Embracing Evolution, Upholding Values

I was born in Malaysia due to my father’s job. I lived for extended periods of time in Thailand, Taiwan, and other countries in Asia, before I went on to attend university in the U.S. While overseas, I noticed a diverse range of coexisting cultural, linguistic, and religious practices, whereas Japan was more homogenous. Growing up, I was always surrounded by different cultures and values, so I became more flexible when dealing with conflict or miscommunication, and I learned how to view events in a positive light.

My experiences living abroad led me to my career at a general trading company. I spent the majority of my time overseas living in Bangkok, Thailand. At the time, the city was in the midst of rapid development. Although Bangkok had a vibrant energy, economic disparities were glaringly obvious at the time. As I witnessed poverty firsthand, I knew that in the future, I wanted to contribute to developing countries and help to create a prosperous and equitable society with a high level of satisfaction for all. I held tightly on to this dream, even during my job search. I was interested in Sojitz as the company was developing a wide array of businesses in Southeast Asian countries, such as Malaysia and Vietnam, and I had dreamed of working on projects in those countries. I was thrilled when I was offered a position at Sojitz.

After joining Sojitz, I made sure to express my desire to work abroad to my manager. In my fifth year, my hard work paid off and I was sent on secondment to Huong Thuy Manufacture Service Trading Corporation in 2022. Huong Thuy is a Sojitz Group company which handles imports and retail wholesale of food products and general consumer merchandise in Vietnam. I spent a year at Huong Thuy on the trainee program,* which gives young employees the invaluable opportunity to gain a variety of new experiences.

My first challenge at Huong Thuy was to optimize business operations and deliveries. Huong Thuy is involved in the retail wholesale of goods to Vietnam's numerous family-run businesses, called mom-and-pops. When looking at their data, we noticed that some stores had slow-moving products. In order to transform Huong Thuy’s operations, I started by analyzing data from the mom-and-pop shops sales and inventory and took actions to assess the stores’ performance. I could then use this data to visualize which stores sold products quickly and have new products delivered to those stores in a reliable and timely fashion.

Another major initiative I worked on for Huong Thuy was to acquire the distribution rights for Red Bull GmbH in Vietnam. We embarked on the journey to get Huong Thuy the distribution rights for Red Bull in Vietnam as Vietnam originally sold Kratingdaeng (a Thai version of Red Bull that comes in a yellow can) but not Red Bull, the Austrian energy drink packaged in a blue can which most Japanese and global consumers are familiar with. In order to be selected as Red Bull’s partners, we invited Red Bull GmbH to Vietnam so that they could survey the Vietnamese market, visit our stores, and be introduced to Huong Thuy’s business operations and networks. A team from Red Bull GmbH spent several weeks in the country for on-site visits not only to Ho Chi Minh City, but also to Hanoi, Danang, and other cities. Following Red Bull GmbH’s on-site visit, Huong Thuy was finally selected as Red Bull GmbH’s distributors in Vietnam. Huong Thuy is one of the top import and wholesale companies in Vietnam, and the company possesses a strong sales force and distribution network that covers the entire country. But I believe that Huong Thuy was selected for its vision to foster and establish Red Bull’s brand in Vietnam, as the company made an effort to see from Red Bull GmbH’s perspective and gained their trust through dialogue.

*Trainee program: Various training systems are in place to cultivate management level employees, including an overseas trainee program, a system for dispatching employees to MBA programs, and self-guided programs for language acquisition.

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After returning from Vietnam to Japan in 2023, I was seconded to Royal Holdings Co., Ltd., a business group that operates restaurants and hotel businesses in Japan and overseas. At Royal Holdings, I am currently assigned to a department for corporate strategy where I am engaged in the development of new business overseas. In this role, I leverage Sojitz’s networks and expertise as a general trading company as I work to expand Royal’s businesses overseas.

In July 2024, Royal Holdings opened its first Royal Host restaurant outside Japan in Jewel Changi Airport, a shopping center linked to Singapore’s International Changi Airport. Additionally, Royal Holdings, Choushimaru, and Sojitz have partnered to establish a new sushi business in the U.S. While the North American sushi market is experiencing rapid growth, the market continues to diverge into two distinct segments—budget-conscious, fusion-style sushi (including California rolls) and high-end omakase sushi, which can cost more than 300 dollars per person. Royal Holdings aims to establish a mid-range budget sushi restaurant that falls between these options and serves reasonably priced, authentic, and delicious sushi.

Finally, Royal Holdings plans to establish new restaurants in Vietnam. Royal Holdings will open stores of all business types that can be customized to the characteristics of the property and its location. For example, if a property has limited space, we imagine a small and simple to operate restaurant with a high customer turn-over rate would be best-suited for that store. If we had a larger property, then the area could be converted into a spacious restaurant where customers could relax, eat, and enjoy a drink. Royal Holdings aims to create new brands, and the company will continue to be involved in setting up each store—selecting the best options for each space, choosing the store name, and coordinating interior and exterior design. The networks that Sojitz has built in Vietnam and my own personal experiences and professional relationships in the country have been a great help in advancing this food establishment business.

I have been consistently challenging myself with new business projects, and I’ve discovered something important in the process. Royal Holdings should protect its core values but also continue tackling new challenges and remain open to evolution and change. Since the company’s establishment, Royal Holdings has consistently provided delicious, trustworthy, and reliably produced food, in addition to top-quality hospitality, to the restaurants they operate across the world. I believe that Royal should continue to maintain this care and hospitality at their core. However, our business models will need to be flexible going forward in order to quickly adapt to society’s needs and rapidly evolving food trends. We will continue to localize our businesses to each country and keep local people’s perspectives in mind as we work to come up with entirely new and unique spins on our existing businesses. Going forward, I will continue my journey and raise the bar for myself to create more new businesses.

My current work brings together my three greatest interests—food, new business projects, and countries overseas. I find this assignment to be the most interesting work in my career so far. No two days are ever the same, and I’m always excited to get to work on a new business opportunity. Going forward, I hope to realize my business goals by continuing to create new food establishments across multiple countries. I hope to bring Royal Holdings’ delicious dishes to people from countries and regions that have never eaten Japanese food before.

Finally, when I return to Sojitz I hope that I can contribute to the company by sharing my B2C business expertise that I cultivated at Royal Holdings.