Taiyo Holdings Co., Ltd. President and CEO Hideshi Sato　

To become a company where autonomous employees think and act for themselves

Taiyo Holdings Co., Ltd. President and CEO Eiji Sato

■ Profile
Born in Tokyo in 69. After graduating from university in 92, he joined the accounting firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. In 99, he founded es Networks Co., Ltd. He subsequently served as Managing Director of Wired Broad Networks Co., Ltd. (now USEN Corporation) and Vice President of Gaga Communications Co., Ltd. (now Gaga Corporation), before becoming Representative Director and President of Taiyo Ink Mfg. Co., Ltd. (now Taiyo Holdings Co., Ltd.) in 11.

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Solder resist, an insulating ink applied to electronic circuit boards, is essential for the electronic devices we use every day. Taiyo Holdings Co., Ltd. boasts the world's top share in the manufacture of solder resist. We spoke to President and CEO Hideshi Sato, who is always looking ahead with a sense of speed, about the appeal and outlook of the company, and the mindset he values.

■ Listening to others is something I've valued since my student days

　I passed the Certified Public Accountant exam while I was a student, and after graduating I joined Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Audit Corporation. What made me want to become an accountant was a comment from my physical education teacher in junior high school: "You should become an accountant." I gave up once in my first year of university, but when I was in my third year and thinking about getting a job, I thought "I have to do something," so I started studying to become an accountant again. Without that comment from my teacher, I wouldn't have become an accountant.
I worked part-time at a ramen shop, and before I knew it, I was in a position where I was in charge of a store with 20 to 30 employees. I had to give instructions to people older than my father, and there were people with all sorts of different circumstances and personalities, so the most important thing was to listen to what people had to say. In fact, once I started to have an attitude of listening, I was able to learn a lot from those around me. I still keep this attitude in mind today.
Since I became president of my current company, I have placed particular emphasis on communication. To create that environment, I started by creating a company cafeteria. It all started 11 years ago when we renovated the original cafeteria. The moment I saw the happy faces of the employees, I knew "this is it!" Now, as a result of creating a fine cafeteria that is even more focused on food and space, it has become the center of communication within the company.

■Shift to a style of thinking and acting independently

　When I joined Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, the first person I exchanged business cards with was the president of Taiyo Holdings. Later, when I went independent, the president approached me and I became an accounting advisor for a group company.
　When I became president, I focused on "having other people do the work for them." At the time, we were an owner-operated company, so the typical style was for employees to just do what they were told and do their best. So, my new goal was to create a self-sustaining organization. I made a conscious effort to avoid issuing instructions from above as much as possible, and employees would think and act on their own even without instructions. In order to change to this style of independence, I focused on changing the management philosophy and doing away with uniforms. This was done to ensure that all employees had a sense of independence. As a result, with an increase in autonomous employees, there was more conversation within the company, and it seems like it has become a brighter place.

■The reason we boast the world's top share is our track record and speed

　Taiyo Holdings sells and manufactures solder resist used in all kinds of electronic devices, including projectors and computers. We hold approximately 5% of the global market share for general substrates and approximately 8% for semiconductor package substrates, making us one of the world's top companies. The reason we have such a large market share and other companies cannot imitate us is because we were one of the first to enter the market and obtained a wide range of patents. Patents act as a barrier to entry for other companies, and Taiyo Holdings has built a strong track record to date. In the automotive and semiconductor industries, track record is important, so it is difficult to enter the market without a track record.
In fact, it was only after smartphones first appeared that we began to boast such a high market share. Our solder resist was used in the circuit boards used in early smartphones. Since then, it has become the standard material for smartphones.
What I value in my work is speed, being able to provide materials as soon as they are requested. To realize our value of speed, the marketing team needs to sense the needs of the world and communicate with the technical team what they think the next thing will be before the customer even says "I want it," and have it ready. If the product is not already ready by the time the customer says "I want it," it's too late. I think it's important to always be aware of what the customer needs and be prepared.

■ Entering the pharmaceutical business out of fear

　Our business performance has been steadily improving since 2000, but about once every four years, we would experience a sudden drop in performance. When performance drops, it's so scary that you start to think, "Maybe it'll never recover." Even if it does go back to normal, it creates a strong sense of anxiety within the company, with people wondering, "Will the same thing happen again?"
　Hoping to escape this anxiety, we entered the pharmaceutical business, which has stable demand. At first glance, it may seem like an industry unrelated to electronic circuit boards and semiconductors, but there is no contradiction there. Taiyo Holdings is a company whose strength lies in chemistry, rather than manufacturing electronic products. We thought that the pharmaceutical business, which is based on the same chemical foundation as cars or smartphones, would be more relevant and trustworthy. In fact, since entering the medical and pharmaceutical industry, our performance has been stable.
　We are currently looking to expand our contract manufacturing of medicines. We aim to capture a certain share of the pharmaceutical industry and provide the world with medicines that cannot be made without our technology. We hope to take on this challenge by making full use of the technical capabilities we have cultivated in electronics products.

■The driving force is having fun

The people I want to work with are those who are self-reliant and enjoy conveying something to the world through their business. I personally value having fun. Whether it's building a new factory or trying new businesses, it's because I enjoy running my business that I can get things done quickly and with a sense of urgency. That's why it leads to results. Is work fun or not? Don't forget to keep this in mind when choosing a job.

■Message to university students

　There's always a tendency to want to fit into a mold, but try to get into the habit of stepping outside of that mold. Even if you're a university student, it's very important to try things that are different from others, such as studying stocks or getting a qualification in a hobby. There are rankings of popular jobs, but we don't know what those companies will be like in a few years. You may want to join a company that's popular right now, but I would like you to look at things from a longer-term perspective. I myself have been working with the belief that "other people aren't interested, but I think I will grow even more in the future," and that has led to my current results. I encourage you to value "different attempts" and "different interests."

Student Newspaper Online December 22, 2025 Interview by Toyo University sophomore Rinno Koshiyama

Yurie Watanabe, first-year student at Josai International University; Rinno Koshiyama, second-year student at Toyo University; Takashi Yoshida, fourth-year student at the University of Tokyo