Definer representative Mr. Sakamoto interviewed Mr. Minoru Sengoku, President of Minami Aoyama Advisory Group, who has been supporting us as an advisor.

He currently manages a professional firm that covers a wide range of accounting fields, including M&A, stock price calculation, and IPO support.

We will take a closer look at his true face, beliefs, and philosophy behind his achievements.

Greetings

Sakamoto

Representative Sengoku, thank you again for your valuable time today! It is always a pleasure to receive professional accounting insights from your people in a sincere and prompt manner!

Representative Sengoku

President Sakamoto, thank you again for your time today. It is my pleasure to hear you say so.

Sakamoto

When we first met, I was looking for a reliable accounting partner, and I remember how sincerely you responded to me as "President Sakamoto.
I started out as an IT engineer, worked my way up to product manager, and then became an independent corporation, so at the time I didn't know anything about accounting right from left to right. Can you tell us a bit about your career, Representative Sengoku?

Representative Sengoku

My father was a business owner, so I thought I would become a business owner in the future. When I learned about the qualifications of accountants, I decided to become an accountant to support money, which is the basis of company management.

Trust is more important than money, your father's spirit

Sakamoto

I see, it is very nice that your father was a business owner. What was he like?

Representative Sengoku

My father told me that money can make money, but trust cannot be bought with money, and trust is the most important thing for me.

Sakamoto

I see. I can certainly understand why you believe in "trust" when I interact with you on a daily basis. What kind of experience have you gained since you graduated?

A career that began in auditing

Representative Sengoku

I joined Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and worked there for about 9 years. I trained in the field of accounting auditing, conducting audits of listed companies for about nine years. I liked auditing work, and I was highly evaluated by the company and became a manager, but I had a strong desire to become a manager, so I decided to become independent.

Sakamoto

At Accenture, where I worked, there are people who go independent even if they are highly rated and promoted and even if they like the company they work for. There are many people with different values who become independent, but what kind of business did you start?

Representative Sengoku

Actually, the business I was going to start as an independent business became impossible due to the Great East Japan Earthquake. At the time, I was engaged in the application of international accounting standards, and there was a trend toward mandatory application in Japan as well, and I was planning to become independent in that business. Since the application of those standards was postponed due to the earthquake, I worked at my senior's office for a year and a half, where I learned various aspects such as stock options and taxation, and in 2013, I became independent myself.

Sakamoto

This is a big event for you. This is a bit off topic, but as a result of the earthquake, I was able to attend university. In light of the impact of the earthquake, the Japanese government set up a budget for students attending national universities, and I was able to complete my studies under that program. It must have had a great impact on many people's lives. It is deeply, deeply moving. Without that series of events, you might not be here today, Mr. Sengoku.

Representative Sengoku

You may be right. It is possible that my career may have been closed with "1" consultant for the introduction of International Financial Reporting Standards. It just so happened that the accounting firm I had a chance to work with was doing a lot of different things, and I feel that it greatly broadened my career.

The impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake resulted in a major turning point in my life

Sakamoto

It is truly a blessing in disguise. I believe that the scope of your business has greatly expanded, but did you have a strong attachment to the international accounting standards and auditing services that you were originally engaged in?

Representative Sengoku

There was a manga serialized in Young Magazine a long time ago about the Sengoku family, and I am a descendant of that family. I want to work with only one sword as the heart of a samurai. That was my sword at the time, and it was my work in international accounting standards.

Sakamoto

Kuh~. This is a totally different persuasive power of words. When Representative Sengoku says it, it sinks in. I feel the mindset and behavior of a samurai on a regular basis. As a result, you run a professional firm with a wide range in the industry and in the accounting area like DOMOTO. Are there any values that you hold dear?

Values that are important to the company

Representative Sengoku

In our work, the "sword" may have changed, but what we value remains the same. In particular, "professionalism," "integrity," and "promptness," which we call the 3Ss, are what we value the most. We are committed to building fans of our services and our company, building relationships of trust with our clients, and making everyone we come in contact with happy.

Sakamoto

I see. I am still a novice as a manager, but I felt that this expression summed up everything that many excellent managers and excellent companies have in common. May I also ask what kind of people you would like to work with in order to realize such an excellent company?

Representative Sengoku

It may not be possible to realize and embody "professionalism," "integrity," and "speediness" overnight. Even so, we value working with people who sincerely want to be like that. Because we think, we can take action. When you can take action, what you can really do will also increase.

Sakamoto

I, too, will endeavor to bring together colleagues who truly want to be and feel excellent. Also, from a slightly different angle, "How should the organization be?" May I also ask your thoughts on "how an organization should be?"

Organizational Values

Representative Sengoku

Recently, we have been pursuing quality over quantity. In other words, we do not aim to expand our organization. For example, the number of successful candidates in the professional services industry is decreasing, and the recruitment market is a pie fight. Therefore, we need to "be aware of the main points, have good members, and promote a solid business with great clients. We are not focused on expanding the company itself.

Sakamoto

Indeed, when we go public in the future, I also want to avoid unnecessary expansion of the organization. I vaguely feel that it is important to have a rational organizational design that allows for mobility and mobility in terms of the ratio of full-time employees, outside personnel, and partners. I believe that the trend in the labor market for individuals to become independent and the activation of freelance workers will continue to progress.

Representative Sengoku

In the modern age, IT is advancing, AI is on the rise, and efficient company management is progressing. Of course, the core, core part of the business is solidified with internal human resources, and on top of that, I feel that management with full-time employees plus consulting firms, partners, and external human resources is rational from the perspective of not making it a fixed cost.

Sakamoto

I, too, will promote business development by bringing the core in-house and making good use of external human resources. Finally, I would be happy to hear your "philosophy of work".

Representative Sengoku's "sword in his heart"

Representative Sengoku

I am a professional, so I have to put my "aspiration" first. Because "shi" means "heart" in the word "samurai" and "shi" means "mind. It is a combination of "samurai" and "shi," which means "ambition. I vow in my heart that we should be a professional business that proceeds with responsibility and determination toward our clients."

Sakamoto

I felt that I caught a glimpse of Mr. Sengoku's "sword in his heart," the Japanese sword, right up to the very end. I, too, would like to cherish the aspirations of a samurai. Thank you again for today!