Uchihashi
Joined IBM Japan in 1999 as a new graduate, working as a systems engineer, project manager, and business consultant specializing in the manufacturing and distribution industries. After gaining experience across the full scope of planning, development, and operations for large-scale IT projects, participated in global projects focusing on J-SOX compliance and post-merger integration (PMI). From 2009, pursued an MBA at IESE Business School in Barcelona (Class of 2011).
After obtaining the MBA, served as a Business Planning Manager for Dell’s Asia-Pacific organization. Subsequently held roles at Rakuten in digital marketing and international business support, including leading a company-wide KPI reform project directly under the president’s supervision and heading the Data Intelligence department. At the HR giant Persol, led the development of a new HR Tech business in collaboration with a U.S. partner, based on special initiatives from the executive team.
Upon joining JERA in 2019, worked under the CIO on organizational development for the ICT division, spearheaded company-wide DX strategy and governance, and led various DX projects. Also launched the “JERA Digital Academy (JEDI)”, a DX talent development program for all 5,000 employees. Currently, as Vice President of Strategic Change Management in the corporate planning department of JERA Americas Inc. (based in Houston), is responsible for North American regional strategy and cross-functional organizational initiatives.
About JERA
JERA, created as an alliance between Tokyo Electric Power and Chubu Electric Power, is Japan’s largest power producer and a global energy leader with extensive operations across the value chain—from fuel procurement to power generation and distribution. JERA Americas oversees the group’s energy and fuel businesses in the Americas.
Career at JERA Americas
Q: Can you describe your role at JERA Americas?
I work in what would be called the Corporate Planning department in Japan, where I help align the growth scenarios for North America with JERA Group’s global vision and strategy. This involves strategic planning for both the North American regional market and JERA’s electricity generation and fuel businesses in the U.S.
As one of the world’s largest energy-producing nations and with a high energy demand, the U.S. presents a unique opportunity for JERA Americas to ensure both energy stability and decarbonization. Our Houston headquarters, located in the “Energy Capital of the World,” underscores our commitment to JERA’s globalization journey. As we rapidly grow, we are also addressing the necessary structural foundations to support long-term growth, including process optimization, digital tools, and governance.
I have worked at IBM, DELL, and Rakuten, experiencing both Japanese and global corporations, as well as vendor and client roles. These experiences are invaluable as I contribute to establishing JERA as a truly global company from the U.S..
Q: You’ve mentioned the unique strengths of Japanese employees at JERA Americas. How do you view the value they bring?
Japan has a distinct set of strengths that include consistent quality standards and attention to detail, and these are part of what JERA can bring to the global stage. However, with the increased diversity within Japan as well, nationality matters less than professional strength.
Highlighting individual expertise—such as industry knowledge and specialized skills—is essential. This helps to foster collaboration by making each person’s value clear to the team.
Q: With your extensive IT background, what would you say is the key to successful DX projects?
Success often involves some luck, but failure almost always has a cause. Common issues in DX include unclear business goals, a lack of executive support, and over-reliance on vendors or IT departments. DX must be seen as a tool, not the end goal, and it’s crucial to have ownership of the initiative.
With the recent popularity of generative AI, it’s important to assess new technology risks objectively and understand how to integrate them thoughtfully. Organizations need a mindset of calculated risk-taking across all levels to leverage AI as a competitive advantage. Taking small, agile steps is better than being caught in inaction.
Q. When starting work at a new company, what organizational management practices do you focus on to quickly take control of the team and achieve results?
With my background in project management, I approach organizational activities as projects, managing objectives, scope, timelines, resources, and budgets to maximize results. This approach applies to any role, be it in a new company or a new assignment within the same organization.
Timely and suitable communication is also essential, and I adapt my style to each team member. From my first company, I learned to hold regular check-ins and review processes to align everyone in the team.
Q. Conversely, what has been the greatest challenge you’ve faced in your career, and how did you overcome it?
Frequent relocations require re-establishing networks and learning about new industries. My biggest challenge was taking on a special project to develop a new business with an American partner in a socially significant area. Without a clear scope, I was involved in everything from identifying issues to designing solutions and conducted several trials across companies. However, with a mere 0.3% success rate in new ventures, it was a lesson in timing, as market demand was premature, and short-term monetization was not feasible.
I had to establish my own exit criteria, ultimately freezing the project. This experience underscored the complexities of building a business from scratch under constrained resources.
On the next page, we asked him about his motivation for obtaining an MBA and his advice to the younger generation.(↓）