How women leaders at Rakuten are expanding their possibilities and empowering others

“Give to Gain” was the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day, reminding us of the collective effort and mutual support essential for advancing women’s achievements. At Rakuten, we believe in cultivating an environment where every individual feels empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and strengths.

How have women leaders at Rakuten continued to grow and shape their careers? We sat down with four professionals from across the company to explore their perspectives on career development.

Leadership perspectives

— What motivated you to join Rakuten, and what are your current responsibilities?

Chika: I previously worked at a global consulting firm, but I wanted to work at a company where my contributions could be more directly reflected in the value delivered to users, and where I could also contribute on a global stage. That’s what motivated me to join Rakuten. After working in the Dining Business Division, I am now a Senior Manager in the Rakuten Beauty Business Division.

Ayumi: I joined Rakuten because I resonated with its vision of being a “Global Innovation Company.” Today, I oversee about 50 members across seven teams in the Quality Management Department at Rakuten Mobile.

Clara: I was attracted to Rakuten because it is a global company where English is the official internal language, and because it handles a vast amount of data. Since last year, I have been leading projects as Vice Manager of the Data Pipeline Engineering Group.

Sakky: I joined Rakuten as a new graduate. At the time, Rakuten had just entered the professional baseball space and was receiving a lot of attention. Out of curiosity, I attended a company information session and was deeply impressed by the way ECCs (E-commerce Consultants) worked closely with merchants. That experience inspired me to join the company. Today, I work in a department focused on customer success.

— As leaders of your organizations, what do you value in leadership?

Clara: I value trust and collaboration. I try to support my team members in expanding their careers while also ensuring they can maintain a healthy work–life balance.

Ayumi: One thing I always keep in mind is ensuring that no one feels they have to give up on their career simply because they are a woman. Regardless of background, I want to create an organization where everyone can perform at their best.

Sakky:
I believe in treating everyone equally, regardless of title or position, and creating a workplace where people feel comfortable working together. I’m willing to put in the effort needed to ensure that everyone can work comfortably and smoothly. Because my role often requires my approval for various decisions, I’m also careful not to become a bottleneck in these processes.

Chika:
Beyond executive assigned tasks, I believe it’s important to think about how we can add value and deliver meaningful output. This is something I emphasize both for myself and for my team.  Life’s different stages bring unique challenges to work-life balance That’s why I strive to build a team where members can work in ways that suit their individual circumstances.

Continuous learning and growth

— How do you enhance your expertise and take ownership of your work?

Ayumi: I approach every project I handle with thorough preparation. Before joining Rakuten Mobile, I had no experience in the telecommunications industry, so I initially felt uncertain about leading a team that included many seasoned experts. However, I made an effort to be transparent when there were things I didn’t know and asked colleagues to share their expertise. Through this collaborative learning approach, we were able to build mutual understanding and unlock greater value as a team.

At the same time, I discovered that my different background allowed me to offer perspectives others might not have considered. My strong familiarity with the broader Rakuten Group, for instance, has become one of my strengths. Step by step, I’ve gained confidence in the unique value I can contribute.

Chika: In addition to my regular responsibilities, I believe it’s important to proactively work on improving existing processes (something we refer to as shikumika). By developing hypotheses and analyzing data and other facts, I actively run the PDCA cycle to refine both my own skills and the performance of the team.

Clara: Our department previously focused heavily on maintaining system stability. However, responding to unexpected incidents outside regular hours sometimes delayed other projects. To address this, we strengthened our development rules and introduced measures to improve overall system reliability.Rakuten also provides extensive training programs and online learning opportunities that allow us to stay current with the latest technologies. These resources make it possible to continuously build the knowledge needed to maintain our professional expertise. I personally make use of dedicated self-learning time during working hours to continue developing my skills.

Sakky: Development work can vary significantly depending on the product, both in terms of the knowledge required and how projects are executed. Because of this, it’s difficult for a single person to fully oversee everything. Instead, we divide responsibilities among team members while maintaining frequent communication, so everyone understands the overall progress.

We also have many younger team members, so I often work alongside them on projects to help support their professional growth. Through these efforts, we’ve built strong trust within the team and created a supportive and collaborative working environment.

— Rakuten promotes the concept of “AI-nization.” How are you using AI and technology to improve efficiency?

Chika: I primarily use AI for data analysis as well as preparing reports and presentation materials. For reporting tasks, AI now handles roughly 80–90% of the workload, versus creating everything from scratch.

Sakky: When brainstorming ideas and creating proposals I sometimes turn to AI for inspiration. By reviewing the suggestions it generates, I’m able to broaden my range of options. While I make the final decision myself, the feedback often helps me refine my thinking in a more constructive direction.

Clara: I use AI to improve efficiency in my work. For example, I input summaries of team discussions into AI and use the results to help organize and assign tasks. In the future, I hope to build customized AI agents tailored to my workflow so that time-consuming tasks can be automated.

Work-Life balance for women: Navigating the challenges

-How do you maintain healthy work-life balance?

Chika: I try not to aim for perfection and instead focus on what should take priority. If I’m able to spend enjoyable time with my family and in my personal life, I don’t worry too much if the house is a little messy. Both work and home life involve finding a balance that I personally feel satisfied with.

Sakky: I try to turn challenges into advantages. For example, my daughter is preparing for entrance exams this year, so we have less time to spend together. When she’s studying at cram school until 9 p.m., I use that time to focus on my work. Sometimes we meet up afterward and grab ramen together. It worked out well for both my work and our time together. I feel that making the most of those moments has had a positive impact on both my personal life and my work.

Ayumi: My husband also works at Rakuten, so it’s easy for us to communicate and understand each other’s schedules. For example, we both know that certain periods like before shareholders’ meeting are especially busy. This makes it easier for us to coordinate our schedules and support each other.

Clara: I prioritize my tasks each day, deciding what needs to be done today and what can wait until tomorrow. I also try to schedule something in the evening on weekdays whenever possible – doing this helps create a clear deadline for finishing my work during the day. I also value my various hobbies, such as playing squash and taking painting classes.

— Do you make use of Rakuten’s workplace programs and systems?

Chika: I started working shortened hours when my child entered elementary school. Compared to daycare, elementary school ends earlier in the day, so adjusting my work hours helped me better manage my schedule.

Clara: I use the flextime system. By distributing my working hours efficiently throughout the month, I’m able to adjust my schedule when necessary.

Ayumi: My children are currently five and three years old. My younger child attended Rakuten’s in-house daycare center, Rakuten Golden Kids. I’ve also used shortened working hours and remote work options. I feel that being able to manage both work and personal life is possible largely because of the environment at Rakuten.

Sakky: When my daughter entered daycare, I happened to transfer from Sapporo back to Tokyo. At that time, I was very grateful for the opportunity to enroll her in Rakuten Golden Kids, Rakuten’s in-house daycare center. One of the great things about the facility is that it operates in alignment with the company’s work environment. For example, Rakuten’s weekly all-hands meeting, the Asakai (morning meeting), starts at 8 a.m., and the daycare schedule allows parents to drop off their children in time for that meeting. That support was incredibly helpful for me.

— Finally, could you share your vision for the future?

Chika: I hope to build an organization where working on my team helps people grow  their professional value in the market. My goal is to create an environment where team members can develop their expertise, confidence, and opportunities for growth.

Sakky: The reason I’ve been able to continue working for so many years is that I’m in an environment where I can enjoy new challenges every day with supportive colleagues who are always willing to help. I want to build an organization where we support one another, work toward shared goals, and move forward with collective enthusiasm.

Clara: By leveraging AI and other emerging  tools while taking on new projects, I hope to continue expanding my capabilities and pursue a flexible and diverse working style.

Ayumi: My personal mission is to contribute in some way to making society a little better. I hope to create an organization where team members share that same mindset, contribute to the company’s long-term growth together, and truly enjoy working in that environment.