Masashi Namatame, Senior Managing Executive Officer and Group CDO, Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc.

A unique challenger who is opening up the future through finance and technology.

Senior Managing Executive Officer and Group CDO, Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc.　Masashi Namatame(Masashi Namatame)

■ Profile

Masashi Namatame, CDO (Chief Digital Officer) of Tokio Marine Holdings, has been active at the forefront of finance and technology for over 37 years. After an illustrious career at the Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan, the Financial Services Agency, a foreign investment bank, VISA, and BlackRock, Namatame is now taking on new challenges at Tokio Marine Group. He talks about the importance of trust he learned as a student. We also explore the behind-the-scenes story of "digital technology x insurance."

When I was a student, I focused on magic.

During my university years, I studied at the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo and attempted the bar exam, but failed. This sparked a desire to enter society as soon as possible and earn a living on my own, so I began job hunting. Apart from studying, I was particularly passionate about magic. I served as president of a club that performed stage magic, but as there were few members, I focused on recruiting and advertising, and increased the number of members from 30 to 150. As the club grew in size, we were able to hold larger-scale performances thanks to membership fees and other contributions, and I realized the importance of growth.
Also, to pull off a three-minute performance of a human dismemberment magic trick or illusion, it takes 300 hours of practice. I learned that it's important to encourage each other so we don't get discouraged, and that trust is born from helping each other. I also realized that since my colleagues are watching what I say and do, it's important not to lie in order to not lose their trust. I think that by supporting each other and making the performance a success, I developed the leadership and sense of responsibility that I still use in my current work.

■Gaining diverse experience at numerous financial institutions

After graduating from university in 1988, I joined the Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan. I was mainly in charge of financial engineering and derivatives, and I also had the opportunity to study abroad. However, as the bank's business deteriorated, I felt that I would not be able to contribute to society if I continued like this, so I decided to resign after 10 years with the bank. After changing jobs, I worked for two years as an external employee of the Financial Services Agency, where I was responsible for part of Japan's financial administration.
After that, I worked in investment banking for 13 years at Deutsche Bank and Morgan Stanley Securities, where I was responsible for the financial institution and privatization teams. Tokio Marine Group was one of my clients at the time, and I also supported their overseas M&A. I also worked in the payments field as a member of the Japan management team at VISA, and served as a director of the Japanese subsidiary of BlackRock, the world's largest asset management company. I decided to join Tokio Marine because, while working at a foreign financial institution, I saw the Tokio Marine Group actively investing, primarily for growth overseas, and I felt that I could leverage my experience working at a foreign investment bank to take on bigger challenges. I also wanted to work as a member of a Japanese financial institution, something I hadn't been able to do during my younger years, when the bank was facing a management crisis, and to help many customers around the world.

■Insurance is a job that supports social development and challenges

Tokio Marine Group operates its insurance-centered business both domestically and internationally. Insurance not only protects people's lives from accidents and disasters, but also supports social development and challenges. Insurance does more than just provide compensation for accidents and disasters; the existence of this insurance framework serves as an infrastructure that supports the safety and security of society as a whole. For example, credit cards and automobiles, which are now commonplace, may not have become so widespread without insurance coverage. I believe that it is precisely because of insurance that society is able to accept new technologies and cultures.

■Digital technology in the insurance industry is also used to predict disaster risks

The insurance industry utilizes a variety of data and has an extremely high affinity with digital technology. Calculating insurance premiums also requires statistical data on the probability of a particular accident occurring. For example, the insurance industry utilizes and analyzes the vast amount of data collected from satellites and dashcams to predict disaster risks and analyze the causes of accidents.
Millimeter-wave radar images taken from satellites can penetrate clouds and capture the ground. Their extremely high resolution allows for real-time monitoring of ports, roads, and factories, even during typhoons. During the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake, we were able to quickly analyze and detect landslides based on information from roads with significantly reduced traffic, and work with local governments to respond. Furthermore, over one million vehicles nationwide are equipped with our proprietary dashcams, which are included in insurance policies, allowing us to accurately reconstruct accident situations based on acceleration data and video footage. Recently, we acquired and partnered with a company that uses sensors and radar to identify terrain prone to landslides during typhoons and floods, and we are also collecting data for disaster preparedness. In this way, advanced digital technology contributes not only to insurance systems but also to the construction of social infrastructure that protects people's safety.

■Message to university students

When job hunting, you're likely to feel a mixture of excitement and anxiety. I didn't limit myself to the financial industry, but instead applied to one company per industry, and at one point even considered becoming a news announcer. I remember when someone at a bank told me, "Finance is something that will create the society of the future," my understanding of the meaning of work suddenly expanded.
Every job has its own rewarding aspects. In particular, it's the steps of "challenging yourself with things you're not good at" and "tackling a job you thought you might not be able to do" that bring true fulfillment and growth. I've experienced a variety of jobs, including changing jobs, and although I had my share of difficulties, I was able to find a job that I find rewarding. I'm sure you too will find your own life goals in society. I hope you will channel your energy into positivity and the ability to take on challenges. And, especially in times of uncertainty, believe in yourself, don't limit your potential, take action no matter what, strive to achieve good results, and continue to accumulate results, and your horizons will continue to broaden.

Interviewed by Tokyo University of Science, first-year student Hayato Kanamaru, published in the Student Newspaper Online on June 30, 2025

Kensei Tokuhara, 1st year student at the University of Information, Management and Innovation / Hayato Kanamaru, 1st year student at Tokyo University of Science
Karin Ishimatsu, a third-year student at Tsuda University / Kosuke Maeda, a second-year student at Komazawa University