Miyuki Kitamura, Manager of the Finance Department, Qol Holdings Co., Ltd. and Manager of the Finance Department, Administration Division, Qol Co., Ltd.

Supporting companies through numbers: the rewards of a challenging financial position

Qol Holdings Co., Ltd. Finance Department Manager and Qol Co., Ltd. Administration Division Finance Department Manager　Miyuki Kitamura(Kitamura Miyuki)

■ Profile
He joined Qol Co., Ltd. as a new graduate in 2012. After being assigned to the Corporate Communications Department, he was transferred to his current position in the Finance Department of the Administration Headquarters in 2015. Since the company was established as a holding company in 2018, he has been managing accounting mainly for two companies: Qol Co., Ltd. and Qol Holdings Co., Ltd.

As the section manager of the Finance Department at Qol Holdings Co., Ltd., Miyuki Kitamura is primarily in charge of accounting and plays an important role in supporting the company's operations. We spoke to her about Qol's corporate culture, which gives opportunities to young people, the rewards of working together as a team to achieve results, and her outlook for the future.I received it.

■The reason I decided to join Qol was because I was attracted to the company's corporate culture.

I was job hunting in 2011. At the time, I had received an offer for a sales position, but I felt something was not quite right, so I continued to look for a management-related job. It was around this time that I attended a Qol information session and was drawn to the atmosphere. The person in charge at the session was very sincere and made a good impression, which was what made me decide to join the company. Also, Qol is involved in the medical industry, and I was also impressed by the opportunity to contribute to society. After joining the company, I was assigned to the Corporate Communications Department and later transferred to the Finance Department. Both departments play an important role in the back office, supporting the company's operations. I find my work rewarding as it is related to the core of the company, finance and accounting.

■The strength of the company is that all employees are looking in the same direction

Qol Pharmacy is based on the principle of being a pharmacy that is close to patients as a family pharmacy. Recently, they have been focusing particularly on home medical care. As an employee, I feel that while they pursue profits, they do not focus solely on that, and place importance on fulfilling their mission as a medical institution. Because they have a strong corporate philosophy, I think each employee understands that direction and is able to provide the best possible service to patients. Another attractive feature of Qol is that young employees are given many opportunities, allowing them to take on responsible work at an early stage.

■The rewarding part of my job is being able to see the company's movements in numbers

Currently, I am primarily responsible for the accounting of two companies: Qol Holdings Co., Ltd., the holding company, and Qol Co., Ltd., the operating company. I am primarily involved in accounting, collecting performance data from approximately 30 consolidated subsidiaries, compiling the figures for all companies, and ultimately disclosing them. Our important job is to properly compile accounting figures and consider how to present them in accordance with laws, regulations, and accounting standards. When I first joined the company, I was not good with numbers, but as I began to see the overall movement of the company through them, I gradually began to find them interesting. I find the process of working together as a team to create something very rewarding.

■ What we pay attention to is "creating a system to prevent mistakes"

I always try to create a system to prevent mistakes. Mistakes are inevitable in any work done by people, but to minimize them, we have established a checking system and take measures to solve problems as fundamentally as possible. When problems do occur, we are also required to respond quickly.
In the future, we would like to promote digital transformation in the Finance Department as well, particularly working towards going paperless. Currently, accounting-related documents are still largely submitted on paper, so we are facing the challenge of how to improve this. In addition, as the Finance Department has many young members, we would like to establish a training and education system and create an environment where they can continue to grow as members of society.

■Message to university students

Finally, I would like to say to all university students about to enter the workforce: "Broaden your horizons and gain a variety of experiences." There is particularly much to be gained from interacting with people of different backgrounds and ages. Some of you may not have been able to have the experiences you wanted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but from now on, I urge you to take action and learn with all your senses. I myself have used my experiences of facing obstacles, including studying abroad, in my current job, so I hope you will also take on challenges without fear.

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on September 7, 2024 by Otoo Masuda, a third-year student at Senshu University

Kyoto University of the Arts, 1st year student Inomoto Reina / Toyo University, 2nd year student Koshiyama Rinno / Josai International University, 1st year Watanabe Yurie / Senshu University, 3rd year student Masuda Otoo