PayPay Leader Interview is a series of interviews with PayPay’s top executives that show a glimpse into their personalities and perspectives. This time, we introduce Toshiki Motoda, who was appointed as a Corporate Officer in April 2024 and serves as the Head of Finance and Accounting Divisions within the Corporate Strategy Group.
Toshiki Motoda
Head of Finance and Accounting Divisions within the Corporate Strategy Group
After graduating from an overseas graduate school, Toshiki Motoda engaged in advisory services and capital market-related operations for financial institutions in the investment banking divisions of several international financial institutions. He joined PayPay Corporation in June 2022.
Table of Contents
The Deciding Factor for Joining: The Passion of the Management Team
Why did you decide to join PayPay?
Until now, I have supported the growth and strategy execution of clients from a financial perspective at several foreign investment banks. Particularly at Citigroup Global Markets Japan, where I was most recently employed, I was in charge of over a dozen clients, leading a fulfilling daily life.
And then one day, Kagechika-san, a long-time client and close associate, made the transition to PayPay in January 2022. When I went to congratulate him, he invited me to work with him at PayPay. Since I was surrounded by excellent colleagues at my previous job and had strong relationships with many clients who trusted me with their work, I had no intention of changing jobs, to be honest. In fact, I declined the invitation twice.
What ultimately led you to decide to join PayPay?
In addition to Kagechika-san, I had the opportunity to speak with Nakayama-san, the President, Yasuda-san, the Executive Vice President, and Sode-san, the CHRO, and I was moved by their ambitious management perspectives and passion.
I had always felt that I wanted to be involved in management on the business side rather than as an advisor, which was also a background factor in my decision to change jobs.
At the time, I felt that PayPay was a company that had established a certain position in the industry but still had a lot of room for growth. Of course, I struggled with the idea of leaving the favorable environment of my previous job, but the more I learned about PayPay, the more I believed that aiming to become the world’s leading fintech company was not just a dream.
The opportunity presented an environment where I could leverage my skills and experience, and most importantly, a dream. And I could take on that challenge with the people who have the power to achieve and further develop that dream. Opportunities like this are few and far between. Looking back, I believe I made the right decision. I even think I could have decided to join earlier.
Building New Pillars for the Company by Utilizing External Resources
Can you tell us about the roles of the Finance and Accounting Divisions?
The Accounting Division creates, shares, and explains financial information such as balance sheets and income statements, providing necessary and useful information to shareholders and management for them to understand the status of the business. Although PayPay is a company in its sixth year of establishment, the scale of its services is large, so the responsibility of producing reliable financial figures is significant.
The Finance Division handles financial strategies such as M&A and capital market-related operations, cash flow management, transactions with financial institutions, debt management, shareholder and investor relations, and disclosure.
The team compiles and analyzes financial figures and identifies any issues in financial strategies, after which, it formulates policies and executes strategies to enhance corporate value from a financial standpoint, involving parent companies who are important stakeholders throughout the process. At the same time, fund management and legal compliance must be meticulously handled. This requires an astute balance between “offense” and “defense” in advancing the business.
What are the strengths of the Finance and Accounting Divisions at PayPay?
In meetings, active discussions take place regardless of position, thanks to the abundance of highly specialized personnel. In addition to this, the group has a diverse foundation comprising businesses in telecommunications, e-commerce, media, and social networking services (SNS). This diversity allows us to consider various measures and strategies, which is outstanding even from a global perspective.
Moreover, both the Finance and Accounting Divisions are new organizations established less than two years ago, dealing with many matters through trial and error. On the other hand, as a large-scale company, it is challenging to navigate the balance between offense and defense.
However, it is rare for a company to have achieved so much in its sixth year of establishment, and the sense of accomplishment when overcoming difficult challenges is significant. For those aiming to become professionals in finance and accounting, it is an environment well worth the challenge.
What are the challenges the divisions face, and what do you want to strengthen in the future?
As PayPay has grown into one of the leading services in Japan, the company itself is also moving to the next step. To achieve further growth and maximize corporate value, inorganic growth through collaboration with other companies and M&A is important, in addition to organic growth. I feel that promoting these strategies and building new pillars for the company are our future mission.
Creating a Flat Organization that Respects Members’ Expertise
Creating a Flat Organization that Respects Members’ Expertise
Since each person at PayPay is an expert in their respective field, I am always conscious of creating an environment where everyone can maximize their expertise. Specifically, I listen to the opinions and ideas of team members in an open manner and actively incorporate good ideas.
On the other hand, I believe that spending time on the ground and understanding the situation as it happens helps expedite decision-making. Based on this belief, I want to be a manager that leads by example.
What do you value for the growth of your members?
I value respecting the opinions and ideas of the members. I want each member to recognize the responsibilities they should fulfill, take ownership of the work entrusted to them, and tackle it with confidence.
Additionally, I hope they find something they can be passionate about outside of work. The process of committing to and mastering something is the same in both work and private life. What is learned and acquired in private life will surely be utilized in work and lead to a fulfilling work-life balance.
Aiming to Become the Company with the Highest Corporate Value in the World
What do you want to achieve at PayPay in the future?
I want to aim for PayPay to become the world’s leading fintech company. With so many talented people gathered from both Japan and abroad, and PayPay’s ability to rapidly gain market share, becoming the world’s number one is not just a dream.
To achieve that, the information gathering and analysis by the Finance and Accounting Divisions on which areas to tackle and in what order is crucial. I want each team member to adopt a management mindset, approaching their daily work with that elevated perspective.
Finally, what message would you like to convey to the readers of this article?
Members of the Finance and Accounting Divisions often have direct communication with the management team. While there is the thrill of directly engaging with their messages, it also means that high quality is expected in the output. I would love to work with someone who can enjoy a challenging environment and take ownership of their work.
Current job openings
*Job openings and employee affiliations are current as of the time of the interview.