I joined Sammy as a mid-career employee in the Sustainability Promotion Division after gaining experience in other departments.

I joined Sammyas a mid-career employee.

I had previously worked as an assistant in the New Business Department, after which I moved to the Investor Relations Department where I was in charge of producing integrated reports for shareholders and investors and managing financial results briefings. Later, on the recommendation of my supervisor, I was transferred to the CSR/SDGs Promotion Office, which was renamed the Sustainability Promotion Office in April 2021.

In the past, the CSR/SDGs Promotion Office was mainly involved in social contribution activities and activities aimed at achieving the SDGs, but now the objectives and scope of activities have expanded even further. Our activities include responding to environmental surveys, producing sustainability reports and websites, managing events and training programs in which employees can participate, volunteer activities, and local development. We are also focusing on creating a diverse environment where not only men, but also women, foreign nationals, people with disabilities, and various other people can play an active role.

We are blessed with an environment where we can continually learn and take on new challenges.

As for my own working style, I took childcare leave twice; the second time was for two years, but my boss contacted me regularly to talk about my situation and also to tell me about the company’s trends. Thanks to this, my return to work was quite smooth, and the members of the department welcomed me warmly, reconfirming that this was a really good company. With gratitude and experience, I now try to communicate as closely with my junior staff as my boss did with me at that time.

The people in the SEGA SAMMY Group are respectful and fun to talk to. I have much to learn from my superiors and colleagues, such as their wealth of knowledge and how to interact with people, and I can talk to them about my personal problems. It’s a blessed environment to have people around you who make you think, “I want to be like them.” In terms of work, when I make a suggestion, they listen carefully and encourage me to make it happen. The fact that they expect a lot gives me the motivation to do my best. For this reason, I always try to learn new things by attending seminars and reading books and web articles. I am busy at work and when I get home I have my children to take care of, but I use my commuting time and other time to study every day. I like to learn new things, so it’s not hard at all. In fact, I have many plans in my head to do this and that in my current department, and I wish I could realize them all at once.

I want SEGA SAMMY to be “the one” when it comes to sustainability in entertainment companies.

If the strength of the SEGA SAMMY Group is that we are blessed with good people, our weakness may be that we lack appeal. We are doing many good things for society, but perhaps we are not doing enough to communicate them. For example, our approach to diversity is quite advanced among Japanese companies, and we have been working on LGBT＋ and sexual minority issues from the early stage. We have benefits and allowances that treat same-sex partners the same as spouses, and we have invited lecturers to hold seminars on many occasions. In recognition of these efforts, we were awarded a “Gold” rating for three consecutive years in the “PRIDE Index 2021,” which evaluates the efforts of companies and organizations regarding sexual minorities. The rainbow lanyard I’m wearing right now is a symbol of the company’s active support for LGBT＋ people. My current goal is to promote these initiatives and attitudes both inside and outside the company from the perspective of sustainability. I want to make SEGA SAMMY a company that inspires people to say, “When it comes to sustainability in entertainment companies, SEGA SAMMY is the one.”

Another goal that is close to my heart is to expand people-to-people exchanges within the SEGA SAMMY Group. Due to the large scale of the group, it is difficult to talk to each employee directly, but I would like to create a community, for example, and increase the opportunities for interaction among various departments, including online, and the entire Group companies, including those in Japan and overseas. I would like to create an environment where people can actively interact with each other.

Message to students and those who want to join our company

People who fit into the SEGA SAMMY Group are those who are curious and want to do something fun.

I think we have an environment where you can realize what you want to do through your work. You will have opportunities to talk with many different people, which will help you improve your business skills as well as your communication skills. You may think that there are not many women in the industry, but in recent years, the number of women in management positions has been increasing, and the opportunities for women to play an active role are expanding.