Going From Local To Global

News Straits Times, January 27 2003

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Growing up in Japan in the 1950s, Kurabayashi Hidehiko and many other kids at that time dreamt of becoming a baseball player when they grew up. So during his schooldays, this president of Fujitsu (M) Sdn Bhd took up the game passionately. A boy of immense talents, he also excelled in tennis an ski. But his destiny was not in sports.

Starting out. After graduating from high school, Hidehiko got an offer to study electrical engineering at the Waseda University in Tokyo in 1971. "It was the first time ever that I would be staying away from home." he says. "I chose to do electrical engineering because I had some knowledge in computers. Besides, mathematics was my favourite subject."

Hidehiko graduated in 1973, in the middle of a sluggish Japanese economy. "I had to do a part-time job teaching Maths for girls in a junior high school." he recalls.

While scouting for a better job, someone asked him to try Fujitsu. It was 1975.

"I applied for the system engineer post. But during the interview, I was offered a sales position. Apparently, the interviewers were convinced that I would do a better job in sales because of my command of the English language." Hidehiko says.

He was assigned to the personnel development department.

"It was really a big challenge for me because at that time IBM was already a big mainframe giant in Japan." he quips.

In 1976, Hidehiko was assigned to the marketing international division for computer systems.

"This is where I started assisting overseas sales business and gained immense experience in the international market," he says

Hidehiko's enterprising characteristic earned him a stint at Fujitsu Taiwan in 1984 to help improve the business there. He eventually spent three years in Taipei with his family

Then in May 1987, Hidehiko returned to Fujitsu Japan and was assigned to the Asia business department, internatioanl operations group. And in 1990, he was promoted to manager of the marketing division.

In June 1993, Hidehiko was asked to take care of Fujitsu's global accounts-sales and marketing department. He was promoted again in 1996 to senior manager for international computer business group.

Two year later, in 1998, he was sent to Indonesia. "I was there for two and a half years. Indonesia was already plagued by crisis, and I thought it was best not to bring my family at that time." Hidehiko recalls, adding that he studied Bahasa Indonesia after working hours while there.

And when then president of Fujitsu Malaysia retired in June 2000, Hidehiko was promoted to take over the local operations.

Challenges. Asked about his biggest challenge, Hidehiko says it was growing Fujitsu Malaysia. "Before, we had two Fujitsu companies: Fujitsu Computer System Malaysia, which was formerly ICL Malaysia, and Fujitsu Malaysia. In April 2000, the merger of the two companies took place and a new Fujitsu Malaysia was formed. My major challenge was to merge the companies and expand its growth."

According to Hidehiko, the company aims to remain on the growth path through collaborations with partners and a continued focus on customers.

He says Fujitsu's long term direction is to localise the company and that he hopes to see the president's position being held by a local.

Family matters. Hidehiko confesses that he misses his family at times. His wife is currently working as an assistant to a doctor in a hospital in Tokyo. They have two sons and a dog named Goofy, fondly considered part of the family.

During his free time, especially weekends, Hidehiko plays golf with his friends and customers.

"I took up golf since there is no snow here. Golf is fun and keeps me mentality fit." he explains."In Japan, we walk and board the train to work - it was good for health. But in Malaysia, we drive to work and to other places - our leg muscles become weak."

Hidehiko also enjoys listening to music and reading Japanese management books. And he hopes to be able to still work when he reaches 60.