Mickey’s Voice
Insights from our CEO
-
Rakuten welcomes 2022 new grads in person in Tokyo
Every April, companies across Japan welcome hundreds of thousands of fresh university graduates from across the country to join their ranks as full-time employees. Rakuten held this year’s annual spring entrance ceremony for new grads in person for the first time since 2019, after quickly pivoting to a work from home model and fully-virtualized entrance ceremony at the beginning of the pande…
Read More » -
Mickey Mikitani on sustainability, Japan’s e-commerce potential and an ambitious ten trillion yen goal
Every January, Japan’s leading e-commerce platform hits the ground running with the Rakuten Ichiba New Year Conference. The conference is an opportunity for the thousands of merchants who attend online and in person to hear Rakuten perspectives on what’s ahead for e-commerce, including frank and open comments from Rakuten CEO Mickey Mikitani. Halfway to 10 trillion In 2021, Rakuten reached a signi…
Read More » -
A three-point decision-making framework: Profit, passion & public good
Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten Group The world is full of great ideas. But which ones will come to fruition? “Deciding which projects get our time and attention are critical choices that shape our future.” MICKEY MIKITANI, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, RAKUTEN GROUP As a leader, it’s important not to leave that decision to chance. Deciding which projects get our time and attention are critical cho…
Read More » -
Celebrating a quarter century of optimism: Thoughts on the new year
Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten Group First and foremost, I’d like to wish everyone a happy and healthy new year. This year marks Rakuten’s 25th anniversary — 25 years of tremendous growth across e-commerce, sports, fintech, mobile and many other industries. Let’s take a brief look back at 2021 and the great progress achieved thanks to the commitment and hard work of all our employees,…
Read More » -
Building your organization’s capacity for speed: The human context
Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten Group If there’s one constant in business today, it’s the pressure to move faster. Can we speed a product to market? Can we rush delivery? Can we get the app to load faster? At Rakuten, operating effectively at speed has always been fundamental to our growth. In fact, one of our founding principles for success is simply: Speed!! Speed!! Speed!! The realit…
Read More » -
Rakuten Expo: Mickey Mikitani on the Rakuten Mobile Triangle Strategy
Excerpted from an address by Rakuten Group Chairman and CEO, Mickey Mikitani, to Rakuten Ichiba merchants at Rakuten Expo 2021. “Last summer we experienced a tremendous surge in customer demand, spurred by COVID-19. Now, even in the wake of that remarkable growth, we’re seeing a sustained 17% increase year-over-year. Our two-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is growing steadily at 23.6…
Read More » -
Why taking no risks is the biggest risk of all
Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten Group If you’ve ever climbed a mountain, you know the meaning of risk. As you stand at the bottom, looking up, the summit seems a universe away. You may well consider your options at that moment: drop your gear and go back to a place of guaranteed safety or move forward, look up and embrace the risk interwoven in any worthy endeavor. “When you stand…
Read More » -
Try, fail, learn, grow: Why acknowledging mistakes is key to business success
Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten Group In a global company, individuals from different cultures come together to pursue a common business goal. When we connect across cultures, we can leverage each other’s strengths, knowledge and history to achieve new heights. But not all cultural interchange goes smoothly: Sometimes, individuals from different cultures can hold different views, and wh…
Read More » -
Change happens faster than we can imagine: CEO reflects on Rakuten Mobile’s GLOMO Awards
Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten Group Dear Rakutenians, I am delighted to share with you the news that Rakuten Mobile received two of the mobile industry’s top five global awards at the 2021 Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. In addition to winning the Best Mobile Technology Breakthrough award, Rakuten Mobile received Global Mobile Awards top annual industry award from the global…
Read More » -
Respecting basic human rights is the foundation of social progress: LGBT Equality Act
Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten Group Each year, Pride Month is an important opportunity to celebrate the contributions of our LGBTQ+ team members, partners and customers around the world. It’s a chance to recognize the individual diversity of our stakeholders and let them know that they are valued for who they are; a chance to reassure employees that they have a safe and inclusive plac…
Read More »