Q:What inspired your career change?

I fell in love with the environment and decided to work here.

I changed jobs in my late 30s after working for a major audit firm for 10 years. It all started when I was temporarily dispatched to Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Even though I was temporarily dispatched from out of the company, they treated me no differently than a regular employee, and I was able to quickly adjust to the people and the work without feeling alienated. I was also attracted by everyone's enthusiasm for their work and strong sense of responsibility, which made me want to continue working with them in the future.

I was dispatched to Ajinomoto Co., Inc for three years. The first year I provided M&A support, the second year I dealt with finance and accounting aspect of Post Merger Integration (PMI) and other accounting issues, and in the third year I worked in the Consolidated Accounting Department to prepare consolidated financial statements. Yearly transfers allowed me to be involved in the entire process of consolidated accounting from the beginning to the end. I am not sure about HR matters, but I imagine that the job rotation was done with a view to my growth as an individual, regardless of the fact that I was only a dispatched employee.

At the same time, I began to feel frustrated that I could never be a main player in this because of my position as a third-party person.

Q:Tell us about your new job.

First experience with consolidated financial statement during the Covid-19 pandemic.

I became a manager in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Consolidated financial settlement is a job that requires close communication with multiple people and compiled within a short span of time, so it is necessary to monitor progress on an hourly basis within the team to ensure that all tasks are progressing promptly. However, because of Covid-19, and the fact that all work was done remotely, it was difficult to see the status of each member's work, so we had to first try to figure out how to get things done in this situation.
That said, the team members originally had close communication with each other and chatted on a daily basis. By actively utilizing Microsoft Teams and creating a progress management system, we were able to overcome these difficulties with everyone's efforts. The sense of accomplishment we felt when we completed the consolidated financial statement by working together as a team to tenaciously solve problems even under extremely difficult circumstances was exceptional, and I think it was also the best opportunity to learn team management.

More than anything else, I am happy to see my subordinates grow.

The primary role of the consolidated financial statement is not only the disclosure of quarterly financial results, but also includes monthly explanations of the consolidated financial results to the management of Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Since being appointed as the head of Consolidated Accounting Department, I have had more opportunities to communicate with the management team and audit committee members of Ajinomoto Co., Inc. One of my current roles is to understand and digest these in-depth issues related to the management and governance of the Ajinomoto Group as a whole, and to propose issues and strategies from the aspects of consolidated financial statements and accounting, and each day I feel myself growing and developing.

What makes me happiest now are the moments when I witness the growth of each and every one of our team members. Careful and smooth settlement of accounts without errors is something that is expected naturally and taken for granted to be appreciated, but when team members are able to proceed with account settlement on their own with a deep understanding not only of the accounting standards and systems, but also of the purpose and background, this was an especially rewarding moment to me. Also, the way the team members are boldly trying to take on challenges that require complex and sophisticated decisions related to M&A and impairment testing, which involve many stakeholders is a huge growth to me. Lastly, how they are fearless in communicating with overseas group companies are also a very rewarding scene to me. All these situations are what makes me feel their growth and it is very exciting. Ultimately, my goal is for the consolidated financial settlement to proceed without delay, even if I am absent.

Q:What makes AFS attractive?

The ability to work at your own style and grow at your own pace.

Similar to Ajinomoto Co., Inc., AFS's ease of working is made possible by a flextime system with no core hours and the flexibility to work from home or in the office. In regards to working from home, we encourage employees to come to work two days a week, but this is only a recommendation and is a flexible arrangement that allows each employee to make decisions based on his or her own life circumstances.

As for myself, I drop my kids off at preschool every morning, so when I arrive at work afterwards it is inevitably close to 9:00 a.m., but that is not an issue at all. Even when my children is sick, adjustment can also be made flexibly. I can even spend dinner time with my family when I work from home. I feel that this represents a true work-in-life approach.

Needless to say, the work is very challenging and fulfilling and I never get tired of it. AFS is a company with a great deal of flexibility, depending on each person's stage of life, whether they want to take on a new challenge, be fully committed at work, work around their family situation, or focus on skill improvement, they can build their careers according to their own ideas and pace.

Q:In your words, what is AFS to you?

A company with a deep understanding that allows each individual to build a career based on his or her own ideas at his or her own pace.