Shiori Yamaguchi, IT Company

Why did I take this course?

I decided to take the SDGs Community Marketing course because I strongly felt the importance of solving social issues through corporate activities and wanted to acquire leadership skills that would enable me to make decisions from a long-term perspective. In recent years, institutional investors and activists have had a significant impact on how Japanese companies are operating. I strongly felt that corporate management needs to take a longer-term perspective than ever before and build a new value creation story along with business activities. Therefore, I decided to take the course because I wanted to continue my career as a person who can contribute to the future of the company.

What I learned in the class

In Fiscal year 2023, we worked together with people at Sapporo Real Estate Development Co., Ltd. on a project to examine business activities with an awareness of sustainability from the perspective of the SDGs. We were asked how the company can build a relationship with the community to which it belongs while creating value through its business activities. I vividly recall the lively discussions that took place in all of the groups.

In order to make more concrete proposals, we visited many places where the activities were taking place. From investigating the actions of rival real estate corporations to case studies of the Netherlands, an environmentally enlightened country, to instances of SDG efforts by enterprises that Professor Miyazoe had personally visited throughout Japan to research, we found the information quite useful. In particular, by participating in the event at the urban farm in Yebisu Garden Place, where citizens' activities are actually taking place, and interacting with the leaders and local residents, including children, I was able to experience firsthand the ideal form of urban development that real estate companies are engaged in.

I was able to learn a lot by hearing directly from people who are adopting cutting-edge leadership positions about the ideal form of corporate SDG activities. I generally work in-house and rarely go outside the office, so this was a very meaningful time for my future career because I was able to have the time to actually visit and work on issues that are difficult to solve.

How do you want to make use of what you have learned?

Many Japanese companies are now being scrutinized by investors in Japan and overseas to see what they can do in terms of sustainability and social responsibility, rather than the traditional management systems that have previously been in place until now. With the Nikkei Index hitting a record high for the first time in 34 years and expectations for the Japanese market being extremely high, the ratio of foreign shareholders is expected to continue to increase, making information disclosure through sustainability reports even more important for listed companies. As someone who is working in corporate, I would like to make use of what I have learned in this class to support business activities with an awareness of both business efficiency and sustainability, and I would like to further my career with an even broader perspective to minorities in order to make decisions on the direction of the business.

At this point, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Sapporo Real Estate Development Co., Ltd. for their cooperation in the SDGs Community Marketing class, which served as the culmination of my studies at ABS, and to Professor Miyazoe for his teaching and the members who worked with him.