Often referred to as a ‘ maverick ’, Hiroshi “ Mickey ” Mikitani continues to be a disruptive force in the world of Japanese business .
He has now been the Chairman & CEO of Rakuten Group since its founding in 1997 and has turned the company into a globally recognised e-commerce giant characterised by the Japanese service mindset of Empowerment and Omotenashi .
In 2010 , he made the decision to mandate the English language in his organisation , Rakuten . Requiring employees to reach English fluency within two years shocked the business world , with other leaders criticising the decision and even referring to it as ‘ stupid ’. Yet , Mickey believed in this concept he calls “ Englishnization ” – suggesting that a company becoming fluent in English would offer a strong competitive advantage when seeking to enter into other markets around the world .
Rakuten now works with more than 57,000 professional merchants to offer millions of products to its more than 100 million members . It offers a high level of customer service and continues to expand its ecosystem of services .
A masterclass in optimism Mickey was born in Kobe , Japan , in 1965 . Attending Hitotsubashi University and graduating in 1988 with a degree in commerce , Mickey initially entered a career in banking . He initially worked
“I started [ Rakuten ] to re-empower society , community and local merchants ”
50 November 2024