Horipro Inc. President and CEO Atsushi Sugai

The foundation of "promoting culture" lies in management skills.

President and CEO of Horipro Inc.　Atsushi Sugai(Sugai Atsushi)

■ Profile

Date of Birth: December 7, 1961
Educational background: Graduated from Meiji University, School of Commerce, March 1984
Career History April 1984: Joined Hori Production Co., Ltd. (now Horipro Co., Ltd.)
April 1995: Production Division, Production Department, Section Manager
June 2000: Manager of the Production Department, Management Division
April 2003: Executive Officer of the Media Business Division
June 2010: Director and Executive Officer of the Visual Business Division
June 2013: Director, Executive Officer of the Management Division 6
June 2016: Appointed Managing Director and Executive Officer of the Management Division 6
June 2022: Appointed Representative Director and President

Horipro is a major entertainment production company that has produced many popular talents. In both name and reality, it is one of the leading companies in Japan's entertainment industry. Today, we spoke with Sugai, who joined Horipro as a new graduate after graduating from university and was appointed president in June of last year. In this article, we spoke in detail about Sugai's career so far, as well as the strengths and appeal of Horipro.

During my college years, I was just your average student. I lived alone near campus and went to school almost every day, but I would find friends and skip classes to play mahjong. Still, I was resourceful and got decent grades. Seiko Matsuda actually debuted during my freshman year. Most first- and second-year students at Meiji University, where I attended, spent their time on the Izumi Campus. During my freshman year, Seiko Matsuda made her debut. Like most college students, I loved idols, so it made a lasting impression on me. Also, the economy was booming during my time as a college student, before the bubble boom. Trading companies and finance were popular among college students, and I, like everyone else, applied to those industries. I ended up getting a job offer from Yamaichi Securities. One day, while passing by the school bulletin board, I noticed a flyer advertising a job opening. It felt like it was calling to me. To be honest, that was the recruitment requirement for Horipro (laughs). I thought I'd give it a go as a memento of my youth, so I went through the selection process, and surprisingly, I made it to the final interview. At that moment, I imagined what my future would be like if I chose Horipro. I suddenly became so excited, thinking, "This will be a life I can't even imagine." This was the trigger that made me turn down Yamaichi Securities and decide to join Horipro as a new graduate.

■ In my first year, I was an "incompetent employee"

Soon after joining the company, I was assigned to manage a young female talent. However, because a new graduate isn't capable of managing a single talent right away, I worked as a sub-manager while learning under a senior manager. I struggled with this managerial role at the time. I was in charge of a girl in her mid-teens who had just entered the entertainment industry. However, she never quite made it big, and she ended up leaving the agency three years later. Even as a manager, we weren't able to communicate well, and we never managed to open up to each other. I was pretty depressed at the time. But then, Mr. Hori, the company's founder and CEO when I joined, spoke to me. Hearing him say, "Don't be depressed just because a talent isn't selling. It's not your fault. You're such a great person." Hearing these words instantly lifted my spirits. At the same time, I became more positive about my work. From that day on, my perspective on management and my mindset toward my work changed, and the scope of the work I was entrusted with gradually expanded. The turning point came when I was appointed as the head of Production Division 1, which is one of the many business divisions and is mainly responsible for managing actors. HoriPro was originally an entertainment production company that was strong in the music business, but after I became the head, they started to focus on dramas and movies, and now HoriPro has grown into a production company with many leading actors in dramas and movies. I think this was a recognition of my position when I was appointed President and Representative Director last year.

■Just because it's the entertainment industry doesn't mean there's anything special about it

Our company's corporate philosophy is "a human industry that promotes culture," and we have produced many talented people and created a wide range of content, including video, music, and stage productions. We believe that we are able to maximize our creative potential because our management capabilities are at the foundation of our company. We have been sharing the know-how we have accumulated since our founding with all of our affiliated talents, as well as with new employees.
Furthermore, among the many entertainment production companies out there, I believe that our appeal lies in the cleanliness of our organization. I think that some parents, not just students, have a negative image of the entertainment industry due to recent news and other factors. However, our company has never had a problem that would undermine trust. This is simply because our founder, Takeo Hori, has long spoken of how "a member of society should be." Just because you're in the entertainment industry doesn't mean that anything unethical is tolerated. I want us to continue to be a white company that is trusted by many people.

■Management skills are the foundation of everything

Being mentally and physically tough is the first requirement for success at our company. Our work is based on managing talent, so if this is too difficult for you, this may not be the job for you. What's required of a manager is to objectively and long-term identify and develop talent. Talent varies widely, so there's no manual for a manager's job; the way you approach each talent will vary. We'd love to see students who find these aspects of their work interesting join our team.

■Message to university students

Recently, we've seen more and more commercials for job-hunting services, but it seems like a lot of people in modern society think they can "press the reset button and start over again." However, it's only natural that a lot of things won't go well at first. I understand this very well, because when I joined our company as a new graduate, I was the worst employee (laughs). That's why I want all students to stop just before they feel like pressing the reset button and think, "Let's try a little harder." Persistence can often create new possibilities.

Student Newspaper Online, May 5, 2023, Interview by Miyu Ito, 4th year student at Keio University