My Rakuten Experience: Nao
Nao is Vice Senior Manager of the Compliance Section in the Legal and Compliance Department.
Background
Prior to joining Rakuten, I worked for about seven years in the insurance industry, where I was engaged in compliance-related operations. It was my desire to broaden my experiences in compliance that inspired me to switch jobs.
At the beginning of my job-hunting activities, I thought that I would start by doing just a few interviews first, one of which was an online interview with Rakuten. I initially had not done much research about the company, but judging from what I heard from the interviewer, I felt that the culture at Rakuten would suit my working style. I was particularly attracted to the fast-paced working environment, which is also mentioned in Rakuten’s Basic Principles, and this was one of the major factors in my decision to join the company.
Current responsibilities
At present, it is my job to construct and promote compliance management systems for Rakuten Group. In addition to making improvements to systems already in place to make them more advanced, we also develop some systems from scratch.
Although it is not a simple task, I do have a very real sense of being personally involved in the construction of Rakuten Group’s compliance systems, which is in itself very rewarding. At the same time, I also have a sense of urgency when I think that my own ideas and approaches will be reflected in the company’s future structure. That is precisely why contributing to the company through the construction of compliance systems will help to enhance my own experiences and skills, leading to my growth as an individual.
Rakuten is undeniably a fast-paced environment. In a previous Enterprise Risk Management*¹ project that I was involved in, management systems and operations were designed in three months to enhance the level of risk management across the entire Group. The project was a Group-wide initiative and required interacting with risk management and compliance-related staff from our overseas bases every day.
Organizations are structured differently depending on the country and there were also differences in the way matters were perceived, which could sometimes make communication a challenge, but we managed to find ways of handling any issues. I was only really involved in the design phase, but it was a project in which I truly felt the speed and scale of working at Rakuten.
What sets Rakuten apart
Prior to joining the company, my image of Rakuten was of a large enterprise that was also somewhat a venture company engaged in various businesses, but one that was not being constrained by boundaries. That image hasn’t changed a great deal since joining, but looking from my position as someone involved in compliance operations, the size of the organization is beyond what I initially imagined it would be. What is more, since differences also arise due to the variety of businesses and regions, we always have to think carefully about how to proceed with our work.
One of the more attractive aspects of Rakuten is that you can be assigned various jobs and tasks regardless of your age or tenure in the company. Given that awareness of issues is prioritized in all situations, this makes it easy to freely propose potential solutions. There are also many opportunities to take on new challenges in new fields if you have the motivation to do so.
I would say Rakuten is best suited for someone with a positive outlook on everything — somebody who is “optimistic,” just like the name of the company suggests. Rakuten is the ideal place for somebody who doesn’t just sit and think about things but also takes action and actively presents their opinions.
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