CEO – Mitsubishi Corporation, Pakistan

EVOLVE: Please share something about yourself, a brief overview of your professional journey? 

Kimihide Ando: I was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. During my childhood, I spent three years in London. I graduated from International Christian University, Tokyo, as Bachelor of Liberal Arts. I joined Mitsubishi Corporation in 1982. Since then, most of my careers in Mitsubishi have been overseas assignments. I was posted in such countries like Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Pakistan twice. This is my second tenure in Pakistan. The first one was from 1998 to 2003 for five years. Then, I was seconded to a joint venture company between Mitsubishi and Engro Polymer & Chemicals Limited. There I worked together with many wonderfully talented Pakistani businessmen, such as Mr. Zaffar Khan, Mr. Asad Umar, Mr. Asif Qadir, and Mr. Ruhail Mohammad, to name the few. There were so many others, with whom I interacted and learned from them a lot. I totally enjoyed working in Pakistan so much, that when I finished my first tenure, I determined myself to come back to Pakistan. So here I am, came back in 2010, as Chief Executive for Pakistan, of Mitsubishi Corporation, and I am just about to enter into my eighth years as country head, and my accumulated thirteenth years of Pakistan start commencing.

Through Mitsubishi career, I was mostly working on marketing side of chemical business. When I was in Indonesia 2007-2010, I was CEO and headed one of Mitsubishi affiliates in Indonesia. Now being country head, I look after whatever Mitsubishi deals under the sun. 

EVOLVE: Kindly tell our readers about Mitsubishi Corporation, its success story in Pakistan? 

Kimihide Ando: Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) is a global integrated business enterprise that develops and operates businesses across virtually every industry, including industrial finance, energy, metals, machinery, chemicals and daily living essentials. MC’s current activities have expanded far beyond its traditional trading operations to include investments and business management in diverse fields including natural resources development, manufacturing of industrial goods, retail, new energy, infrastructure, finance and new technology-related businesses. With over 200 offices and subsidiaries in some 90 countries worldwide and a network of approximately 1,200 group companies, MC employs a multinational workforce of over 68,000 people. MC annual revenue is around US$ 60 billion with total assets of around US$150 billion. 

Mitsubishi Corporation, Karachi Branch Office was established in 1954. So we have more than sixty years of association with Pakistan. Our business in Pakistan grew with Pakistan. We believe that we have so far done fairly well in Pakistan, and are determined to do more. Initially we were involved in textile export. Also we used to build many plants all over Pakistan, a cement plants here, sugar mills there. We are also one of instruments for Japanese governmental aid to Pakistan. We built a few schools and hospitals on behalf of Japanese government aid. And once was involved in enhancing water supply scheme in Islamabad and Abbottabad. We are involved in trading of various chemicals and steel products. We are one of the biggest purchasers of sugar-cane-based ethanol from Pakistan. We have so far established six joint ventures in Pakistan, with various Pakistani prominent business groups. 

EVOLVE: You also have served as President of Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce & Industry (OICCI) in 2013. How do you gauge the potential of Pakistan’s economy in terms of foreign investment? 

Kimihide Ando: OICCI is the oldest chamber in the South Asia. It has more than 150 years of history. I say OICCI is the true representation of foreign investors in Pakistan with more than 190 members. All multinationals having business in Pakistan are members. It was my honor and privilege to be the President 2013. I am still one of Managing Committee members. During tenure of my presidency, we received so many private / public missions from all over the world. We once received huge delegation from China, where we made big presentation at the board room of State Bank of Pakistan, to convince them that there are so many infrastructure projects China can engage in Pakistan. This presentation contributed in China deciding on going ahead with CPEC. We are proud of it.

I do not feel necessity of reemphasizing the potential of Pakistan as it is well acknowledged by everyone. Demographic dividend that we can explore is so huge. Two hundred million populations with early twenty years old as median age, alone is big deal. Coupled with consideration on growing middle class and urbanization going forward, any business you do, as long as you do it right, cannot fail. Not only demography, the geography where Pakistan is placed, offers natural gateway opportunity, for such countries like China and Central Asia, to Middle East and Africa, and vice a versa. People globally tend to view the center of the world to be Pan-Pacific Ocean dimension or Pan-Atlantic Ocean dimension. No, we need to view the world in the perspective of Pan-Indian Ocean dimension, and we Pakistan are well placed as focal point of such dimension. As much as Pakistan offers tremendous opportunity for domestic investors, it offers all the same to foreign investors.

EVOLVE: In your view, what role can international firms play in Pakistan’s economic diversification through their involvement in the energy sector and beyond? 

Kimihide Ando: We can contribute in Pakistan just like local business can contribute. On top of it, we bring money from outside Pakistan for the investments. Hopefully we also bring technologies, skill-sets, and know-hows. 

EVOLVE: Mitsubishi Corporation Pakistan must be facing a number of business challenges. How do you address them? 

Kimihide Ando: The life is tough. The business is full of challenges. We eat them every day before breakfast. You need to address challenges as if they are integral part of your life, because they truly are. And how boring the life would be, if there were no challenges?

EVOLVE: In what kind of culture, Mitsubishi Corporation believes? How would you throw light in its significance?

Kimihide Ando: We, Mitsubishi have the Three Corporate Principles which were formulated in 1934; • “Shoki Hoko” which means Corporate Responsibility to Society 

• “Shoji Komei”, which means Integrity and Fairness 
• “Ritsugyo Boeki”, which means Global Understanding Through Business 

I think these principles basically say all what I want to say. We are proud that these principles are in place in 1934, many years before people start talking about CSR.

EVOLVE: How do you foresee the future of Mitsubishi Corporation in Pakistan? 

Kimihide Ando: As previously stated, we have been in Pakistan for more than 60 years. We are determined to stay many more years to come. 

EVOLVE: What distinguishes your company from its competitors? 

Kimihide Ando: We value long term partnership. We are a little slow in decision making. We think twice before we do anything. Once decided we will not get cold feet. 

EVOLVE: What is the recipe to achieve long-term success? 

Kimihide Ando: Long-term success can only be achieved by seeking win-win relationship with all stake holders. One side benefit will not last for long. 

EVOLVE: Where do you see yourself and your organization in next 5-10 years? 

Kimihide Ando: We will be seeing ourselves more deeply rooted in Pakistan, expanding our business portfolio on various business horizons. 

EVOLVE: Any message for the readers of EVOLVE magazine? 

Kimihide Ando: Believe in Pakistan. And it is about time we start capturing all these ample potentials and dividends we have here in Pakistan.