Employee Spotlight: Toru Kumamae

This week in our “Employee Spotlight” series, we meet Toru Kumamae, who works in JERA's Renewable Energy Business Department, discuss his career and experiences at JERA. Don’t forget to like the JERA page for more employee stories and to keep up to date with our latest position openings.

Please tell us a little about you

My name is Toru Kumamae. I was born in Saitama Prefecture, in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

I received my bachelor’s degree from Waseda University in literature. During my long vacations, I would use the money I saved from my part-time job to travel alone, mainly to other Asian countries. I ended up taking a year off from school to live in India. While I was there, I witnessed the frequent power outages that plagued the rural areas of the country as well as the Great East Japan Earthquake which influenced me to join the electric power industry, with the goal of contributing to developing countries as well as Japan as a member of a Japanese energy company.

After graduating from university, I joined Chubu Electric Power Company and worked for two years at its customer service office in Mie Prefecture, where I was engaged in general customer service including reception and rate operations. After that, I transferred to JERA.

Since I transferred to JERA, I have been involved in the renewable energy business. I have also been involved in investing in an Indian renewable energy company. I ended up moving back to India for a short time as a transfer to that company.

After returning to Japan, I fell in love with Japanese cuisine even more and started going out to eat delicious food such as sushi on my days off. I also enjoy watching soccer games, traveling to hot springs, going to idol concerts, and going to the gym.

What is your role at JERA and what do you enjoy the most about your role?

I am currently a member of the Renewable Energy Business Department. I am a member of a team responsible for the development of new onshore renewable energy projects in Asia and the operation and management of existing projects. Currently, I am mainly in charge of the India region, where I am involved in gathering information on the renewable energy market in the country, reviewing new projects, and building relationships with partners.

I am most proud when I can build a relationship of trust with those inside and outside the company through communication to accomplish a singular goal together. Personally, I would like to continue to be involved in many overseas and business development projects.

What attracted you to JERA as a company?

Although JERA is a relatively new company, I find it attractive that we are developing a global business with great social responsibility goals, such as providing a stable electricity supply for customers and prioritizing decarbonization. I also believe that I can learn a lot from the many employees with diverse backgrounds and expertise in the company.

What has been the most transformative experience you had since joining JERA?

It was when I was temporarily transferred to the Indian renewable energy company. It had been a goal of mine since I was a student to work in India.

I was at a loss at first due to the language and cultural differences, but thanks to the support of the people around me, it was a very valuable experience, and I learned a lot about project development in India as well as how to proceed with work and local business customs. I would like to make the most of this experience in my future work.

That experience had an impact on my personal life as well. I have become a fan of Indian culture through studying Hindi, traveling around India, and watching Bollywood movies.

What’s one piece of advice you would share with your younger self?

The advice I have for my younger self is to work harder academically. Other than that, I would like to tell myself to value a good attitude of hard work, even if it may not always be cool.

What would you tell someone that is interested in joining JERA?

The environment surrounding the energy industry is drastically changing, and as mentioned above, we are a relatively new company, but that is why we believe that there are many opportunities for growth both as a company and as individuals.?

We hope you enjoyed getting to know Toru and learning about his journey at JERA. If you are interested in learning more about?#LifeatJERA ?or you’re looking for a new challenge this year, check out the open positions under “Jobs” and stay connected with us by following the JERA LinkedIn page. We’re Hiring, with some position linked below, so check them out!