Shiseido’s Masahiko Uotani: Innovate or Die

Since becoming chief executive officer of Shiseido five years ago, Masahiko Uotani hasn’t shied away from shaking up the status quo. Now he’s looking to make change a permanent part of the mandate with a new corporate mission: “Beauty innovations for a better world.” When it comes to innovation, Uotani is thinking far beyond product development, though, as he looks to harness the momentum the company has garnered by hitting its 2020 goals three years early — and he’s putting his money where his mouth is. Shiseido has invested more than $600 million in a new research center outside Tokyo and upgraded offices around the world, strengthening its global hub system and adding new facilities in the U.S. and Asia. “Innovation can be done everywhere and in everything we do, from R&D, to supply chain, to marketing and more,” he said. “To me, innovation means moving away from what you’re comfortable with. In Japan, there’s a tendency to say, ‘We’ve been doing it this way for 20 years, so we should respect that,’” Uotani continued. “My point is — maybe with some things. But consumers are changing, so we have to challenge ourselves and the status quo.” The ceo was in the U.S. to commemorate the

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