Sumitomo Corporation

Brazil

Sumitomo Corporation do Brasil S.A. Sao Paulo Head Office

* Job :: General Affairs, Administrative management of office operations, primarily related to facilities and equipment

What are your main responsibilities?: As manager of the General Affairs Department, I supervise a wide range of corporate administrative operations, from management of facilities/equipment and office facility renovations to personnel management of employees in some sections. Among these duties, my major responsibility is facilities/equipment management, which often entails an exacting coordination process involving other organizations, particularly regarding items for which government approval is required for purchase or use. In recent years, as we have been receiving an increasing number of visiting Sumitomo Corporation employees from overseas, the focus of my duties shifted to secretarial tasks, such as making requested arrangements and organizing these business visits, along with office maintenance and management.

In 2011, I visited Chile with my family.

What is the most interesting or rewarding aspect of your job?: I was born in Japan and immigrated to Brazil at the age of 1. As a multilingual in Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and English, I am increasingly engaged in organizing meetings between Japanese visitors and local partner company representatives. It is a daunting task to help both parties gain an accurate understanding of each other to achieve smooth communications, mainly due to huge geographical and cultural gaps that exist between the two countries. However, given that parties on both sides of the negotiation table share the common goals of growth and success, it is possible to lead them to bridge the wide cultural gulf and engage in constructive talks. Watching a challenging and demanding meeting reach a successful agreement is a really exciting moment that provides me with a genuine sense of fulfillment.

Staff of the General Affairs Department of the Sao Paulo Head Office

What are your future plans?: I have built my career in the general office operations field, rather than specializing in a specific area. I am refining my skills so that I will become a well-rounded professional in corporate administration in order to support successful business from a comprehensive perspective, for example, by providing advice to parties with conflicting interests and efficiently managing project progress. I am also focusing on instructing young employees to assist them in developing skills and capabilities to contribute to the future growth of Sumitomo Corporation do Brazil.