Abstract
Since Ogaki Kyoritsu Bank was founded in March 1896, it has been guided by its management vision of always being respected and trusted by the local community. We have advanced in step with our region.
The policy that lies at the heart of the business activities of the Bank is to always view its products and services from the customer’s perspective.
For many decades, Japanese banks have been protected by a web of regulations often described as the convoy system. Under this protection, the banks have cultivated no sense of competition, let alone a willingness to approach the issue of improving customer convenience.
In these circumstances, I assumed the position of president of Ogaki Kyoritsu Bank in 1993. It was a period when the storm of financial deregulation began, when Japanese banks were finally able to leave the confines of the convoy system and compete with their own ideas. Immediately on taking up the appointment, I launched an initiative to reform the Bank’s corporate culture. Specifically, I adopted the policy that the most urgent task was for all directors and employees to fully understand that a bank is not a special, privileged institution but a company in the service sector, which must compete with its rivals to provide the most attractive and convenient services. We have since consistently placed the top priority on taking the customer’s perspective, and made a number of attempts to link the priority to our efforts to boost customer convenience.
