IT career that has progressed with technological evolution

-Please tell us about Ms. Katsumura’s responsibility.

Currently in WARPSPACE, I am responsible for corporate operations, accounting, general affairs, and coordination as the VP of Corporate Affairs.

-What kind of work did you do in your previous job?

The first job was at a British-owned chemical company, but the company that I got involved with for the longest time was Intel, and then Lenovo, with a long career in the IT industry.

-Why did you aspire to the IT industry?

I originally chose a foreign-affiliated company because I wanted to build my career for a long time. As a result, I chose the IT industry as my new job because I wanted to work for a company that was a growing industry at the time and something that creates the future.

At Intel, which was a big venture and a growing position at that time, I was in charge of technical department support and personnel affairs. It was a place that stretches my skill set by learning systematic operations in an environment where I could work with my boss who I respect rigorously and my colleagues who are experienced as specialists.

After working at Intel for about 17 years, I started working at a venture company from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), which was my previous job, after working at the president’s office of Lenovo.

-What made you try a venture company even after er a long experience in a large enterprise?

The reason I worked for a venture company was because the representative of the previous AIST-launched venture company was from Intel and I had a chance to connect with him, so I was hired because of a connection.

Until then, I had experience in areas such as general affairs and human resources but I had never been in charge of all corporate operations, including accounting. Even so, the representative who invited me was the person from the Bank of Japan, and in the process of working with him, I think that I received a deeper consideration than working for a venture company because I was taught about the feelings and work related to money.

-You learned your skills while jumping into various environments.

I feel like I’ve finally come to this point through various experiences.

-What made you decide to join WARPSPACE?

When WARPSPACE was looking for human resources to strengthen its corporate business functions, Mr. Tsunemachi and the representative of my previous job were connected and I was hired.

-It is impressive that you continue to be involved in IT companies, ventures from AIST, and WARPSPACE related to technology.

I agree. I have always thought that technology can change people’s lives. In the last 20 years or so in the IT industry, our lives have changed as semiconductors are indispensable with the evolution of semiconductor technology. In WARPSPACE, I am very interested in how the communication infrastructure in space will improve the world and change the future, and be involved in it.

Accelerating Startups from corporate

-Are there any difficulties in carrying out corporate business?

First of all, I think this job is very modest.

I can’t develop or raise funds like the members around me, but conversely, I think I’m in charge of the parts that everyone else can’t.

It is a steady and accumulating work that accumulates work that goes around every month, but I think that we are in a transitional period when the scale is growing from the phase that was a small team like a startup company to the next phase. I think that is the most difficult part right now.

-What kind of team would you like to aim for together with the entire team?

Perhaps where the good part of a start-up company appears is flexibility like “somehow good, this time good”, but when the company grows, the number of scenes that are not goodwill increase steadily. Then, some regulations and rules will be required, taking advantage of the company culture that the members have accumulated by hand, I am conscious of creating an environment where it is easy for us to work under various social regulations.

And I think it is very important to create that transitional period to become a perfect rule when listing.

Also, as a startup company, I think it’s a common story, but because everything is handmade, business is exchanged between paper and Excel, and it can be done. However, it remains an operation that is more than 20 years old compared to leading-edge IT companies. A company cannot grow without rational operations and the speed of making quick decisions. In the future, it will be my job to coordinate in this transitional period to promote computerization as a system for start-up companies.

To fulfill “only once in life”

－Do you have a dream that you want to come true?

I would like to work for something related to countries one day. It looks like a small embassy in a small country. In such a place, my dream is to contribute while thinking about the future of each country. I have only worked in an environment that pursues profits, so one day I would like to do something like that related to the public interest.

As for the part related to the company, I would like to experience an IPO since I joined a startup company.

Perhaps the experience of leading the organization to list while preparing various places is only once in my life, so I would like to pursue that goal.

-Finally, what is your most important Compass of Behavior?

Our Compass of Behavior

01. Leap

02. Goal oriented

03. Decide with fact

04. Chase one chance

05. Resilient spirit

06. Respect your crew

07. Love family

08. Adventure

09. Be attractive

After all, it is “06. Respect your crew”.

I would like to work while respecting each other as the same team.

I want to work while respecting each other. As a team that expands while having diversity, regardless of gender and race.