A MATERIAL WORLD

WITH 40 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE AT MATERIALS MANUFACTURER TORAY INDUSTRIES UNDER HIS BELT, CHIEF REPRESENTATIVE FOR INDIA SHIGEKAZU SUENAGA HAS LEARNED THAT FEW THINGS ARE MORE IMPORTANT TO A BUSINESS THAN INNOVATION, COMMUNICATION AND CONSISTENCY.

- SASKIA TILLERS

When Shigekazu Suenaga started working for Toray Industries straight out of university in 1981, he couldn’t have predicted that he’d remain with the same company for his entire career. But an intense passion for what it does, coupled with respect for a company culture that aligned seamlessly with his own core values, meant that once he joined the team, he never looked back.

“Our brand and company reputation are extremely important to me and my colleagues,” Shigekazu tells The CEO Magazine. “Toray’s corporate philosophy is to contribute to society through the creation of new value – with innovative ideas, technologies and products. We strive to offer customers consistently high-quality products, as well as provide meaningful work and fair opportunities for employees, while practising sincere and trustworthy management for shareholders. I try to act according to these principles in all that I do.”

Shigekazu goes on to explain that much of this philosophy stems from Toray Industries’ CEO, Akihiro Nikkaku, who encourages the employees to “stay focused on the basics, search for ideal approaches, identify the right steps and then carry them out – all solutions can ultimately be found in the workplace”.