GoGlobal: Hi Kohei, would you like to give an introduction of yourself and how you got to join GoGlobal?
Kohei: I was born and raised in Japan, moved to the US in 2004 to pursue college education. Ever since, I’ve been living in this country. My first professional job was a business development role at a one of the largest Japanese HR solution providers before moving onto the IT outsourcing space. I helped Japanese companies expand their businesses into the US by offering back-office outsourcing solutions in payroll, accounting, and HR. So, I was familiar with international expansion, and I got to know one of the co-founders of GoGlobal during my 11 years tenure with the HR company. When GoGlobal was launching its sales office in the US in 2020 it was perfect timing for me, and I decided to join GoGlobal as their first employee in the US.
GoGlobal: How would you describe your role at GoGlobal?
Kohei: At GoGlobal, I wear multiple hats just like many other Gobies. Apart from business development which I love, I also manage Account Management/Onboarding team in APAC/Americas and local partners in selected countries. My prior experience was around expansion from Japan to the US but now I deal with companies expanding into/hiring in any parts of the world. It’s interesting to see how each country is different from both regulatory and cultural perspectives. It’s been a year since I joined GoGlobal and everyday is a learning experience. I honestly feel like it’s been at least 5 years.
GoGlobal: How does your background help in your role at GoGlobal?
Kohei: GoGlobal has its roots in Japan and its largest clientele is US based. Me being a Japanese national living in the US, having worked at Japanese HR company in the US, and having a wide network among Japanese companies in the US turn out to be very helpful. I recently supported US based Japanese companies with employment in Japan and Mexico. Both cases were rooted from business needs that I would have never imagined before, but EOR is not merely a solution for international expansion but can be applied to many different business objectives.
GoGlobal: How would you describe GoGlobal’s culture?
Kohei: Very very fast paced. We’ve grown from 17 countries in APAC to having 30+ solutions globally in a matter of 1 year! It gives us a lot of opportunities to learn about new countries as we expand. It is truly a global company with employees from different parts of the world, cultures, background, and experiences. It brings rich diversity and uniqueness to the organization. Also, everyone is extremely hardworking but at the same time very supportive to one another. Last but not least, GoGlobal values transparency. We share each department’s initiatives and the financial wellbeing of the company with all employees on monthly basis.