Natural Resource: Ayumi Toshinaga challenges western stereotypes of Japanese culture as she thrives in a leadership role at Sharp Corporation.
From left to right: Scott Cullen, Frank Cannata, CJ Cannata, Ayumi Toshinga
When Sharp’s Ayumi Toshinaga met us in the lobby of our hotel, we knew she wasn’t our average host. For each of our previous meetings, we had been greeted by affable, hospitable gentlemen who ushered us from one location to the next. As Sharp’s 25-year old female supervisor in the global sales and marketing division in the company’s Office Solutions Business Unit, however, Ayumi led Scott, Frank, and me for a tour of the Sharp museum, followed by lunch at an Okonomiyaki restaurant before accompanying us to the Sharp headquarters in Nara.
In most cases with identifying Young Influencers to profile in these pages, we know we’ve come across a talented individual when we note a special spark in that person. As our afternoon progressed with Ayumi, the four of us had the opportunity to converse and share cultural and business experiences. Her dynamic personality became very apparent, and she impressed us from her initial greeting in flawless English until we parted after a dinner with Ayumi and her colleagues that evening.
With confidence and traditional Japanese humility, Ayumi was not the least bit intimidated by hosting three older, more established businessmen. At the restaurant, she inquired about our preferences for lunch with great interest, eager to showcase the local cuisine, but ready to tailor our order to meet our preferences. This effort took a certain amount of savvy that most 25-year olds don’t normally have, regardless of their nationality.
As we ate, Ayumi offered up details of her education and entrée into the professional world. She grew up in Tokyo and attended Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, where she studied international management. Her year as an exchange student at the University of Kent in England allowed her to polished her English-speaking skills, a major asset in this global industry. During her studies, she developed a special interest in human resource management and committed to finding a position in this area post-graduation.
“I wanted to do something to make a good environment for employees,” said Ayumi.
In the United States, a person will see a job posting and apply for that role. However, in Japan, students don’t apply to jobs; they apply to companies. With her eyes set on an established company with a global presence, Ayumi applied to Sharp and it was up to the company to decide where to place her.
In April 2016, Ayumi began working for Sharp, immediately making a name for herself. Given the self-assured way she carried herself, it was surprising to hear this was her first professional experience, aside from tutoring in college.
However, it was obvious that part of her success could be tied to her genuine interest in people.
“I love to learn new things from friends in different countries, like different cultures, languages, foods, and ways of thinking,” she said.
Despite the greater awareness of the importance of diversity across most of the OEMs in Japan, it is still uncommon for a woman to work in a role such as Ayumi’s. However, she is part of the country’s new generation that doesn’t feel constrained by old assumptions about a woman’s place in the workforce or limited ideas about a woman’s career trajectory.
“Ayumi Toshinaga is a confident, quick-witted young woman who is highly respected at Sharp and defies several predominant Japanese stereotypes,” said Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America President & CEO Mike Marusic.
As an emerging leader within Sharp, Ayumi supports workers stationed across the globe. It is necessary for her to understand the work cultures and employee expectations from various countries well enough to find common ground, compromising to satisfy executives not only in Japan, but also abroad. Ever humble, she credits her supervisors for teaching her a client-oriented approach to her role. They also encouraged her to expect consistent high quality in her own work, as well as in the work of others.
When asked about what motivates her to succeed, she didn’t hesitate to respond: “Higher targets. Something new, something different.”
She’s frank about the challenges of the job, admitting that she’s always seeking to find ways to be more efficient. Her primary goal is to make it easier for people to do the work they’re hired to do, reflecting an understanding that human resources is about so much more than liability and compliance. As we know here in the U.S., when an HR department is staffed with people who have a leadership mindset like Ayumi’s, the group has the potential to become a driving force in the corporate culture.
“The copier industry isn’t just about making machines, we’re working hard to provide a better environment for everyone,” noted Ayumi, who maintains an open mind about her future. She continues to explore in an effort to grow and learn “as many different things as possible.”
In this vein, Ayumi maintains a healthy work-life balance. She wraps up her work by 6 p.m., heading out to take a yoga or dance class, or meet up with friends. Some nights, it’s straight home to her Netflix queue that is filled with American TV shows, providing her with yet another opportunity to hone her English-speaking skills. Sounds a lot like her American counterparts, doesn’t it?
Looking ahead, Ayumi would like to support even more people and to capitalize on her unique perspective as a younger person in the industry. While she may not boast a multidecade tenure in this industry, she has the required curiosity and inspired ideas to continue propelling this ever-evolving industry forward.
From our perspective, we look forward to watching Ayumi continue to thrive at Sharp and have great expectations for her future in this industry.
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