Frederic Dumont Saint Priest, president and CEO of Mitsubishi
Corporation's French subsidiary Mitsubishi France S.A.,
has been with the company since 1999. The business and financial
performance of the French operation have improved greatly
under his stewardship. |
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Becoming
more than a go-between
"Our
business has centered on exports of French food products
and textiles and imports of chemicals, industrial goods
and equipment. We also coordinate work between Mitsubishi
Corporation and French companies in third-party countries.
"Now, we are becoming more than a go-between.
Mitsubishi Corporation creates value worldwide through investments
and partnerships. We in France are identifying partners
for our colleagues in various business units. We have arranged
a few investments in France, and more are in the works.
Information technology is a priority, and we also seek opportunities
in food products, chemicals and other sectors."
Localizing
management
"Human
resources management is a good example of work where local
executives can bring better efficiency. My work as president
has involved reordering our management priorities and streamlining
our operations. As a Frenchman, I probably have been able
to handle that responsibility more smoothly than a Japanese
executive could have. I am also trying to improve internal
and external communication at all levels.
"Deep-rooted local networks help identify
business opportunities that cannot be detected from Japan
or even by expatriate Japanese staff. Multicultural cross-fertilization--sharing
information and responsibilities within teams between rotating
and local managers--enables us to combine specialized and
local knowledge, and that will be key to our future."
Working,
living globally
"I
began my career at a French company that produced metals.
That work took me to Pittsburgh in 1979 for two years. Back
in France, I started traveling to Japan on business. The
company offered me a transfer there in 1988, and my wife
agreed to come if that meant I could spend more time at
home with her and our three boys. We came originally for
three years. And we were happy when the company extended
our stay three times, giving us six years in Japan."
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"I'm
happy that people associate our company with other Mitsubishi
companies. People have positive feelings about the Mitsubishi
name. All our companies share a responsibility to maintain
that positive image."
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Communicating
"Is language an issue? Sometimes.
The solution is English. Mitsubishi Corporation has promoted
the use of English throughout the organization. We still
have a ways to go. But this is the right way to attract
people whose strengths might not include Japanese proficiency."
Raising the ceiling
"Mitsubishi Corporation is
developing some exciting pro-grams in international human
resources to provide more advancement opportunities for
non-Japanese managers. Some of those programs already are
in place; others will take effect soon. Our job now is to
encourage people to take advantage of those programs. Sometimes,
that will include spending some time in Japan--weeks, months
or even years. But upward paths will be available everywhere."
Reaching
out to the community
"I
go out of my way to help raise the company's profile in
France. We participate actively in the chambers of commerce
and in other organizations, and I give talks to those groups.
I also give lectures at business schools to acquaint students
with our activities.
"We get requests from business schools
for help in placing interns with companies in Japan. Student
internships are common in Europe, and we host three interns
at our offices in Paris. The companies gain exposure to
potential employees, and the student interns do valuable
work. I wish that more Japanese companies would host French
business students. Readers are welcome to contact me to
discuss this subject."
*"Parlez-Vous
L'Anglais?": Do you speak English?
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"Like
most people outside Japan, French are unfamiliar with
Japanese trading companies.
Ask
about Mitsubishi, and people immediately say 'Cars!
TVs!!' They certainly know about the success of cars
and drivers under the Mitsubishi name in the Paris-Dakar
rally. We at Mitsubishi France are working to demonstrate
other ways that Mitsubishi Corporation can be a value-adding
partner."
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