The Fascinating Journey of Continuous Improvement: Insights from the Marketing Division Head

PayPay Leader Interview is a series of interviews with PayPay Group’s top executives that show a glimpse into their personalities and perspectives. In this installment, we talked with Kaoru Oshima, Division Head, Marketing Division.

Beginning My Career in the Early Days of the Internet

Please tell us about your background and why you joined PayPay Card

As a university student, my interest was sparked by the emerging field of internet business. . During its early stages of expansion, I enthusiastically joined On The Edge. After that, during my career on e-commerce for 20 years, financial domain always lay beyond our business expansion. Over the course of about two decades in e-commerce, the realm of financial business has constantly stood as the focal point for business expansion. I was involved in shopping and premium services at Yahoo! JAPAN when thoughts about my next challenge were on my mind. It was then that I received an offer to join PayPay Card. The timing was perfect.

Prior to joining PayPay, my colleagues and I visited China to study code payments. Witnessing their potential for expansion, I envisioned a similar boom in Japan. This is when I was drawn to PayPay Card. Upon the fortunate opportunity to work with PayPay, I was thrilled, while recalling my experiences in China.

Conveying the Convenience and Upsides of the Products

Briefly, please tell us about the Marketing Division

The Marketing Division is divided into two departments; one with the mission of acquiring new members by channel and the other focused on encouraging existing members to actively utilize their cards. In an industry where marketing strategies often depend on incentives such as the use of points, our primary goal is to convey the inherent strength of the product itself, that which is closely tied to PayPay.

As a user, I prefer easy-to-use services. I also wish it is user-friendly for many users. Embracing the principles of this craftsmanship mindset, we are advancing plans in collaboration with the product.

What areas do you focus on and what are your strengths compared to other companies?

We are making efforts to promote that the most cost-effective and convenient usage for users is achieved by combining it with PayPay Card. When combining PayPay with PayPay Card, users can enjoy the convenience of using PayPay without the need for a top-up. Additionally, they can easily check and adjust their monthly payments through on the app. We are constantly experimenting with how to communicate the strengths of combining and using both, such as accumulating the most PayPay Points, in the most effective way.

What are the challenges you face as a whole division?

On a daily basis, we receive numerous requests and proposals from our group companies indicating that PayPay Card is perceived to have significant room for growth. The more we undertake, the more we grow. However, the challenge lies in the fact that we lack sufficient members to address issues individually. We aim to strengthen our structure and enhance our capacity to handle a greater number of projects in parallel.

Rebooting PayPay Card as One Team

Can you share what you value in everyday communication?

I always make an effort to provide simple feedback that contributes to problem-solving rather than putting things off. I believe that a leader’s essential role is decision-making. I communicate with my colleagues, consequently, by providing constructive feedback on their reports and advice-seeking, to drive our business rapidly and powerfully. On days when I have made numerous judgments and decisions, I feel a sense of fulfillment. Conversely, when I can only call for a sacrifice bunt after much deliberation, I feel the need to work harder.

What aspects do you prioritize for the development and growth of your members?

I intend to share the insights I gained from observing and learning about the initiatives of my seniors as much as possible. While there’s a good chance I may come across as a preachy old man (laughs), I make effort to share insights applicable to various professions—covering ways of thinking, approaches, communication, and material creation—beyond just providing direct work instructions.

We also hold a monthly “Q&A on Anything” session as a platform to address questions and concerns for problem-solving. In this session, managers including myself answer any questions collected during the designated period without prior screening. As I engage in conversations with everyone about work and workstyles, it helps me gain a bit of understanding into what concerns and thoughts everyone is going through.

What are you most conscious of in your work?

I wholeheartedly enjoy engaging in discussions and working together as a united team once a decision is reached.
If I may borrow from PayPay 5 Senses, “Ego is not welcome, communication is necessary. Value communication and respect diversity of our colleagues. Work together and tackle tasks as one” closely aligns with my mindset.

When making decisions in meetings, I express my thoughts but also actively seek opinions from participants, asking questions like “What do you think, XX-san?” We value open and lively discussions and upon reaching decisions, approach the implementation as one team. This style resonates well with my approach to thinking.

Improving the Convenience of Credit Cards

What do you find rewarding about working at PayPay Card?

The process of refining and expanding from a situation with growth potential is what I find most captivating. I began my professional career during the early stages of the Internet’s integration into business. I navigated through a chaotic environment where the foundations of the industry were still taking shape. Throughout my later career, I’ve come to understand that no environment or job starts off as 100% complete. This realization has motivated me to seek roles where my contributions are acknowledged, as they might say, “It all fell into place with Oshima-san around.”
Evolving a historically established company like PayPay Card while preserving its strengths is no easy task. However, finding opportunities to introduce new elements within this process is what makes it enjoyable.

Can you please share your vision, mission, and what you aim to achieve at PayPay in the future?

Primarily, I aim for PayPay users to recognize that PayPay Card as highly convenient and cost-effective and also to encourage widespread usage. Despite being PayPay users, many still opt for cards with other companies, and my goal is to shift this trend. We also aim to deliver more real-time, accurate, and secure credit card experience that enables our users to enjoy a seamless and convenient use, whether through smartphones or physical cards.

Looking ahead, the ideal scenario involves a significant number of individuals transitioning to using PayPay Group services after adopting the PayPay ca To achieve this, continuous refinement of the card’s services and enhancement of the card itself is crucial.

Lastly, a message for our readers please!

I’m eager to work with individuals who have multitude of aspirations, those who strive to overcome constraints to achieve results, and those capable of creating innovative frameworks for new projects.

The strength of PayPay’s financial services lies in its rapid growth and diversity. Given that the infrastructure of the company has yet to catch up with the growth speed of PayPay Card, there are great opportunities for new members to play an important role. While I originally come from Yahoo! JAPAN, Moreover, individuals from diverse backgrounds are actively creating new things everyday. I sincerely hope you will apply the varied knowledge you’ve acquired so far and take an active role in shaping your career.

*Job openings and employee affiliations are current as of the time of the interview.