Takako Suzuki, Chairman of S.T. Corporation

Niche everyday items combined with designs that appeal to customers to bring about innovation

Takako Suzuki, Chairperson of S.T. Corporation

■ Profile

Born in 1962. Graduated from the Faculty of Foreign Studies at Sophia University in March 1984. Joined Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. in April of the same year. After joining LVJ Group Co., Ltd. (now Louis Vuitton Japan Co., Ltd.) in August 2001, he joined S.T. Corporation in January 2010. After being appointed Director and Representative Executive Officer of the company in April 2013, he was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors and Representative Executive Officer of the company in June 2021. He was appointed Chairman of the company in 2023, a position he holds to the present day.

Founded in 1946, S.T. has become an indispensable part of our lives with niche everyday products such as "Keshouriki," "Mushuda," and "Drypet." This time, we spoke with Takako Suzuki, the founder's daughter and the eighth president of S.T., who led a V-shaped turnaround in profits with her "Design Revolution," about S.T.'s strengths and her own career.

■ An era of challenge and growth

The Spanish language department I studied at university was so difficult that it was not uncommon for students to fail, so I studied hard during my time as a student. I also packed my time outside of class with part-time jobs such as tutoring and sampling. I also belonged to a club called the Advertising Research Club, where I tried new activities with my friends. For example, we hosted a large event at Sophia University's school festival, the Sophia Festival, and submitted ideas to corporate competitions. Everything I did as a student was fun, and I gave it my all. I hadn't considered a career as a manager, but I had always been interested in marketing and branding, which help solve immediate market challenges.

My father's policy of not allowing family members to work in the company meant that I had no chance of joining S.T. Co. after graduating from university. However, I think that this allowed me to choose the path I wanted. Initially, I was interested in marketing final consumer goods targeted at women, but due to the difficulty of finding employment at the time, I joined Nissan Motors through a department-specific quota. At Nissan, I was in charge of export operations in Latin America, but the market was far away and it was difficult to approach the work with a sense of reality. I felt that my ideas were limited, and decided to change jobs. After gaining experience at a number of brand companies, I then worked as a freelancer, handling editorial advertising and PR for a cosmetics company.

■ A design revolution that pursues "emotional value"

It was during this time that my uncle, Takashi Suzuki, asked me to revolutionize the design of everyday items. One of the skills I learned in the brand business was how to "make people want something" outside of advertising. I thought I could put that experience to good use, so I started working on reforming S.T.'s design. After that, I officially joined S.T. and began promoting reforms in areas other than design.

At the time, employees only saw the value of products in terms of their "function," and didn't pay much attention to "emotional value" such as design or fragrance, so my opinions were not well received. As I realized that we needed to make efforts to increase the value of our products and raise the unit price, this situation changed with the success of "Chardin Suteki Plus," developed by an all-female team. Through this success, the other staff around me also began to realize the importance of emotional value. This was a turning point, and other products, starting with our flagship product "Keshouriki," were made premium, resulting in a V-shaped recovery in profits. Then, by redefining the "air business" beyond the scope of a daily necessities manufacturer, we sought to expand into B2B businesses such as hotels and nursing care.

■Contribution to SDGs

We focused on why the air is so clean in the forest, and after researching the forest's natural air purification mechanism, we launched the "Clear Forest" project. We extract natural forest oil, natural forest water, and natural needle powder from unused thinned fir trees. These have deodorizing effects, reduce air pollution, and promote forest bathing, and we utilize these functional tree extracts. Previously, thinned wood was an unused, unnecessary resource, but this initiative makes full use of it, leading to the achievement of zero emissions. We have now signed a "Hokkaido Corporate Forest Development" agreement, acquired the naming rights to "S.T. Clear Forest Forest," and regularly hold tree planting events and wood education classes with local children.

■Este's Wellness Vision

In the future, estee aims to transform itself into a wellness company. We aim to be a company that brings positive effects to people's lives and minds through fragrance, and we also plan to focus on femtech. I believe that "in order to provide wellness to our customers, we must first be happy ourselves." As we have established our purpose as "Bringing a smile to unexpected moments with ideas that resonate with the heart," we believe it is important to be happy and smiling even when we are busy.

We have also entered the pet care business, with air as our core business. Through M&A, we have expanded our business into new areas from a wellness perspective, including the acquisition of the "Nyantomo Clean Toilet" business from Kao Corporation. We are also considering expanding into Asian markets such as Thailand and China.

■Message to university students

S.T. employees have one thing in common: they continue to take on new challenges without fear of failure. S.T. has experienced many failures, but it is from failures that success is born. So, a small failure is not a big deal.

Finally, I would like to tell all university students the importance of finding something that you are passionate about. It is difficult to find your path in life as a student, but the experiences you have as a student often lead to your career. This is why I hope you will make good use of your time as a student and actively try anything that piques your curiosity.

Recently, what I tell students and new employees is to "continue to be an outsider." Japanese society is becoming increasingly homogenous, which I feel is hindering innovation. If you have the manners of a working adult, your superiors will accept your opinions even if you challenge them. I hope you will always cherish the discomfort you felt as an outsider and the sparkling curiosity you had as a student.

Student Newspaper Online, June 6, 2024, Interview by Mei Higashi, 6rd year student at Sophia University

Mei Higashi, a third-year student at Sophia University / Ryusei Nishiyama, a fourth-year student at Musashino University