A Thing of Beauty
President and CEO of Shiseido, Masahiko Uotani, wants to make the world a beautiful place, he shares with Jolene Khor. And no, he’s not just talking about lipsticks and sunscreens
non-japanese, the more senior and the young. The mosaic of different backgrounds, nationalities, languages, religions helps us go in depth with the things we do and the values we bring in. We have different ideas. We ask each other difficult questions. These make us dig deep into details. It only makes us stronger.
Is hierarchy or homogeneity more important?
I don’t like hierarchy. We are closing the gaps, working together as a team, and not just at the office. The principle applies to the relationship between our customers and us. The new Shiseido concept is about cultivating empathy, communication, sharing. Society hierarchy is already becoming flatter and everyone should be treated with respect. Our approach shows our customers that whatever they need from us, whatever values they stand for, we are with them. We are together.
What are the values Shiseido operate under?
Companies never survive standing alone. We are not just a part of a Japanese society anymore; we are a part of a global society. What we do to better the lives of others, betters us. We want to continue creating value for our customers, and that isn’t product talk. It’s in everything we do. We recently sent our team to Bangladesh to educate women on skincare, to provide them with the means to care for themselves. Our cosmetic products are tools to help us deliver our values into society. That’s how we change the world.