Hi! My name is Masato Shibao, but you can just simply call me Masato. I was born in Tokyo, but spent my childhood in multiple locations. Specifically, in the Fukuoka, Chiba, Yamagata, and Kanagawa prefectures. This was due to my father’s job at the time; it required him to move around a lot, so we went along with him.
When I was in university, I majored in international business law, and took on sales and marketing internships with several notable companies, such as Softbank and Samsung. That helped set the stage for where I am now, crafting strategic plans for clients to maximise the returns on their digital advertising efforts.
Winning Eleven
Of course, as a kid, I had far more grandiose dreams, like most children do. I wanted to be a professional footballer (Real Madrid is my dream team)! It’s a very fun sport, and I find it interesting because there are many factors that have to come together to make a successful team. Teamwork, mentality, skill, coaching/man-management, environment, strategy… there has to be just the right amount of each for things to work well. In other words, there’s a lot of depth to football!
I put that depth of thought to my career! I’m keen to work in a startup environment, with a focus on learning how the inputs and outputs of the overall management of an organization. My favourite phrase is essentially the same as Yoda’s famous words: “Do, or do not. There is no try.” I believe that the only limits in life are those that we place on ourselves.
Dream big, believe, and you will get there!
Managerial Duties
Speaking of management, I get the chance to learn just that each and every day in my current role. It’s an all-encompassing role, I feel. Not only does a manager have to make business and work decisions, they have to do it while taking into consideration the strengths, weaknesses, and other attributes of the people they have under their care. Different people respond in different ways to all sorts of things, after all.
As a manager, I have to learn what works best for each individual in my team, how to get the most out of them, and how to help them grow as professionals and people in the process. It can be a lot of hard work, but I look forward to the discoveries I make along the way, which helps me to level up too!
I think I’m in the best environment to continue this learning journey! There’s no stagnancy here – there are so many talented people throughout the company. Many are able to speak multiple languages, and bring in top results month after month. This serves as very strong motivational fuel for myself!
Additionally, there is a strong sense of curiosity and open-mindedness. For a company that started in ad tech to then expand into the HR industry, that to me is a strong indicator of the enthusiasm our leadership team has to open themselves to new things and take smart risks. I particularly respect our CEO, Kosuke Sogo-san, for his open-mindedness and ability to communicate with many different kinds of people. He’s a role model for sure!
Wanderlusting
Away from the office, I find that my desire to learn extends to my other interests as well. I watch quite a bit of Netflix, and I love travelling. I’ve been to many countries, particularly in Europe and Asia in an effort to satiate my curiosity. The list is probably too long to put here in full, but some places I’ve been to include the Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium, Cambodia, and Singapore. There’s more though, and I definitely intend to add to the list! I like experiencing new things and visiting new places, and will travel to new places till the day I breathe my last breath 🌍
Looking ahead, I hope to continue my learning journey with AnyMind Group, adding value to the company any way that I can. The organization has big plans to expand further, and I hope to be part of the team breaking new ground in our planned future expansions into the Middle East and/or Europe.
I believe that this company has the potential to be one of the biggest in the world, up there alongside the giants of the internet era. I’ll keep doing my very best to help the company reach those heights!
