On pursuing an MBA

Q. Could you tell us about the circumstances surrounding your decision to pursue an MBA and why you chose IESE, as far as you remember?

I pursued my MBA at IESE from 2009 to 2011. My motivation stemmed from observing Japan’s shift post-economic bubble and wondering how Japanese companies could stay competitive in a globalized world.
I chose IESE because I valued diversity and wanted to study in an environment not dominated by American viewpoints, as with many U.S. schools. I also sought a non-U.S. experience to broaden my perspective. The school’s emphasis on societal contribution and character-building was compelling, as was its global ranking, which attracts a highly diverse student body.

Q. My class, Class of 2025, has students from over 50 countries, and each team member is of a different nationality. Was that also the case back then?

Yes, at the time, there were students from over 50 countries, and my team of eight members included people from Spain, the U.S., Japan, South Korea, Italy, Canada, Croatia, and Russia, each with a unique nationality.

Q. How has your career, combining an IT background with an MBA, influenced your work? Has your MBA been useful in the energy industry?

I believe that “a career is not about addition, but multiplication”. For example, in my case, it’s been a combination of digital × business planning × global experience, along with time spent in both foreign and Japanese companies, across different industries, and in multiple regions. Instead of merely accumulating experiences (addition), I’ve tried to think about how I can differentiate myself by combining these factors in a way that suits the environment I’m in at any given time.
Now, working in the U.S. energy industry, experience and networks would be limited if I only focused on a single region or market. However, having attended business school in Spain, with connections to professors and an alumni network spanning many countries, I feel that these experiences contribute value indirectly as well.

Q. How has your IESE experience benefited your overseas assignments?

　One valuable experience was setting up life abroad on my own. Back then, in the aftermath of the Lehman Shock, my company’s sponsorship program was frozen, so I took the risk of studying abroad at my own expense. While this may be a given for many students from outside Japan, I handled everything myself—from visas to housing, banking, and insurance—all in a country where only Spanish was spoken. Compared to that, an overseas assignment where English is widely spoken and substantial support from the company is available feels like a luxury.
Another key lesson from IESE was leadership. At work, management is supported by defined roles and responsibilities within an organization, but that’s not the case among business school peers. In the flat environment of an MBA program, where confident individuals from around the world gather, what you can contribute and how you build influence become essential. The trial-and-error process of developing informal influence has proven valuable in my career today.

Q. What event during the MBA program impacted you most?

On a personal level, I learned that processes at places like government offices and hospitals don’t progress smoothly if you expect them to be handled in the same way as in Japan. In my previous workplace, when expanding overseas, attempts to apply Japanese business practices often failed due to different assumptions in the local environment. I learned the importance of flexibility to adapt to new cultural norms.
Academically, IESE’s curriculum included 700 case studies over two years, focusing on real-world examples. The case method made me realize there isn’t always a single correct answer. In case discussions, you’re encouraged to approach issues as if you were the business leader, leading to various perspectives. Often, classes would end without a clear conclusion, emphasizing the case method’s purpose: that there’s rarely only one right answer.

Q. Regarding your comment that “Japanese norms don’t always work abroad,” this is true. Brands like Uniqlo and Muji have succeeded in Europe but have adopted a different image there. In Japan, they are budget brands, but in Europe, they are seen as premium brands embodying Japanese culture and values, even at several times the price.

There’s been a global boom in Japanese cuisine for some time, and in Houston, Japanese food products are readily available alongside Chinese and Korean products in Asian supermarkets. However, with the yen’s depreciation, some items are sold for nearly triple their price in Japan, but they’re still very popular locally.
Meanwhile, Japanese 100-yen shops have also appeared in Houston, selling Japanese-quality goods at local affordable prices. This makes me think Japanese companies could perhaps benefit from more dynamic pricing tailored to each market.

Advice for younger generations

Q. Many young and mid-career professionals at JERA and other large Japanese corporations have been trained as generalists through regular job rotations. Now, however, the focus is shifting towards specialization and job-based hiring, and many are concerned about their careers. Do you have any advice for them?

In MBA classes on “competitive strategy,” you probably learned concepts that apply equally to companies and individual careers. It’s about differentiating yourself from competitors and establishing a competitive advantage based on market needs. The framework here is “Where to play?” (which domain, region, or location) and “How to win?” I don’t mean to sound presumptuous, but as I mentioned earlier, careers are about multiplication—how you combine various skills to create differentiation applies to both companies and individuals.

Moreover, while there’s a certain modesty often associated with Japanese people, I believe that communication, or in other words, branding and marketing, is an area where both Japanese companies and individuals can improve. Traditional Japanese organizations may not have emphasized this as much, which sometimes led to misunderstandings. I think a proactive stance toward communicating with the world is essential.

Interviewers：
Taisuke Ojima(Sponsored student): Worked at NTT Communications for about 10 years in marketing and pre-sales engineering. Graduated from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Economics (2013).

Takahiro Iwano(Sponsored student): Worked for Chubu Electric Power Company and JERA for about 12 years. Engaged in overseas renewable energy development and power equipment procurement. Graduated from International Christian University, College of Liberal Arts (2012).

<Japanese version of this article>