Mickey's Voice

  • Mickey's VoiceRakuten Group Chairman & CEO Mickey Mikitani addressed the importance of becoming a leader in green during the Rakuten Optimism 2022 business conference.
    February 2, 2023 4 min read

    Why the theme is tech & green: Mickey Mikitani at Rakuten Optimism 2022

    Rakuten Optimism, Rakuten’s largest annual business conference, is a Group-wide event that aims to enhance and enrich the extended Rakuten family’s brand, ecosystem and partnerships. Held in Japan since 2019, Rakuten Optimism 2022 was a virtual event held over two days on September 29-29. Some 114,000 people registered to participate, exceeding last year’s count, and the total viewership for

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  • Mickey's VoiceRakuten Group Chairman and CEO Mickey Mikitani addressed employees on the company's vision for 2023 at the opening of business in the new year.
    January 4, 2023 2 min read

    2023: Innovation, operations and creativity

    Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten Group Last year marked Rakuten’s 25th anniversary, and as the world continues to experience rapid change, both technological and social, we also see many opportunities ahead. Our vision is to become a global innovation company. To be a leader in innovation, we must remind ourselves of why we are here. Why are we doing this together? I distill the answer d

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  • BlogRakuten CEO Mickey Mikitani shares his thoughts on finding the right kind of mentorship and emphasizes how everyone can be your teacher.
    May 18, 2022 3 min read

    Everyone Is Your Teacher

    Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten Group What could you learn if everyone you met could also be your teacher? It is common for people in business to seek out a mentor or advisor. I was asked recently at a staff meeting what I consider the attributes of the ideal role model to be. Many assume that to be successful, one needs a single, dedicated guide – a sensei – to give sage advice and dir

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  • BlogOn April 1, 2022, Rakuten Group Chairman and CEO Mickey Mikitani delivered his annual welcome speech to new grads in person for the first time since 2019.
    April 12, 2022 4 min read

    Rakuten welcomes 2022 new grads in person in Tokyo

    Every April, companies across Japan welcome hundreds of thousands of fresh university graduates from across the country to join their ranks as full-time employees. Rakuten held this year’s annual spring entrance ceremony for new grads in person for the first time since 2019, after quickly pivoting to a work from home model and fully-virtualized entrance ceremony at the beginning of the pande

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  • Mickey's VoiceDuring the 2022 Rakuten Ichiba New Year Conference, Rakuten CEO Mickey Mikitani shared perpectives on what's ahead for e-commerce in Japan.
    March 11, 2022 5 min read

    Mickey Mikitani on sustainability, Japan’s e-commerce potential and an ambitious ten trillion yen goal

    Every January, Japan’s leading e-commerce platform hits the ground running with the Rakuten Ichiba New Year Conference. The conference is an opportunity for the thousands of merchants who attend online and in person to hear Rakuten perspectives on what’s ahead for e-commerce, including frank and open comments from Rakuten CEO Mickey Mikitani. Halfway to 10 trillion In 2021, Rakuten reached a signi

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  • BlogRakuten Group Chairman and CEO Mickey Mikitani shares his simple decision-making system with a three-point framework.
    January 25, 2022 4 min read

    A three-point decision-making framework: Profit, passion & public good

    Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten Group The world is full of great ideas. But which ones will come to fruition? “Deciding which projects get our time and attention are critical choices that shape our future.” MICKEY MIKITANI, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, RAKUTEN GROUP As a leader, it’s important not to leave that decision to chance. Deciding which projects get our time and attention are critical cho

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  • BlogRakuten CEO Mickey Mikitani reflects on the tremendous progress achieved in 2021 and shares his vision for 2022, Rakuten's 25th anniversary.
    January 6, 2022 3 min read

    Celebrating a quarter century of optimism: Thoughts on the new year

    Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten Group First and foremost, I’d like to wish everyone a happy and healthy new year. This year marks Rakuten’s 25th anniversary — 25 years of tremendous growth across e-commerce, sports, fintech, mobile and many other industries. Let’s take a brief look back at 2021 and the great progress achieved thanks to the commitment and hard work of all our employees,

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  • BlogSuccess in business requires an understanding of three very different, essential forms of speed, as well as the human context required to achieve them.
    December 22, 2021 4 min read

    Building your organization’s capacity for speed: The human context

    Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten Group If there’s one constant in business today, it’s the pressure to move faster. Can we speed a product to market? Can we rush delivery? Can we get the app to load faster? At Rakuten, operating effectively at speed has always been fundamental to our growth. In fact, one of our founding principles for success is simply: Speed!! Speed!! Speed!! The realit

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  • BlogMickey Mikitani onstage at Rakuten Expo 2021
    September 29, 2021 5 min read

    Rakuten Expo: Mickey Mikitani on the Rakuten Mobile Triangle Strategy

    Excerpted from an address by Rakuten Group Chairman and CEO, Mickey Mikitani, to Rakuten Ichiba merchants at Rakuten Expo 2021. “Last summer we experienced a tremendous surge in customer demand, spurred by COVID-19. Now, even in the wake of that remarkable growth, we’re seeing a sustained 17% increase year-over-year. Our two-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is growing steadily at 23.6

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