Hiroshi Shimizu, Representative Director, President and CEO, Nippon Life Insurance Company

Providing a "multifaceted peace of mind" that is close to our customers' lives

Representative Director and President, Nippon Life Insurance Company　Hiroshi Shimizu(Hiroshi Shimizu)　

■ Profile
Born in Tokushima Prefecture, he graduated from the Faculty of Science at Kyoto University in 1983 and joined Nippon Life Insurance in the same year. After serving as General Manager of Product Development and General Planning, he assumed his current position in April 2018.

Founded in 1889 as Nippon Life Insurance Company Limited, Nippon Life Insurance Company has one of the longest histories in Japan's insurance industry. Throughout its long history, the company has always offered a variety of insurance products tailored to the times and customer needs, building trust and stability. We spoke to the company's president, Hiroshi Shimizu, about the appeal of the company and his own career.

Nippon Life Insurance was a place where I could put my math skills to good use

　After graduating from high school, I left my hometown of Tokushima in Shikoku to study at the Faculty of Science at Kyoto University. At the time, I studied what I liked every day, and spent my free time reading and appreciating art. Looking back, I think I could have spent my four years there differently, without becoming obsessed with anything in particular, but I have no regrets.
At the university I attended, after being exposed to a wide range of knowledge in my first and second years, I was able to choose my major in my third year. I chose mathematics because I felt a sense of beauty in mathematics, which simply explains how the world works. I also liked art, which cannot be explained in words, but I realized that I was better suited to the world of logic rather than art, so I chose the world of mathematics, which is based on logic.
　I chose the insurance industry because I thought I could use my knowledge of mathematics. In the insurance industry, you have to predict the future 20-30 years from now and create products based on factors such as mortality rates and disease incidence. I was interested in this type of work, so I chose Nippon Life Insurance, the top company in Japan's insurance industry.
In science, including mathematics, you are required to approach problems by breaking down large problems into smaller ones, but unraveling the problems that companies face is similar to mathematics. I believe that this way of thinking that I acquired as a student is still useful in my daily work.
　After joining the company, I worked in the product development and accounting departments, and was also in charge of the company's overall financial statements. I was fortunate to be able to get a job that allowed me to understand the company as a whole through numbers. Later, while working in asset management, I began to look overseas.
　In my 40s, I finally got the chance to study abroad, which I had longed for, and I even went to the UK. I had the chance to go on to an MBA program, but I had given up on it due to a transfer, so I had always thought, "I'll go abroad someday." I was so happy that my dream had come true.
　Later, when I became the general manager of the general planning department, I had more contact with the president and had opportunities to discuss things closely. I got to know the president's thoughts up close and began to have different views on management.

Our belief is to be close to our customers　

Currently, Nippon Life has approximately 5 sales representatives working at approximately 100 branches and 1600 locations. The "sales representatives go out to sell" business model may seem outdated. However, life insurance is a long-term insurance that addresses future uncertainties over a 20- to 30-year span. A relationship of trust is built before customers sign up, and the sales representatives in charge respond to their current needs, such as adding or changing contracts. In recent years, we have been combining this with digital technology, aiming for the "best possible interaction between people and digital." While valuing the human-centered sales representative channel, we hope to combine it with digital technology to provide peace of mind to our customers.
　The important thing about this job is not selling products, but supporting the customer's future. Salespeople should not fall into the trap of thinking that "all we need to do is sell products." Life insurance is a product that takes responsibility for people's lives. We want our salespeople to be aware that they are dealing with products that are meaningful to the customer, recommend products that meet their needs, and continue to support the customer even after they have signed up. For this reason, I want to work with people who find joy in knowing that their work is useful to society, and I want to nurture as many people as possible who can sell products with a true understanding of the importance of the product.

Our goal going forward is to provide our customers with "multifaceted peace of mind." With the acquisition of Nichii Holdings in 2023, we will be able to offer our customers a new form of peace of mind in the form of nursing care. By adding other elements such as asset management, healthcare, nursing care, and childcare, we aim to become a company that can provide "multifaceted peace of mind" that can be with our customers throughout their lives.
　As Japan's population is declining, the number of life insurance contracts is decreasing. However, the desire to live longer remains unchanged. Going forward, we will also focus on products that meet the needs of asset formation in order to prepare for the financial anxieties that come with living longer.
　Nippon Life also positions sustainability management as the foundation of its business operations, and is working to contribute to solving social issues in the three areas of people, local communities, and the global environment, with the aim of creating a society where everyone can live in peace and security.
We believe there are two driving forces that have enabled Nippon Life to remain at the top of its industry for over 120 years.
　The first is our excellent product development capabilities. The second is the large number of women working at our company. Shortly after the war, we came up with the idea of ​​providing jobs and a stable life for women who had lost their husbands in the war, and this has led to the large number of women working at our company to this day. Their continued dedication to visiting our customers has been a powerful driving force behind our continued leadership in the industry.
　And to maintain our position at the top, it is important to do honest work that will not be criticized. As the number one in the industry, we are always conscious of doing high-level work. We also want to continue taking on new challenges in order to maintain our top position.

■Message to university students

I think university students are incredibly busy. With classes, part-time jobs, clubs, and personal life, you may never have enough time. However, once you enter the workforce, things will only get busier. During these four years at university, when you have the freedom to control and manage your time, I hope you will make the most of your time on things that you can only do while you are a student.

Interview with Student Newspaper Online on April 8, 2024 by Sari Tsuka, a third-year student at Keio University