Employee Spotlight: Nakagawa Mizuho, Chief of Staff

"Life is short. I decided to do what I want to do."

Please tell us why you joined Josys.

I joined Josys as COO in December 2022 for two key reasons. First, I was inspired by the friends around me.

Yasukatsu Matsumoto, the founder of Raksul, has been a close friend since our university days. Seeing him create new value as a startup founder, I felt a strong desire to build something impactful and provide value to society.

Second, my father’s passing made me reflect deeply on life’s brevity and my own priorities. Time and energy for new challenges are limited.

This pivotal experience led me to think, "Life is short; you should do what you truly want to do."

Though it was a significant decision to transition from a career in the financial industry to Josys, my early exposure to IT products and services for individual customers has proven invaluable in my current role at Josys.

How did you come across Josys?

I spoke with CEO Matsumoto as a friend about my next career move, and he recommended Josys (laughs).

As I learned more about Josys’s mission, business stage, and organizational structure, I became confident that my skills and experience could make a meaningful contribution.

As a generalist, I don’t specialize in one particular area. Instead, I excel at identifying gaps, addressing organizational bottlenecks, and creating scalable systems that sustain rapid growth.

I joined Josys because I believed I could adapt to meet the company’s evolving needs and help build its future.

You joined Josys as COO and now serve as Chief of Staff (CoS). Could you elaborate on the specifics of your responsibilities?

The Chief of Staff role has become more common in IT companies on the West Coast of the United States, but it is still relatively unfamiliar in Japan. This can make it challenging to clearly communicate the role's responsibilities to candidates during interviews.

Simply put, the CoS functions similarly to the CEO’s office.

The mission of the CoS is to support leadership in making informed decisions and to develop systems that optimize the company’s overall performance.

We consolidate and organize data from various sources, such as tools managing customer and financial information, into a unified format.

This enables us to create detailed reports that provide a comprehensive understanding of the company's management status, allowing leadership to allocate resources and budgets effectively.

So your role involves organizing the data to provide a clear picture of management and contributing to business growth?

Exactly. I’m also responsible for recruitment and organizational planning, both of which are critical for driving business growth.

For example, we assess what backgrounds and expertise are necessary to maximize our sales team’s performance or to launch new business initiatives. Without a clear understanding of our objectives, it would be impossible to attract the right talent.

Recruitment and organizational planning are key drivers of business growth and require a strategic, data-driven approach. These responsibilities involve maintaining a broad, high-level perspective of the company’s needs and ensuring that we build an organization capable of meeting its goals.

What enables you to work so energetically at Josys?

It’s because I can leverage my strengths in areas where I excel. I thrive in situations where unexpected challenges arise, much like responding to a fire.

To draw an analogy, I liken myself to Hyokou, a character from the manga Kingdom.

Kingdom portrays the story of Qin Shi Huang's unification of China and features many unique military commanders. Hyokou, in particular, excels at sensing pivotal moments in battle and personally stepping in to secure results when necessary.

I believe the Chief of Staff (CoS) role allows me to maximize my strengths—perception, insight, and execution.

My work involves collecting and analyzing data, uncovering connections others might miss, and delivering impactful results. Additionally, hiring the right people for each business phase requires adaptability, and I find it fascinating since business growth stalls without foresight.

What challenges have you encountered in your role?

It took me about a year to align my understanding with CEO Matsumoto's vision. While I now fully trust him, I initially struggled to internalize his way of thinking.

Matsumoto’s approach extends beyond numbers to encompass the company’s mission, vision, values (MVV), and organizational culture.

Without a clear grasp of the company’s intended direction, we risk misguiding management decisions. This could have long-term consequences for the company’s future.

At Josys, our goal is to achieve the fastest business growth globally.

To reach this goal, we need exceptional team members who share the same “common language,” such as striving for excellence (Aim High & Strive for Excellence) and fostering trust and transparency (Trust & Transparency).

As Peter Drucker famously said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” A strong culture is the foundation for strategy.

Even as the organization grows, preserving and spreading our culture is crucial. For me, as someone responsible for organizational development, understanding and embodying this "common language" was essential, which is why I took the time to align my perspective with Matsumoto’s.

Josys’ Diversity is Aiming for Growth Through Self-Belief

Is there a common mindset among Josys team members?

A growth mindset. Many of our members set ambitious goals—often 150% of what is expected—and take proactive steps to achieve them.

You can see from their daily actions that they strive to go beyond assigned tasks, aiming to add value wherever possible.

So, members aim higher than their immediate responsibilities?

Exactly. As a global company, Josys is composed of people from diverse backgrounds, careers, races, genders, and ages. A culture that embraces and respects diversity is fundamental to how we operate.

Each person has unique strengths and weaknesses.

It’s this diversity—where team members complement and enhance each other—that allows the company to achieve unparalleled growth.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

By embracing diversity, we eliminate harmful behaviors like self-doubt or demeaning others through comparisons.

One of Josys’ core values is Respect & Transparency. This respect includes believing in oneself and pursuing challenges confidently, as well as trusting and collaborating with others.

It starts with believing, “I can do it,” and extends to respecting and working alongside teammates. This is the essence of Josys’ diversity.