Hi, I’m Kazuki Imai and I am 34 years old. I was born in Chiba Prefecture but spent most of my childhood in Aichi Prefecture due to my parents' work. I’ve always enjoyed physical activities, playing baseball in elementary school and basketball throughout middle and high school. I went on to study at Aoyama Gakuin University, where instead of joining clubs or circles, I worked part-time jobs. With the money I earned, I participated in some short-term study abroad programs and traveled as a backpacker.

After graduating from university, I joined Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, where I was responsible for sales targeting banks and car dealerships. Later, I underwent a year-long training program in India and transitioned to handling sales for Japanese companies expanding into India. I also spent two years posted in South Africa, working with Japanese companies and searching for insurance partners in various countries.

After returning to Japan, my main role was supporting corporate insurance clients, primarily large Japanese corporations with global operations. What truly stood out to me was the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues worldwide to provide support. Currently, I’m on assignment at a company in London that our firm acquired, where I’m involved in business management.

During my university years, I worked part-time jobs as a tutor and in the food service industry, even contributing to launching a major restaurant chain. Although I was only a part-time worker, I was often entrusted with responsibilities, which became valuable experiences.

With the money I earned, I did some short-term study abroad programs, spending about a month each in Toronto, Canada, and Bournemouth, UK. I also traveled as a backpacker, primarily in emerging countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and India. Among them, India left a particularly strong impression on me. It’s a country brimming with vibrant energy and rapid growth; within just a year, I saw new buildings springing up one after another. At the same time, I witnessed the stark wealth disparity and many raw aspects of human life. I’m drawn to the vitality and momentum of emerging countries like India.

To be honest, I didn’t go through the typical job-hunting process. Initially, I wanted to work at a securities company, so I directly called companies and spoke with various people. This approach led to a job offer, and I visited about 30 branches during the process. Nobody around me was doing something like that, but I couldn’t understand why—it seemed much more effective to me. Traditional job hunting often limits your interactions with HR personnel, leaving you with a constricted view of the company as a whole. I found that rather inefficient.

However, my father, who also worked in securities, told me, “The securities industry can be ruthless, requiring you to be relentless in sales. That doesn’t suit your personality!” He then suggested that I consider pursuing a more global career. This advice prompted me to shift my job search focus.

This experience taught me the importance of having a mentor you can trust—someone who knows the industry inside out—and being open to their advice.

Afterward, I started looking into finance-related companies and applied to several. In the end, I chose my employer based on the people I met during the recruitment process. I believe personal growth is influenced heavily by your environment, and I felt Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance had a diverse team of individuals, many of whom were highly ambitious. It struck me as a place where I could work in a globally-minded yet disciplined environment, which perfectly aligned with my career goals. That’s how I ended up joining Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance.

One of the most valuable experiences I’ve had is traveling to various countries and exposing myself to different cultures. It broadened my perspective and impacted my decision-making, as I now look at it from various angles. Whether through travel or part-time jobs, I believe it’s important to challenge yourself in different ways during your university years.

Looking back, I wish I had done an internship at a startup. Startups tend to have smaller teams, which means you’re often entrusted with a variety of tasks, providing more opportunities for personal growth. Currently, I’m involved in business management, which requires a broad perspective of the company as a whole. While being a specialist in one area is important, I’ve realized the value of being a generalist who understands the big picture while honing expertise in a specific field. Gaining early experience in seeing how a company operates as a whole would have been beneficial.

These days, there are plenty of internships available, and working at a startup would definitely be a valuable experience. You can also acquire practical skills like digital literacy and English, which are directly applicable to your career.

As a Liaison Manager, my role is to oversee the business operations of our acquired companies, acting as a bridge between their management teams and our headquarters. Currently, I work for one of these companies, which provides IT services to the other three. My responsibilities include addressing system issues, planning future IT services for the group, and reporting these plans to headquarters.

It’s a completely different job from the sales roles I’ve held in the past—so much so that it feels like I’ve changed jobs. It’s been a challenge to start from a place where I don’t have the basic fundamental knowledge. There are others like me who have been temporarily assigned to this company, but out of a total of 350 employees, only three of us are Japanese and involved in the operational side. Even with our small numbers, we divide the responsibilities among ourselves.

As it’s an acquired company, there have been some challenges working with the original employees, but thanks to the efforts of those who came before me, we’ve built a sense of unity. Even so, being in my position often feels like being caught in the middle.

When I compare my current role to the career path I envisioned before joining, it’s completely different. While my early sales roles aligned with my expectations, being posted abroad just five years into my career was a surprise—I never imagined I’d get such an opportunity so soon. My assignment in Africa, for instance, was at an office just two years old, where I was only the second Japanese expat. It was a major investment destination for our company, and I initially hesitated because of the heavy responsibilities.

On the other hand, I proactively applied for an overseas training program in India. Such programs are open to all employees and include various opportunities like MBAs, language training in Europe, and operational training. While competitive, about 10 to 15 of my 100 or so peers participated.

I believe our company offers opportunities to those who work hard. You are given the chance to pursue what you’re passionate about, without any negative pressures so you're given a lot of freedom in that sense. While finance companies might have a rigid reputation, our company culture encourages proactivity and growth through repeated efforts to pursue your interests.

This environment suits people who are eager to try new things and actively express their ideas. However, it might be challenging for those who struggle to articulate their goals, as opportunities may be harder to come by. Across the various international locations where I’ve worked, I’ve observed a shared emphasis on innovation and transforming existing systems.

For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a European initiative emerged to pay insurance benefits to companies based on the region’s total death toll. The idea was to support businesses facing reduced economic activity due to the pandemic. In Japan, I worked on a project addressing the issue of vacant homes, which previously couldn’t be insured for fire damage. By collaborating with companies specializing in vacant home sales, we developed a system to provide fire insurance for such properties.

Another example is when we have an idea for our partner companies, we send an email directly to them proposing a product or insurance. If they reply, we immediately proceed from there. This approach tends to surprise my friends from other industries, as it's a bit atypical.