In May 2023, I said goodbye to KYOCERA. Not because I fell out of love with the company. Not because I found a better place. But because geopolitics entered our lives in a way we could never have imagined.
After February 2022, the company suspended its shipments to Russia. Froze all marketing activities. We found ourselves in limbo — a team accustomed to being leaders, driving the market, and doing something cool every day suddenly came to a halt.
Until May 2023, I was finishing up current projects, closing contracts, carefully “putting marketing on ice.” It was strange work — not focused on growth, but on shutdown. Not on launch, but on pause.
But sitting idle when there’s still energy boiling inside — that’s impossible. By mutual agreement, like most of my colleagues by that point, I left the company.
What remains?
- The People. We’ve maintained the friendliest relationships. We meet, we message, we share news, we follow the corporation’s life around the world.
- The Love. Yes, I still love KYOCERA. This isn’t just a line on a resume. It’s 9 years of my life, a team that became family, and values that stay with me.
- The Nostalgia. We remember those times with warmth. And honestly — we miss them.
What’s next?
At that point, it was time to move forward. And that’s exactly what I did. No hard feelings, no drama, just gratitude for everything that was.
KYOCERA will forever remain in my heart. And globally, it continues to be a giant, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, with 60,000 employees and a mission I still believe in.
Goodbye, KYOCERA. But not forever. More like — see you in another reality.
P.S. Colleagues, if you’re reading this — I love you. Thank you for those years.