The potential of web directors, based on the experiences of both the support side and the business side - Interview with

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On Thursday, December 3rd, Mynavi Creator will be holding an online seminar, Web Industry Evolution Practical Course #01, "Client Work, the Role of a Web Director Required by Business Companies."

As many companies continue to disseminate information through websites and web applications, the demand for web directors and web designers is increasing. However, it is also true that the web industry has few opportunities to come into contact with "role models" that can serve as examples, making it difficult to envision one's future career.

Therefore, Mynavi Creator has partnered with Masaki Sukeda, CEO of SPEC., to launch the "Web Industry Evolution Practical Course," where participants can learn about their careers from role models working at the forefront of the web industry. For the first session, we will welcome Kentaro Takamatsu of Nile Co., Ltd. as a guest.

In this interview just before the event, we asked Takamatsu about industry email list his career so far, his current job, and the future of web directors .

Profile Introduction

Kentaro Takamatsu, Advisor, SPEC.,
Business COO, Digital Marketing Division, Nile Co., Ltd.

In 2000, he joined a major web development vendor. Over the course of five years, he was involved in numerous website consulting and construction projects as a web director and producer. In 2006, he joined Japan's largest rental real estate media company. He produced a complete renewal of the group's property search site, and later served as project manager for a web system integration project. In 2008, he joined Creative Hope Co., Ltd., where he has used his extensive experience as both an ordering company and a contractor to provide website consulting and construction services for numerous companies. After working as a service manager at EPARK Headquarters and Pet Life, he is currently COO of Nile Co., Ltd. , where he manages the digital marketing business.

The experiences gained from both the support side and the business side will definitely become your "assets"
-- I've heard that you have experience working in both the support and business sectors. Which side did you start your career in?

Takamatsu: I started from the support side. I joined a major web development vendor in 2000, so this year marks my 20th anniversary (laughs). I was involved in site construction and consulting as a web director, and was in charge of projects for major clients such as securities companies and beer companies. I worked there for about five years, but after five years on the support side, I wanted to see the business side of things.

- So you decided to move to the business side?

Takamatsu: Yes. In 2006, I joined a company that runs Japan's largest real estate rental media. I am currently working as a project manager on a fairly large project: a complete renewal of the group's property search site. This is the complete opposite of what I had been doing up until then, so it was quite a tough experience, but in return, I gained a lot. I realized that "this is how the support side looks from the business side," and I experienced firsthand the circumstances that the business side faces. After the renewal was completed over the course of about three years, I moved back to the support side in 2008.

--Was there no option for you to remain in the business?

Takamatsu: My understanding of the business and the business was deepening, but at the same time, I realized that my skills and knowledge of the latest trends were not being updated. That made me want to go to a broader world rather than just focusing on my own company's business. I moved to a web