Recently, Fulbright students attended an event at the Crescent campus to meet and hear from UNIQLO Vietnam’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Shota Miura and Head of Human Resources (HR) Lisa Diep Phan. The event was part of the Career Talk series hosted by Fulbright’s Career Development team.
The two guest speakers shared how their experiences studying and working abroad have formed their perspectives of the world, and how it has helped them expand this international business in the Vietnamese context. Their interesting stories provided insights into how Fulbright students can leverage the “global citizen’s” mindset to build successful local business models, and how this multi-cultural lens can shape their future view of the fields.
Talking about UNIQLO’s mission in Vietnam, Mr. Shota Miura emphasized that the retail industry is so challenging that it requires oneself to constantly be on their toes, nurturing creativity, critical thinking and fostering dynamic skills to stay up-to-date and qualified for the managerial roles in the organization.
“What I enjoy the most in my job is that I can bring genuine value to the table in any circumstances, and at the same time nurture world-class professionals who will do the same for the future,” he said.
Working at UNIQLO Vietnam in an emerging middle-income market also provided him the opportunity to be curious, keep learning and keep giving. Mr. Miura defined “world-class professional” as someone who possess excellent expertise in functions as well as the highest integrity. To UNIQLO, the art of leadership revolves around people business as people are the driving force for the company. Therefore, nurturing talents is one of the company’s main pillars for growth and development.
He also pointed out distinctive differences between a leader and a manager: “You must be a manager before becoming a leader. While managers delegate tasks to their team and ensure they reach the set goals, leaders are changemakers with future-driven mindset, who innovate and focus on people, encouraging the success of their folks. While managers do things right, leaders do the right things.”
The Career Talk series by Career Development provides Fulbright students with opportunities to learn from leaders of big companies and organizations, deepen and broaden their knowledge about job demands in the market to prepare for their future endeavors.
Thúy Hằng
