Miho / Product Manager

Career Steps

1st and 2nd Year

After new graduate training, I spent approximately one year as a sales representative, engaging in merchant sales in Fukuoka and Osaka. This provided opportunities to hear firsthand feedback from merchants and users.
3rd Year

Transferred to the department responsible for product planning and development. Utilizing the knowledge gained during my time in sales, I became involved in strategic planning and product development for store-based payment services.
Present

Appointed Assistant Manager in the spring of my 4th year. I work as a Product Owner for planning and a Project Manager for development.

Profile

After graduating from a university in the United States, I joined Rakuten Payment in the fall of 2019. After working in sales, I am now involved in product planning and development. On weekdays after work, I enjoy craft beer and delicious food with my colleagues, whom I love. One of my future goals is to try Pilates. I am living a fulfilling life both professionally and personally.

Current Role

I am responsible for tasks related to strategic planning and product planning/development of payment services that Rakuten Payment provides to partner companies. The product I am working on is a payment device. Our mission is to provide various values, not only by supporting cashless payments but also by adding functions and expanding services.
In product planning, I formulate medium to long-term strategies as a product owner. I envision future visions 5 and 10 years ahead, create highly business-oriented and future-proof strategies, and apply them to the planning and development of individual products. In development, I work as a project manager. There are always over 10 projects running simultaneously, and one of my tasks as an assistant manager is to support the team members.

Why I Chose Rakuten Payment

I joined as a new graduate. When I was struggling with job hunting, my father advised me, “If you're in an environment with people you want to work with, you can overcome anything.” From then on, “a company with vibrant people I want to work with” became my guiding principle for choosing a company. I also prioritized being able to utilize my accounting expertise gained in university and working on familiar products that are part of daily life.
The main reason I chose Rakuten Payment, in particular, was “an environment with people I want to work with.” I was interviewed by President Kobayashi, and his passionate vision for the business deeply moved me. What I strongly felt after joining the company was that there were more employees than I imagined who worked with a sense of purpose and strived daily to “empower the world.” I also feel that I am in the desired environment, being involved in products that support “payment,” which is closely tied to daily life.

Joy & Appeal of Working at Rakuten Payment

Before being involved in product planning and development, I was in charge of sales to partner companies for about a year. Being able to directly hear both positive and negative opinions from partner companies has become a great asset. I continue to explore providing functions and services that meet the needs of our partner companies.
Being able to be involved in big projects at a young age is also a great joy of working at Rakuten Payment. The “Rakuten Pay Terminal,” released in July 2023, is an all-in-one terminal equipped with payment functions, a tablet, a receipt printer, and communication functions. It also supports various cashless payments. Many departments within the company, such as sales and development, were involved, and Rakuten Mobile also provided assistance in the mobile communication area. I am proud that the terminal, created by leveraging the power of the Rakuten Group, has successfully met the needs of our partner companies. It was also a great pleasure that the project was recognized as a Rakuten Award MVP.

Future Career and Goals

The close proximity to management and the ability to cultivate a business perspective are unique to Rakuten. I am also interested in tasks that allow me to utilize my accounting expertise gained in university. Also, having experienced sales, planning, and development, I now have a desire to be involved in actual development work. I want to experience various jobs and expand my career.
Rakuten has many services, and there is an environment where we can challenge ourselves to create new value by collaborating with each group company. What I want to work on in the future is planning and development incorporating “Open AI.” Cashless payment terminals and IT technology are evolving daily. Among them, 'Open AI' is one of the fields that will attract even more attention in the future. I want to release products that utilize such technologies, not only pursuing further convenience but also providing experiences that make both partner companies and users more excited.

Message to Candidates

The presence of people who support me, not only team members but also across departments and company boundaries, is significant. Because those around me are working hard, I can also work hard. I have many colleagues and superiors with whom I can discuss not only work but also private matters. I feel blessed to be surrounded by such great people to work with, and I am truly grateful for such an environment.
I am happy when what I couldn't do yesterday, I can do today. As I absorb new things, my capabilities increase daily. I think feeling this personal growth is a significant benefit. Feeling that my growth contributes to the benefit of partner companies, users, and the company also motivates me!