0を1にする仕事をしたい。
個人の力で
社会に変革を起こすため、
新しい世界に飛び込み続ける

Nishida joined Euglena as a mid-career companion in 2016. Although he was assigned to the healthcare department from his previous career, he decided to move to the biofuel division in September 2020 as a result of an in-house recruitment. Nishida always positively works on new businesses, but he started to think that "the job of changing 0 to 1 is worthwhile" because he had experience working in a large company. To tell.

「2008年に外資系の生活用品メーカーに新卒で入社しました。洗剤、シャンプー、おむつ、化粧品などの営業に従事していましたが、何か新しいことへ挑戦したいという思いと、ライフワークバランスの充実を図るために、転職することを決めました。」
その後、ユーグレナにジョインした西田だが、この時から新しいことに挑戦できる環境がある職場かを意識していたという。
「他にも何社か候補はあったのですが、当時のユーグレナはベンチャー企業として有名になり始めていた頃で、面白そうだなと、興味を持ちました。バイオ燃料や遺伝子解析といった新しい事業へ取り組み始め、健康食品屋さんから脱皮し、成長しようとしているところにワクワクするような魅力を感じました。
それまで私はいわゆる大企業に属しており、すでに仕組み化されている業務をいかに効率よく回していくかという仕事が中心でしたが、次は、新たに『仕組み』を作る仕事や、新しいことにどんどんチャレンジできる環境に飛び込んでみたいと思い、ユーグレナへの入社を決めました。」

After joining the company, Nishida was assigned to the healthcare department and continued to take on new challenges one after another, such as launching the cosmetics brand "one" and introducing food brands to mass retailers. And one day, about four years after joining the company, a turning point comes.
"In-house recruitment of sales positions for the Biofuel Division has started. Until then, I was able to utilize my career to engage in various jobs such as product planning, sales promotion, and sales in the healthcare department, but a new system I joined this company because I wanted to make one, so I raised my hand to jump into the new world of biofuels. "

「何もわからない」
毎日がモチベーションに。
ユーグレナでないと、
この壁は乗り越えられなかった。

Nishida stood on a new stage after the transfer was decided on a sunny day, but he said, "I didn't really understand anything at the beginning."
"At the first meeting, I couldn't quite understand what all the attendees were saying, but at the same time I was very excited to see if this would all be understood in a year."
For Nishida, who has a strong intellectual curiosity, instead of being frightened by this situation, he was impressed by the environment in which he had no choice but to grow his knowledge as he was a child. It was a fulfilling day in a new environment, but on the other hand, there were many hardships that I had never experienced before.

In particular, at the event "Sustainable Station by Euglena", which was held in April 2021 and sold Our biofuel to the general public for the first time, he was given the important role of "making bio-high-octane gasoline." It was about half a year after Nishida moved to the Biofuel Division.

"The purpose of this event was to make biofuels known to a large number of customers. Therefore, in addition to the next-generation biodiesel fuels that have already been manufactured, we will newly manufacture and sell bio-high-octane gasoline. Has been decided.
As the event manager, I was also assigned to bio-high-octane gasoline, but since it was a fuel that I had never manufactured before, I could not see the way to completion at all, so I could not find a way to complete it, except to prepare by groping. There wasn't.
In the first place, at that time, I didn't even know the standard for high-octane gasoline. It was a day of repeating trial and error while checking the detailed rules for producing new fuel one by one. I still remember the moment when I was able to complete the bio high-octane fuel on the last minute, thanks to the help of many people, both inside and outside the company. "

It must have been a very stressful situation, but Nishida talks brightly about that time.
"To be honest, it was very painful during the preparations. The moment I saw the tank truck that brought biofuel to the sustainable station the night before the event, I was so nervous that I spilled tears (laughs), but looking back, this job There were many parts that I was able to grow in, and it was the most rewarding. I am very proud that I was able to do a job that I can say with confidence that I have achieved it.
Thankfully, this event was featured in the media a lot and had a great social impact. Being entrusted with the person in charge is an experience that is difficult for a large company to do, and I am very impressed. "

One of the characteristics of a venture company is that the discretionary power of each individual is very large and the performance of each person is important, but Nishida says that it is worth working in such an environment.
"If you're in a big company, you may have the grace of" someone will do it, "even if you're not yourself. But now, the sense of responsibility that "who will do it if I have to do it!" Is a comfortable pressure. It may be an environment where each employee can become a professional. "

Nishida's challenge of continuing to expand his field of activity will continue.
"The biofuel business is a new challenge for a sustainable future. As we continue to expand, we will continue to move forward so that we can be proud of the work we have accomplished."

※インタビュー内容及び役職は取材時点のものです。ご了承ください。