Page 35 - ELITE PLUS MAGAZINE VOL2

someone might have milk tea with banana flavour and a sandwich. Or drink herbal tea to recover in the afternoon when they’re tired from work. Our company is trying to develop products to respond to those various needs.”Products should also contribute to consumers’ well-being and health. Product development is focusing on research into natural sweeteners to replace sugar. New cold aseptic bottling machinery has improved hygiene and has also reduced the thickness of the plastic bottles, cutting down on the cost of materials and making the product lighter to transport.Mr Marut said this branding strategy has improved Oishi’s competitiveness. “Last year we were behind our main competitor. But the gap narrowed at the end of the year and we managed to beat our competitor in the first half of this year. So I think we went in the right direction.”The 47-year-old looks young forhis age. As an executive, Mr Marut is a subtle and non-intrusive boss. He emphasizes communication, openness and a work atmosphere that encourag- es teamwork. Like many companies, Oishi Group has some communication gaps. From his experience, staff often tightly guard information in the fear they might leak trade secrets or other important information. Such problems are common in this type of business but can be detrimental to good com- munication and openness.Mr Marut is working to narrow the communication gap by establishing open communication channels and classifying information so people know what they can share. He also emphasizes a corporate culture that unifies standard practice and company character.Oishi Group uses the word “sukoi” to represent its corporate culture. “S means speed. The company will move very fast and be a leader. U means united, as we work as a team. K meansknowledge. O means openness and I means involvement. Staff at every level from restaurants to executives feel involved in the company and in what we do.”Mr Marut compares his role to that of an orchestra conductor. “I might not know how to play a musical instru- ment, and I’m sure others play much better than me. But I’m a conductor who makes sure the musicians under- stand the notes, tones and how to play together in harmony.”It is a question of belief in individ- ual ability, the power of team building and good communication. “I believe that everyone has his or her own cre- ativity, and I give members of the team the freedom to use their creativity and energy. I just oversee it from a dis- tance.”As in an orchestra, this conductor tries to ensure that the band can play on smoothly and beautifully.Elite+ 33