The breadth of our business supports our growth. Careers as female managers expand in the value-up area

Mai Sakai is in charge of production management as a director. After gaining experience in a variety of fields including commercial facilities, hotels, and events, I am currently working primarily in the area of increasing the value of office buildings. In addition to being involved in management as a section manager, Sakai has also participated in recruitment activities and human resource development projects, so what is her goal as a director and as a female manager?

Engaged in value enhancement to maximize the value of office buildings

The 2nd Product Direction Department of the 5th Division of the Sales Promotion Headquarters, to which Sakai belongs, primarily deals with the workplace and building value enhancement markets. We have particularly excelled in increasing the value of office buildings.

Sakai: ``Increasing the value of a building means adding value to the building again by renewing common areas such as the entrance.As the market is expected to continue to grow in the future, our company is considering this as an area. I'm focusing on it.

My role is to work with sales to develop new customers and projects. In addition, since value-up construction often involves work while the building is in operation, one of the important tasks is to discuss with the customer to finalize the construction conditions and formulate a construction plan."

Sakai will be participating in the project as production manager. He says that because he is responsible for increasing value, there are certain things he keeps in mind.

Sakai: ``Many of our customers are building owners and management companies.We are taking great care to ensure safe and smooth construction so as not to cause any inconvenience to our tenants.

Additionally, in recent years, there has been a growing need for eco-materials, materials that combine superior functionality and environmental performance. ``Environment'' is a keyword in NOMURA 's social good activities, so we actively propose such materials to improve the value of buildings.''

Sakai will be appointed to the department in 2022. As of December 2023, I am managing 6 members as a section manager.

Sakai: ``My main duties as a section manager include assigning projects to members, managing progress, and following up with members.I hold progress confirmation meetings once a week for each project to listen to any problems and give advice. During the initial phase, I may participate in meetings with the customer to show them the path of the project, and I may also be on-site at important times such as mid-term inspections.

There are also projects that I am in charge of promoting, so I act like a playing manager."

On the other hand, Sakai has also been involved in work outside of his department.

Sakai: “I have been in charge of interviewing new graduates for director positions for a while now. I am also a member of the production management human resources development project, and I am involved in considering training methods and thinking about placing the right people in the right jobs. I also participate in activities etc.

I came to NOMURA in search of a place where I could have a variety of experiences. Serving as a project promoter was a turning point

▲ Meeting with team members

Sakai majored in architecture and studied urban planning in graduate school. As part of a laboratory project, I was involved in renovating an old folk house in a certain village, which led me to pursue a career in production management.

Sakai: “When renovating an old folk house, I was in charge of arranging craftsmen, coordinating schedules, and managing money. I really enjoyed communicating with the community and the craftsmen, and I felt that I was more interested in promoting the project than concept design. I started to think that this type of work was suitable for me.

Not everyone in the village welcomed us, the students, who suddenly invaded their living space. I found the process of building good relationships with everyone through repeated dialogue through various events very rewarding."

Sakai focused his job hunting on the display industry, and ultimately chose NOMURA. The deciding factor was that the company served a wide range of markets.

Sakai: ``From the beginning, I wanted to work in production management, so I could have gone on to become a general contractor, but as I was involved in renovating old folk houses, my interest in interiors grew, and I wanted to be involved in spaces that have a big impact on people.'' NOMURA is the largest company in the industry.I was attracted to the environment where I could experience a variety of jobs, so I decided to join the company.''

Since joining the company, Sakai has been involved in a variety of projects in a wide range of markets, including apparel, restaurants, and other commercial facilities, hotels, and events and displays, just as he had hoped. There was a project where I felt a solid response as a production manager.

Sakai: “Five or six years after joining the company, I was assigned to a project to renovate Honda Innovation Lab Tokyo Roppongi, which aims to be a place for co-creation to collaborate with business partners and research institutions. I was involved in the promotion of the project, working closely with the public.

Participated in the project from the early stages of conception. In addition to managing construction, I was involved in all aspects of the process, including communication with designers and subcontractors, with an overall view of the project.

I really enjoyed the process of getting the customer's consent here, doing this next, and making course corrections if things didn't go well, assembling each piece one by one and moving forward with the project. It was a workplace where I was able to demonstrate my aptitude and at the same time experience great growth."

After the success of this project, Sakai started leading the team in a similar position while working on multiple projects. While making use of its unique characteristics, it gradually began to make its presence felt.

Promoted to section manager in 9th year. I found a new sense of fulfillment after becoming a manager.

In 2021, Sakai was promoted to section manager. I look back on my feelings at that time.

Sakai: ` `I was approached for a promotion at a time when I was getting used to my job and was looking for a new stimulus.I had never imagined that I would become a section manager, but I was given a new role and it was a completely different experience than before. I felt it was a good opportunity to try something different, so I decided to take it.”

Sakai became a manager and was in a position to manage his subordinates. Find new meaning in your work.

Sakai: ``I made a conscious effort to actively communicate with the members, such as by making small talk.This is because I believed that in order to bring out their true feelings, it was necessary to create an atmosphere that was conducive to conversation.

I asked them to talk to me about how to behave in the workplace, any problems they had, things they were not good at, etc., and I carefully gave them advice one by one in my own way. After that, the members who listened to his advice gradually became able to do things they had previously been unable to do.

I remember seeing them achieve something and grow, and I felt a joy I had never experienced before."

As a manager, Sakai has always valued respecting the will of the members. He says he has given the utmost consideration to what each person wants to do.

Sakai: ``This is what I'm looking forward to with this project.'' ``If I can grow in this way this time, maybe I can try something like this next time?'' in anticipation of growth that suits the career goals of the members. I have been trying to allocate work while doing so.I also make it a point to explain the details of the project in detail so that they can work on it with a sense of satisfaction.

A while ago, I approached one of our members about a job that seemed a little difficult, and he was very enthusiastic and enjoyed working on it. As a result, the project was a success, and the evaluation of its members increased significantly. If you ask me if I'm able to assign everything the way I want, it's definitely not the case, but little by little I'm starting to feel a response."

Meanwhile, Sakai has actively participated in internal human resource development projects.

Sakai: “For example, around 2020, we started a group to think about PD (Product Director) in 2025.We thought about what production management should look like in the future, and how to develop young human resources in order to do so. It was a great opportunity for us to discuss things.Now, I find it very rewarding to develop young people in this way."

Because we work at NOMURA, we have extensive experience and connections. Eventually, she will become a role model for female production managers.

While the active participation of women at NOMURA is steadily expanding, the number of female managers in charge of production management is still small. Against this backdrop, Sakai expresses her desire to serve as a role model and promote the advancement of women.

Sakai: ``Managers don't often go to the site because there is a person in charge of the site, but if there is an accident, of course they have to rush to the site immediately.At times like that, if there are small children, it's not possible to rush to the site. It won't be long...Construction doesn't necessarily have to be done during the day, so it's even more so at night...

It's easy to think like that, but men can't let go of raising children, either. Of course, this is not just a production management issue. Now that the way we think about work styles has changed dramatically, we are all able to follow each other, and it is now much easier to be flexible than before.

I'm still searching for my future career path and haven't found an answer yet, but I want to take the lead and set an example so that more women want to become managers. ”

The reason we have been able to grow to this extent based on our experience in various markets is because NOMURA handles a wide range of business areas. While touching on the appeal of working at the company, Sakai calls out to his future colleagues as follows:

Sakai: “You might think that if you change the market area you are in charge of, you will have to learn all over again or accumulate knowledge again, but that is not the case. I felt like I was learning a chain of events, such as being useful in other markets, and I was always able to feel that I was growing.

Additionally, because the people you work with change, such as sales and designers, as the market area changes, there is also the benefit of expanding your network within the company. There are many diverse members with skills and ways of thinking that you don't have, and each time you change teams, the relationships that start with a "nice to meet you" will eventually strengthen and grow into a good team, which is unique to NOMURA. This is the best part. I'm looking forward to meeting women who are aiming to become female production managers."

Sakai has achieved steady growth while taking advantage of the growth opportunities unique to NOMURA. Her career as a production manager and a woman in management is full of possibilities and inspiration, and continues to shine a light of hope on the next generation of leaders.

*The contents are as of December 2023.