This series explores topics surrounding women who began their careers in Japan following the implementation of equal opportunities employment legislation in the mid-1980s. With many now reaching the age of retirement, it is hoped their stories can provide insight and lessons for women in Japan's working world today.
Petite, soft-spoken and well dressed in a trim fuchsia jacket over a black dress one winter afternoon, at first glance Miyuki Suzuki exuded the aura of yamato nadeshiko, the quintessential embodiment of the elegance and grace of traditional Japanese women.
But beneath that appearance was one of the most successful Japanese women to have carved out a career in the demanding world of multinational corporations. Suzuki, 61, who retired from Cisco last year as the technology giant’s Asia-Pacific operations president, has held three regional CEO positions within the Japan operations of multinational companies including LexisNexis and Jetstar Airways. She currently sits on the boards of the Fortune 500 data storage solutions company Western Digital, the insurance company MetLife Japan, as well as that of Jera Co., a ¥3 trillion energy company.