People First, Performance Follows

Kazuhiro Nomura (President & CEO, BK Japan Holdings Co., Ltd.), Class of 2012 

“Employees first. Customers follow.”

As Kaz has led Burger King’s growth in Japan, this belief has become central to his management philosophy.

After graduating from Hitotsubashi ICS, Kaz managed the Budweiser brand at Kirin Brewery’s headquarters, working across strategy and sales. He later worked on organizational transformation at Mitsui Norin and gained experience at Huawei before becoming President and CEO of BK Japan Holdings.

One question lies at the heart of his approach to management. What is profit ultimately for? Profit is not simply about growing the business. It makes it possible to invest in employees, improve the customer experience, and build a stronger brand. This thinking is rooted in the idea of “Maximizing Shareholder Value,” which he encountered at ICS.

We spoke with Kaz about his career, the lessons he gained at ICS, and how putting employees first can make a company stronger.

* * *

Taking Ownership from Start to Finish 

Satoko

Let's start with your experience at Kirin Brewery after ICS. What kind of responsibilities did you take on at headquarters?

Kaz
After ICS, I moved from the field to headquarters and was given responsibility for Budweiser, which Kirin handled in Japan under license. I was involved in everything from developing brand strategy to sales and execution. I had my hands in just about everything.

For example, if the sales team in Sendai was running short of beer mugs, I would contact the glass manufacturer myself and arrange for more to be produced.

It felt almost like running a small business within Kirin, and I loved it. Having responsibility for the entire brand, from strategy to the smallest operational details, helped me discover what kind of work I found most rewarding.

Driven By Impact

Satoko

After Kirin, you gained experience in different environments, including Mitsui Norin and Huawei.

Kaz
Yes. At Mitsui Norin, I worked on organizational transformation. At Huawei, what struck me most was the speed at which things moved.

Satoko
Can you give an example?

Kaz
There were times when we were told to completely rethink a strategy in just three days.

In that kind of environment, you cannot wait for someone to give you the right answer. You have to assess the situation, make a decision, and act. That experience really strengthened my ability to make judgments under uncertainty.

Satoko
Looking back, what has guided your career choices across these different roles and organizations?

Kaz
For me, it has always been about the impact I can create.

The company name or job title matters less to me than what I can contribute. What can I change for the better? How can I make a positive difference to the people and the organization?

Satoko

What does impact mean to you?

Kaz

For me, it starts with the people I work with. If I can help them feel more motivated and bring new energy to the organization, that makes my work meaningful.

Putting Employees First

Satoko

Your approach to management is quite distinctive.

Kaz
I often say, “Employees first. Customers follow.”

Satoko
That may sound a little surprising at first.

Kaz
Yes. But the logic is simple.

If employees feel valued and motivated, they are better able to provide great service to customers. That is why I start with employees.

Satoko
What is behind that belief?

Kaz
I want employees to smile. I want them to be happy.

That is why I also want to raise wage levels across the industry, not just within our company. I want the industry as a whole to earn greater respect.

Satoko
That is a big vision. How do you put it into practice at Burger King?

Kaz
For example, when deciding how to allocate a budget, I do not want to spend it only on short-term advertising or promotions. I want to prioritize rewarding our employees.

When frontline employees are motivated, service quality improves. That leads to better customer experiences and, ultimately, stronger brand value.

Satoko
So investing in employees helps build brand value over the long term.

Kaz
Exactly. When we generate profit, we make sure to share it with employees through bonuses and invest in improving their working environment.

Sometimes it is about very small things. At our head office, for example, people used to line up to use the microwave at lunchtime. We had ordinary household microwaves, so heating up one meal took two or three minutes. We replaced them with commercial microwaves, and now it takes about 20 seconds.

It may seem like a small improvement, but I think removing everyday frustrations matters. It also reflects something I learned at ICS about identifying and removing bottlenecks.

Saying ‘thank you’ is not always enough. You have to show your appreciation in tangible ways.

Inspiring People into Action

Satoko

If putting employees first is key to building a stronger company, what role should a leader play?

Kaz
I see a leader as a catalyst.

I think organizations are driven by people's energy. Sometimes, it takes a spark to turn that energy into action.

Satoko
What creates that spark?

Kaz
People. When hiring, I look not only at someone’s abilities, but also at whether they can have a positive influence on those around them.

Being good at your job matters. But some people also have a way of inspiring those around them. They make others think, “Let’s do this.” People like that can change an organization very quickly.

I think the same applies to leaders. A leader takes action, and that inspires others to act. Energy builds across the company, and people start moving together. I believe creating that spark is one of the most important roles of leadership. 

Listening, Adapting, and Leading

Satoko

Creating that spark also depends on how you connect with each person. Have you ever had to rethink your approach to someone on your team?

Kaz

Yes. There was someone on our IT team whom I trusted a great deal. He was highly skilled and very capable, so I thought the best thing I could do was give him the freedom to do his work without interfering.

But one day, he told me, “I’m not enjoying my work anymore. I’m thinking about leaving.”

As we talked, I realized that I had not been communicating with him enough. Because I trusted his abilities, I had left too much in his hands without really checking in.

Satoko

So even when you trust someone to work independently, it is important to keep the conversation going.

Kaz

Exactly. I apologized and said, “Please tell me more.” From then on, I made a conscious effort to talk with him more often.

Through those conversations, I began to understand his thinking and strengths much better. I eventually entrusted him with a larger team, and he found the work rewarding again.

Satoko

And you had to be willing to learn from him, too.

Kaz

Absolutely. A leader cannot be an expert in everything. In many areas, the people on my team know far more than I do.

That is why I think it is important to trust their expertise while remaining humble enough to learn from them. You have to listen, ask questions, and try to understand what matters to them.

Even when you trust someone to work independently, there are things you can only learn through ongoing conversations. That experience taught me that I sometimes need to change the way I lead, too.

Turning Learning into Decision That Matter

Satoko

Looking back, how has your experience at ICS shaped the way you work today?

Kaz
Since taking on greater management responsibilities, I have found myself drawing on what I learned at ICS in many different situations.

Two things stand out.

First, ICS gave me a broad foundation in management. We studied finance, marketing, operations, IT, organizational behavior, and other areas. Today, when I talk with experts across different functions, I can follow their reasoning and have more productive discussions.

I do not need to be an expert in every field. But having that foundation helps me identify the key issues, ask better questions, and draw on their expertise when making decisions.

Satoko
And the second?

Kaz
The idea of “Maximizing Shareholder Value.”

Before ICS, I had not thought very deeply about what it really meant for a company to generate profit. At ICS, I learned what it means to maximize value, and I began to understand the purpose of profit in a much deeper way.

It is not simply about making money. Profit allows us to invest, reward employees, and sustain the business.

Satoko

Did that thinking become important when you were turning around Burger King Japan?

Kaz

Absolutely. When I first became involved with Burger King Japan, the business was struggling.

Our first priority was to build a profitable, sustainable business. Without that foundation, we cannot invest in employees, improve working conditions, or share the rewards of success.

That experience gave me a much deeper appreciation of what I had learned at ICS about “Maximizing Shareholder Value.”

Satoko

I imagine it isn’t always easy to balance investors’ expectations with your commitment to rewarding employees.

Kaz

No, it is not. I have to deliver results for investors, and I also want employees to share in the success.

Wanting employees to be happy does not mean I can avoid difficult conversations. Sometimes I have to make tough decisions to ensure that the company remains healthy.

That is why I have to think carefully about both how we generate profit and how we use it. Finding that balance is difficult, but it is also one of the things I enjoy most about management.

Make Thinking a Habit

Satoko

Finally, what message would you like to share with current ICS students and those considering joining us?

Kaz
One of the most valuable things I gained at ICS was the habit of thinking things through.

At work, tasks and problems keep coming your way. It is easy to simply pass them along without giving them much thought. But even if you only have five minutes, take that time to think. Is this really the best way to handle it? Could there be a better approach?

Those five minutes can make a real difference. Instead of simply getting things done, you begin to bring your own judgment to the work.

At ICS, we read cases, debated ideas, and made decisions without clear answers almost every day. Through that constant practice, pausing to think before acting became second nature to me.

I believe that habit will serve you well, whatever you do after graduation.

Satoko
Thank you very much for your time today. It is deeply encouraging to see how you are putting what you learned at ICS into practice through your leadership at Burger King Japan.

I look forward to seeing you continue to build a workplace where employees take pride in their work, bring new energy to the organization, and help Burger King grow as a brand that customers love.

Building a profitable business while putting employees first is not always straightforward. In practice, leaders must make difficult choices about how to allocate limited resources and what to prioritize.

For Kaz, investing in employees is part of building a stronger business. He puts that belief into practice through decisions about how to use profits, reward employees, and improve working conditions.

Bringing out the best in others also requires leaders to keep learning and adapting. It means trusting people’s expertise and giving them responsibility, while remaining humble enough to listen. Kaz’s leadership combines the discipline to deliver business results with the humility to learn from others.

ICS seeks to develop leaders who can move beyond apparent trade-offs, embrace “both/and” rather than “either/or” thinking, and create new value.