The SBI Group Vision & Strategy: Continuously Evolving Management

Founded in 1999 by highly respected

Japanese business executive Yoshitaka Kitao, the SBI Group initially operated as an Internet-based financial group. But over the course of only a few short years, the company quickly became something much bigger. With Kitao’s leadership and vision as the catalyst, SBI transformed itself from a subsidiary of SOFTBANK CORP., to an affiliated company of the corporation, then to an independent holding company with the goal of expanding beyond the field of finance.

Underlying this strategy was Kitao’s deep understanding of how Internet Age efficiencies—which had yet to be embraced by the financial community—so perfectly lent themselves to the business of finance. Now, for the first time ever, Kitao tells his story of how SBI has survived and thrived in one of the most competitive industries in the world—carefully revealing how he combined both managerial and entrepreneurial skills to start the firm as well as steer it through the tumultuous years of the Internet bubble and major reforms within the Japanese finance industry.

More than a history of one of today’s most successful companies, The SBI Group Vision and Strategy also covers some of the most important contemporary challenges that exist in corporate management. Kitao skillfully addresses a wide range of topics, including: corporate value, with a particular emphasis on optimizing human capital; corporate organization; group management; growth strategies, such as corporate acquisitions, joint ventures, synergies, and strategic alliances; strategies relating to competitiveness; and corporate social responsibility (CSR).

While primarily focused on the financial industry, this book also incorporates detailed analysis of management theory—as it relates to the Internet age—into the discussion. Filled with in-depth insights and practical advice, The SBI Group Vision and Strategy will serve as a useful guide to business professionals in a wide range of industries—whether you’re already in a management position, aspiring to become an executive, or contemplating becoming an entrepreneur.

Kitao’s vision of a firm that provides true corporate value—that is, a combination of customer value, shareholder value, and human capital value—in order to create prosperity for individuals and society has enabled SBI to become a financial innovator and creator of new industries. With The SBI Group Vision and Strategy, you’ll discover why this approach—one incorporating both traditional and modern elements into a continuously evolving management style—is so successful and how any organization can use it to achieve desired economic results and fulfill important social goals.

Praise for
The SBI Group Vision and Strategy

“Yoshitaka Kitao is a source of wisdom for tomorrow’s leaders. He combines lessons from his predecessors with his own New Economy experiences in this unique guide to navigating today’s business climate.”
—Mitchell H. Caplan, Chief Executive Officer, E*TRADE Financial Corporation

“Yoshitaka Kitao’s book offers an inside look at how he founded and built SBI Holdings into a major financial services company in just seven years. It’s a remarkable and insightful story. Kitao also generously shares his innovative views on managing a company to build value for employees, customers, shareholders, and society at large.”
—Joe Mansueto, CEO, Morningstar, Inc.

“As a founder of the SBI Group, Yoshitaka Kitao shares his organizational strategy and the history of building a company in the Internet era. I have known the author for twenty-five years and have seen him develop his successful managerial philosophy. Readers will benefit from the ideas in his fine book.”
—Stanley Palmer, President, Marvin & Palmer Associates