Katsuhiro Kuriyama, Representative Director and President of World Intec Co., Ltd.

It is important to be professional at work

Representative Director and President of World Intec Co., Ltd.　Katsuhiro Kuriyama(Kuriyama Katsuhiro)

■ Profile
Born in 1967 in Ibaraki Prefecture. He entered the semiconductor manufacturing outsourcing industry in 1994 and has consistently built his career since then. In 2014, he joined World Intec Co., Ltd. He established a joint venture in China and a wholly owned subsidiary in the United States, and became the company's Representative Director and Executive Officer in 2021. His hobby is golf.

World Intec is engaged in a variety of manufacturing-related businesses, aiming to create "forms that allow people to thrive." The group employs a total of 1500 new graduates, making it a company that is creating a new era. President Kuriyama says that the most important thing is to have a spirit of inquiry, and he has a message for university students across the country who are wondering what they should do.

When I was a university student, it was the end of the bubble period, and it was unclear what the future of Japan held. At the time, America's economy was more advanced than Japan's. So I decided to study what Japan's future would be like, and went on to university in the United States. It was a rural university, so I spent my university years in an environment with nothing around. I worked part-time, helping out on a friend's ranch. My main work on the ranch was cutting off the horns of cows that had grown long, vaccinating them, and moving the cows.
My American friends usually say carefree things, but they speak passionately about things that interest them and pursue them deeply. Seeing them like that made me realize the importance of inquisitiveness. At first, I didn't have the language skills to understand what they were saying, but I learned English by communicating with them. Once I was able to understand English, I decided to study business management, so I studied business administration.

■ Supporting Japan's world-class manufacturing

When I returned to Japan, the economy was in a terrible state, and since my graduation from university in the US was delayed by six months, I was unable to look for a job. Meanwhile, a nearby semiconductor factory was recruiting. I joined the company because I believed that semiconductors had a promising future and would be passed on to the next generation. However, it turned out to be a manufacturing outsourcing company.
At my company, we communicated with factories around the world via satellite connections, and I was given more responsibility because of my English skills. When I became the manager of the semiconductor factory, Japanese semiconductor manufacturers were in a difficult situation due to the Plaza Accord. As a solution to this, we promoted structural reforms, and there was a movement to improve efficiency by increasing production and quality within the factories.
After that, I worked as a contract manufacturing salesperson, visiting semiconductor companies all over Japan to explain our efforts. That's when I came across World Intec. Before I knew it, I'd been working in my current industry for over 30 years, supporting Japanese manufacturing.
I think the Japanese people's approach to manufacturing and their spirit of inquiry are wonderful, and I feel happy to be able to support Japan's world-class manufacturing from the field. The sense of mission and social significance of being involved in various projects is enormous. Employees can also grow by building on their current experience with their previous experience. It's great to be able to see such employee growth up close.

■ Creating a way for people to thrive

Our company has experienced many economic ups and downs, so we have implemented policies to protect our employees even during this COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to increased revenue. As such, although the environment surrounding our company is tough, we work in an environment where we always feel a tailwind. Being able to be involved in Japanese manufacturing through various projects is an appealing aspect of working at World Intec, as it allows me to experience the growth that is unique to the company.
Another thing that sets us apart from other companies is the ability to advance your career path in line with life events. We want young people to work in cutting-edge fields, while those raising children can change their work style while staying with the same company, and experienced employees can be involved in nurturing the next generation or in managerial positions. We offer a wide variety of work styles like this. This is the creation of our company's DNA: "A way for people to thrive."
Work cannot be done as an individual. I would like to work with people who value teamwork and have compassion for others. We aim to bring together the strengths of the team and produce results across the entire company. I also think that people who enjoy interpersonal interactions and are full of curiosity are suited to World Intec. We want you to become a professional through your work at the company, so we want you to be someone who is always curious and able to explore technology in depth in all things.
As outlined in our second mid-term plan, which begins in 2022, we want each of us to demonstrate our capabilities and work with people all over the world. We will also work hard on the SDGs, which we have been working on for some time, and accelerate our efforts. Society faces a variety of challenges. We want to become a company that can solve these problems through our work. By doing so, we will be able to realize that we are involved in socially meaningful work, find meaning in our work, and become an even better company.

＊message＊

I think many students worry about not knowing what they want to do in the future or what they like. But don't worry. I think that was the case for many of my seniors, including myself. When you join a company, you meet colleagues, develop a sense of compassion and a spirit of inquiry, and by mastering your work, you will gain recognition from those around you. Once you are recognized both inside and outside the company, you will begin to see prospects and hopes for the future, and a change will occur within you. It's okay to fail. Changing your environment will help you find new enjoyment. I hope that you will move forward without fear of failure in order to find your role.

Student newspaper October 2022 issue Meiji University 10th year Yui Sakai