Hello everyone! This time, we interviewed two directors of “Webridge”, a performance-based reward affiliate service with worldwide support. We asked them about what made them decide to join FORiT, their roles, and the strengths of FORiT's organization. Please read to the end!
Profile
Technology Management Division Product Development Department Director ＜S.H.＞
Born in Tokyo, Japan. After building a career as a Web Designer at an e-commerce vendor, she joined FORiT in 2020.
Global Marketing Division Corporate Planning and Strategy Office & SEA Operations Director ＜F.Z.＞
Born in the Netherlands. After a career as a graphic designer in the Netherlands and Japan, he joined FORiT in 2024.
Please share your job description.
＜S.H.＞ Our company is developing a worldwide affiliate service called “Webridge,” and I am the director of that service. I belong to the Product Development Department, to which engineers and designers belong. I support smooth communication between the business side and the development side by sharing some requests and gathering information that they need. By improving the development system, I’m working hard to make the service available to people in any country around the world!
＜F.Z.＞ Like Ms. H, I am a director of Webridge, but I belong to the business side. I am mainly responsible for the overall direction of Webridge, including the formulation of its business strategy and efforts to increase brand awareness worldwide. We also have colleagues in Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, so we are strengthening cooperation with our overseas offices.
What made you decide to join FORiT?
＜F.Z.＞ Having spent my career both overseas and in Japan, I felt that Japanese companies need to expand more globally in the future. While many Japanese companies are conservative, I decided to join FORiT because it matched the corporate image I was looking for, such as the fact that it is pushing forward with overseas expansion and its high potential to become the world's No. 1 ASP.
＜S.H.＞ In my previous job, I was a designer at an e-commerce vendor company, where I created banners and LPs in accordance with the client's policies. Since I was mainly creating as requested by the client, it was difficult to make suggestions even if I thought “this should be done better”. When I was looking for a new job, I thought it would be better to work for a company that runs its own business, where I could have some discretion to make suggestions and improvements, and that is how I found FORiT. I felt comfortable with my current boss who interviewed me, and I was sure that I would get along well with the other members of the company! So I joined FORiT.
What do you think are the “strengths” of the FORiT organization?
＜S.H.＞ I think it is the presence of a bridge between the business side and the engineering side (= a director). Having someone who has knowledge of both sides and acts as an “interpreter” for both sides makes the system development process go smoothly. The members of FORiT are always coming up with new ideas, and I think that our ability to realize these requests in-house is a great strength.
-Was such a system already in place when you first joined FORiT?
＜S.H.＞ In the beginning, there were times when we did not understand each other's information needs and cooperation was not going well, but just as we began to adopt development systems such as scrum development on the engineering side, I feel that opportunities for communication increased. From there, both sides of Biz-Dev came to be able to verbalize what they wanted to do, and I think that is how the current organizational structure was established. As for me personally, when I receive a request or consultation from the business side, I first try to understand the background and circumstances behind the request and sort out what actually needs to be solved. By understanding the background, I am able to clearly communicate what I want the engineers to do and what can be done or changed in the end, so that they can focus on the development that is truly necessary, which I think has increased development speed!
What do you find difficult about collaboration between the business side and the engineering side?
＜S.H.＞ Members on the business side and engineers see things completely differently. For example, just as salespeople and accountants have different perspectives, what we take for granted may be unknown to the other, so I find it difficult to reconcile our perceptions. At FORiT, we have many global members, so we have to be creative in how we communicate with each other because of cultural differences.
-For example, what kind of innovations do you make?
We regularly report progress, set aside time for project review, and establish rules for communication. Since we have members from various backgrounds and with different roles, we try to talk with each other until we have a clear understanding of each other's work, rather than ending the discussion with vague expressions.
↓Values and Rules
We try to share these values with new members when they join us. The best thing we have done is to “visualize” everything. By transcribing what we talked about into text or diagrams and checking each time, “Is this correct?” I think this has enabled us to proceed speedily and accurately.
Can you give us some examples of the work you two have been involved in?
＜F.Z.＞ ・Launch of Webridge to Thailand and Vietnam ・Influencer platform function implemented ・In addition to Japanese, English, and Chinese (simplified and traditional), two languages, Thai and Vietnamese, are now supported. ・Currency expansion (up to 12 currencies) ・Improvement of proposal materials and preparation of foreign language versions ...etc. As mentioned above, our operations are diverse.
We have a vision of “becoming the world's No. 1 ASP,” and we are gradually increasing what we can do and the regions where we can do it toward that goal!
FORiT also has a service for the Japanese market called “afb”, which has been in operation for about 20 years. We are also strengthening our cooperation with the director of “afb”, and I feel that one of our great strengths is that we are able to reflect the know-how we have accumulated at “afb” while developing our products.
Tell us about your job satisfaction.
＜S.H.＞ There are three main stages. The first stage is when something needs to be improved and we are able to find someone within the company who has the information and skills to do so. I find it rewarding when I am able to bring out the hidden talents of a member of the team, because sometimes I can solve a problem in an unexpected way by consulting with others. The second stage is when we are able to provide advertisers and publishers using Webridge with features that are easier to use and more profitable for them. The third stage is when we are able to offer the Webridge service not only to Japan, but also to new regions.
＜F.Z.＞ I feel great joy when I work together with everyone in Webridge, on achieving our ambitious goals!
＜S.H.＞ Yes, that's true! There is no right answer, so it is very fun to feel like we are creating our own answers!
Thank you for taking the time to read this page to the end! We hope that we have given you a glimpse of the culture of FORiT.
We are looking for members to work with us at FORiT. If you like challenges, are looking for a multicultural environment, have a positive approach to everything, and want to make use of your foreign language skills, why don't we start by having a casual interview?
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