New Leaders Appointed in Two Key Offices Overseas
Yamaguchi is eager to strengthen the NTT Com Group's ability to help North American companies expand their operations in Asia-Pacific, and demonstrate the group's strengths in the U.S. market: "One of the key components of my mission will be to create stronger synergies among our services for private networks, enterprise hosting and global IP networks."
Noting the fast-changing dynamics of the telecom market, he observes: "Due to convergence with other information services, the term 'telecom' has become ambiguous. We need to focus on business models, rather than pure technologies, since it has become more difficult to improve existing technologies for a competitive advantage."
Yamaguchi has developed a broad view of management as the result of being seconded to Japan Airlines for two years and serving as vice president of NTT Deutschland for two years. "I plan to manage NTT America outside the conventional boundaries of most telecom carriers to focus on our strengths as a total-value service provider."
Headquartered in New York and with branch offices spread across the United States, NTT America has overseen North American sales and marketing for the NTT Com Group since its establishment in 1987. It provides corporate customers with one-stop solutions and services for private networks, global IP networks and hosting.
Formerly vice president of the Financial Industry Sales Department in Enterprise Sales Division 1, Yamaguchi holds a master's of science degree in management from MIT Sloan School of Management in the U.S. and a bachelor of arts degree in economics from Waseda University in Japan.
On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Kazuhiro Nishihata took his positions with NTT Europe and Verio Europe on June 15, the same day that Yamaguchi assumed his new post.
Explains Nishihata: "For the past four years, I had the privilege of leading engineering teams that are critical to our solutions and network services. I now look forward to leveraging this experience for our European customers."
The two European companies provide services for networks, system integration, IT management and hosting services. Nishihata stresses the convergence of these core services is the key. At the same time, he emphasizes, "We are fully equipped to provide a wide variety of solutions, backed by our comprehensive service capabilities and unmatched network resources."
One of the critical challenges is to provide the best services to markets of different cultures and regulations. Noting that the companies are also looking to expand services to the growing Eastern Europe, Russia and Middle East markets, he says: "Going forward, we will reinforce efforts to serve these markets by enhancing both inward and outward access, which we have provided so far through connection with local service providers."
NTT Europe and Verio Europe have offices in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Düseldorf, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Paris and Regensburg. The companies specialize in information-communication technology, including premium international data communications services, IP connectivity, systems integration and hosting. They deliver superior global-scale solutions to multinational companies with operations in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.
Nishihata joined NTT in 1981 and was most recently vice president of both NTT Com's Network Integration & Solutions Department and the Global Network Department in the Global Division. He holds a master's degree in electronic physical engineering from Tokyo Institute of Technology.
