Takafumi Mizuguchi, CEO, Starbucks Coffee Japan Co., Ltd.

Providing a vibrant, refreshing and comfortable third place for people's lives

■ Profile

Graduated from Sophia University and completed an MBA at Bocconi University in Italy. After serving as President and CEO of Loewe Japan Company of LVJ Group Co., Ltd., he joined Starbucks Coffee Japan Co., Ltd. in 2014, where he was appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO). He assumed his current position in June 2016, leading the Japanese market.

Last year, the number of Starbucks stores nationwide exceeded 1500. Behind the company's success in blending into people's lives and creating new value lies a culture that values ​​people. We spoke to CEO Mizuguchi, who has demonstrated his ability to increase the brand value of global companies, about the approach he takes to managing Starbucks.

　I was a member of the golf club at university, which was a sports club. When I was about to start working, I started to seriously think about what kind of life I wanted to live. So I decided to go to America to rediscover myself. I stayed there for two months.
　When I returned to Japan, I thought about finding a job, but I had the impression that Japanese companies were too strict, so I got a job at a foreign consulting company and worked there with passion, hoping to find what I wanted to do. That's when I realized, "If you feel something, take a step forward. You can learn something from it."

■ I empathize with Starbucks' social responsibility

When I was working at my previous company, the former CEO of Starbucks, Mr. Sekine, who was a customer of mine, asked me if I would like to become the company's president, and that was the beginning of my relationship with Starbucks.
　The reason I decided to join Starbucks is because of the social aspect that they value.
　Although they need to make a profit, they also have stakeholders, customers, and staff, and they are able to contribute to society. I also found it appealing that they contribute to the communities surrounding each store.
　I ended up entering a completely different industry, which made it difficult as I didn't have a network of contacts, but it was fun to make new connections one after another.

■Skills to support great partners

　This company has a lot of great people. All of our partners (employees) find joy in doing things for others, so it's a very comfortable atmosphere. We have 1581 stores nationwide, with approximately 40,000 partners who work as if it were their own business. Each store has its own vision, and they work with passion. I feel a sense of responsibility to guide these wonderful people in the right direction.
　I would like to introduce what I call "star skills" that I tell all my partners: 1) Listen carefully to what others say, 2) Have confidence in yourself, and 3) Ask for help and listen when you are in trouble.
　These are the keys to smooth communication, and if these three things are in place, communication will flow smoothly.

■ I want to work with people who have their own style.

　I empathize with the founder Howard Schultz's philosophy of "valuing the people who work with us and how they feel." As someone who leads all the partners, when I have to make a decision, I go to the store and get energy from the partners before making the decision.
My partner is the person who gives me the most energy.
　I want to work with people who have strong interpersonal skills. For example, people who have a strong sense of self and the ability to think. I want colleagues who are curious and willing to take on challenges, who can express their opinions even if they are wrong. I especially like people I can respect as people and who are considerate of others.
　Business cannot be done alone, and the power of one person is small. It is important to work as a team and increase that power. We need to create an environment where employees can act with their own ideas in mind, and I think that in the future we will need more leaders who can make this happen.

■How to achieve the mission

　Our mission is to be close to the 80 customers who visit our stores nationwide every day and to ensure that as many customers as possible leave feeling energized. We believe that happiness is born from connections with people. Of course, from now on,
The way we deliver our Mission & Values ​​will change. We need to think about developing services that incorporate digital technology and growth that is rooted in the local community. We also want a more diverse range of people to work for us, so we need to simplify the methods we use to provide the same added value.

■Message

　Think about what you want to do right now, and if you don't know, that's okay. Don't blame yourself for not knowing. If you can't find it, take a step towards something that you're even slightly interested in or that you want to try. It doesn't matter what it is, try it with all your might, and if you realize it wasn't right, use what you learned from that experience to try the next thing. The biggest risk is doing nothing and not taking any steps. The important thing is to keep going and not stop.
　You still have a long way to go. If you can fully believe that you can do anything, you can start anytime. We live in an exciting time full of change, so don't see it as a risk, but as an opportunity, and try it out. I hope you all realize that you have limitless possibilities.

Student Newspaper October 2020 Issue Bunkyo University 2nd Year Kitajima Reon / Senshu University 4th Year Ishioka Keiya