Hello, I’m Nana Nagai, Executive Officer at Money Forward and CEO of Money Forward Vietnam (MFV). MFV serves as a core development hub within the Money Forward Group.
Ever since I stepped into the role of CEO, I’ve often been asked:
“Can you lead an organization if you’re not a specialist in that domain?”(≈ “Can you lead an engineering-driven organization even if you aren’t an engineer yourself?”)
Through continuous trial and error, I have explored what my own style of leadership looks like. As this timing coincides with my 5th anniversary at Money Forward, I would like to share the lessons I’ve learned through this journey.
I joined MFV in January 2021 as COO. The organization had a few dozen members at the time, and by the end of that year, the team size had doubled. MFV continued to grow, and in June 2022, I took on the role of CEO.
Although MFV is primarily an engineering organization, I am not a specialist in that field. My background spans [Business planning & consulting sales / PR & marketing / Talent acquisition & HR planning / New business development / Organizational setup].
Despite this, I have been able to lead a development organization by consistently considering how to elevate organizational value. These five years have been about repeatedly asking:“What is optimal for the entire organization?”“What is truly essential?”
To understand structural challenges, background context and each member’s motivation, I held 1on1s with every member during my first month. Based on what I learned, I executed the following within the first three months:
Redesign of the organizational structure for a future 100-member scale
Launched a recruitment team
Hired senior management members
Started leadership training
Organized alignment meetings with key HQ stakeholders
Created opportunities for engineers to learn user-centric perspectives
They shared a common trait:They assessed the organization with a fresh, objective lens and delivered Quick Wins within the first few months. Some even presented a personal “first 3-month roadmap” on Day 1.
Inspired by them, I also have made Quick Wins a personal rule whenever I take on something new. Leaders do not need to be subject-matter experts in every area. What matters is balancing:
What you can leverage from past experience
What you must “unlearn” and approach with fresh eyes
And then, rolling up your sleeves and doing the work to elevate organizational value.
Our Offsite Management Camp with All Middle Managers
Money Forward is a diversified and multi-layered environment. We manages numerous products, each at different maturity stages, and operates with members from over 40 nationalities. Working in such a setting means encountering differences in assumptions, priorities and cultural norms every day.
What I found most important as a leader was the ability to constantly return to the essence andthe core.
Examples include:
Sense of Time
Micromanagement
People may use the same words but interpret them differently based on cultural background.
In Japan, “be on time” usually means arriving 5–10 minutes early. In Vietnam, there is a saying: “time is rubber”. It means "flexible and stretchable".
It is common to see meeting instructions like: “Please arrive between 8:00–8:30.” This ambiguity puzzled me at first. But considering Vietnam’s realities, such as the lack of public transport and sudden heavy rain requiring riders to stop and put on rain coats. It helps explain why flexibility exists.
MFV members do understand Japanese practice, but for important events, I still explain: “The program begins exactly at X:XX, so please arrive five minutes before.”
The meaning of “micromanagement” can vary significantly across cultures.
In Japan, it is often associated with closely controlling details or limiting delegation. Through my experience working with members from India, I learned that a lack of clearly defined end goals or frequent status check-ins may be perceived as a sign of mistrust. Some Indian professionals tend to value an output-driven mindset: “Tell me the final goal, and let me determine how to get there.” This makes the Japanese concept of frequent updates, like Ho-Ren-So can feel occasionally overly intrusive.
Recognizing this has helped me become more intentional in how I lead and communicate across borders.
A CEO at my previous company repeated to me:
Treating minority voices equally is not the same as being fair. Sometimes you need to give them more weight, otherwise the outcome becomes unfair.
This taught me the importance of:
Being conscious of structural bias toward majority voices
Adjusting the “weight” of opinions when necessary
Everyday life. Four nationalities at one table (and five with myself!)
When discussions become tangled, I return to:
What is the purpose?
Is that truly the problem?
Does it lead to user value?
Leaders must see the structure, essence and core, not just the details.
AI accelerates information volume, speed of change, and unpredictability. Initially, I felt overwhelmed: “There is simply too much information, and updates come too fast to keep up.” So I shifted to:
Start with the purpose and reason backward
Deep dive only into areas necessary for crucial judgment
Since AI is such a major game-changer, I stay closely involved in aligning goals and direction. Our cross-functional AI team works closely with me, and resource prioritization is decided through discussions with the team.
Still, the ultimate decision-making axis must remain: our Mission, Vision, Values, and Culture (MVVC) and delivering User Value.
As AI accelerates change and increases ambiguity, leaders must sharpen their axes:Have a clear guiding principle, and communicate it consistently.I am still exploring the best way to do this, and I intend to continue evolving with the times.
We hosted our own webinar with AI as the central theme. "Let's keep evolving together!"
What I want to uphold as a leader is the mindset of“Shaping the Future.” In a 100-year life era, I want to build a future where every member can thrive with joy and a sense of fulfillment. This means balancing:
Continuous growth (deepening existing strengths)
Discontinuous growth (exploring new areas)
For senior management, I aim to create experiences that expand their capabilities. I set “acceptable boundaries” and delegate authority. Delegation is essential for strengthening organizational management capability.
Looking back, I myself grew most when I was entrusted with a challenging scope. I was never told directly, but when I became CEO of MFV in 2022, I believe the HQ executives also set their own “acceptable boundaries” when assigning me. It has now been 3.5 years. I sincerely hope I have exceeded the expectations they had back then.
While addressing immediate issues, we must continuously invest in the future - expanding organizational capacity. In existing areas we go deeper; in new areas we expand.
One example is MFV’s ongoing expansion into product management. Three years ago, we began this initiative based on:
Bringing the user closer to the team → enabling User Focus
Creating continuous growth opportunities and reinforcing a positive evolution DNA
Building the value-definition capability required in the AI era
This expansion benefits not only the organization but also each member’s personal development. The efforts are finally becoming visible this year, and I truly feel that our organizational capacity has taken a clear step forward. For new domains, I stay hands-on to build my own understanding and to catch issues early so we can fix them timely.
Time allocation is always critical, and that is why delegation (from the previous section) is indispensable for enabling new initiatives.
Details are confidential, but we are working on multiple actions for the future. By tackling both continuous and discontinuous growth, I aim to be a leader who“Shaping the Future.”
Ask honestly when you don’t understand something even if it seems basic. Creating a culture where questions are welcomed ultimately strengthens the organization.
Switch flexibly between:
The MFV Management Offsite with our Directors, held one month agoDelegation and intervention
Dialogue and decision-making
Even while delegating, I intervene assertively in critical moments. It is a flexible crossing of delegation and intervention when the situation requires it.
To show vulnerability, delegate, intervene, and balance dialogue with decisions. Leaders need a flexible integration of strength, kindness, speed, and meticulousness. I am still on this journey, and I hope to continue improving that integration.
The MFV Management Offsite with our Directors, held one month ago
Leadership is not about deep expertise alone, but about how we face our organization and how we continue to evolve.
There is no single correct answer.
Although I am not a technical expert, I firmly believe leaders should have at least one strong domain. The experiences I built in my earlier career remain one of my greatest assets. Money Forward Group embodies:
A mindset that does not fear change
A proactive drive to create new value
A flexibility that does not cling to the past
MFV’s evolution is part of this broader movement, and we will continue taking on new challenges together.
Thank you for reading.
