Page 83 - Forbes - USA (March 2020)

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

A MAN FOR ALL SEASONINGS

Few executives anywhere have seen as many economic cycles as the head of the world’s best-known maker
and purveyor of soy sauce and other global seasonings.

something, the human perspective, you can’t
really understand anything in business today.”
His most incisive comments were about
rapid change, risk and middle managers’
inability to deal with both: “One thing I notice
is the increasing pace of change. Of course,
there is change in any era. But now the busi-
ness cycles are much faster. There is greater
pressure for companies to make changes
quickly. Management must adapt. However,
today’s middle managers have never experi-
enced a period of strong economic growth.
To use another sports analogy, they’ve never
been on a winning team, so they don’t know
how to win.”
“In fact, top management isn’t much bet-
ter—in many cases senior executives are just
as risk-averse as middle managers, afraid to
He’s not as young as he used to be, but he still assets to work, perhaps by having older work- invest even when doing so is necessary for
cuts a dapper figure in person. At 84, he is one ers teach younger ones, is a smart policy. It’s a company’s growth. Simply put, people are
of the elder statesmen of Japanese business, good for the company, good for the workers afraid of risk," he says.
not merely by virtue of age, but due to the and good for society. Everyone wins.”
widespread respect he commands both at Regarding Japan’s labor shortage he says,
home and abroad. “The short-term answer is simple: we must What should be done? Mogi replies
Yuzaburo Mogi, the Honorary CEO and make the best possible use of our existing quickly that “both employees and
Chairman of the Board of Kikkoman Corpora- resources. That means providing better work- managers should be given a wider
tion, is in many ways the face of the company. ing opportunities for both seniors and for range of experiences to broaden
Back in the early 1970s, he pushed the tradi- women.” their outlook.”
tional soy sauce maker to set up a factory in Many Japanese companies are now putting Bold, decisive men such as Mogi
the U.S.—years before Japan’s giant electron- a strong emphasis on hiring employees with helped to build Japan into the eco-
ics companies and automakers did the same. IT or technical skills. As Kikkoman is deeply nomic giant it became in the 1970s
His strategy of local manufacturing, local sales involved in biotechnology, does Mogi share and beyond. To continue growing in
and responding to local needs was decades that emphasis on technical expertise and IT this century, the nation needs more
ahead of its time. skills? leaders with his values, insight and
How does this farsighted executive feel He thinks a moment and replies, “Of course, vision.
about changes in Japan today? For example, IT skills are important today, but for most work-
many Japanese companies set 60 as their ers, they’re only a tool. Business is fundamen-
mandatory retirement age, but are now hik- tally about people, not technology. To succeed
ing it to 65 in response to the growing labor in business you must understand people.”
shortage. How does Mogi see that change? “I hear some executives say that history, lit-
He is quick to respond: “There are lots of erature, philosophy and so on have no value
people who are still vigorous and want to in the business world. I disagree. I believe
work until 70 or even 75. Why should they be our education system is too specialized; it
forced to retire? Older workers have a wealth has forgotten the importance of liberal arts.
of knowledge and experience. Putting those If you don’t understand the background of

Yuzaburo Mogi is a descendant of one of the founding families of Kikkoman, which is among
the oldest continually running businesses in Japan. He became company President in 1995, was Yuzaburo Mogi
named Chairman in 2004, and assumed the title of Honorary CEO and Chairman of the Board Honorary CEO and Chairman of the Board
of Directors in 2011. Mogi holds an MBA from Columbia University. of Directors, Kikkoman Corporation

Japan 5