Changing Japan's Defense with the Power of Women

Marie Fujimoto   We belong to Deloitte Tohmatsu Space & Security LLC (DTSS), which is Deloitte Tohmatsu Group’s newly established firm in Japan established on March 31st, 2023. We support Japan Ministry of Defense, Japan Self-Defense Forces, and defense-related private companies. Despite the fact that national security is an important issue that touches the lives of all of our people, it seems there is very little involvement of women in this area. I hear that the United States used to be the same way. What do you think was the cause of that problem and how did you deal with it?

Marie Fujimoto
Manager, Deloitte Tohmatsu Space and Security LLC

Marie joined Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting LLC as a new graduate. She specializes in the technology field (especially the utilization of the latest technologies such as AI) and has a wide range of experience from formulating medium- to long-term strategies for global companies to organizational reforms. With the goal of serving as a “bridge” to enable collaboration across companies, industries, public and private sectors having “tech” and “global” as key words, she is engaged in and contributing to the strategic planning in the defense sector including Space, and collaborating with global Deloitte entities such as Deloitte US, at Deloitte Tohmatsu Space and Security LLC.

Beth McGrath   If you look back over the decades, the role of women supporting national defense has evolved over time.  In World Wars I and II, many women filled manufacturing and agricultural positions on the home front, while others provided support on the front lines as nurses, doctors, ambulance drivers, and translators.  In the US, women first entered the military service academies in the 1970s and in the 1990’s were permitted to fly combat missions and serve on Navy combat ships.  Even with the expansion of roles for women, the percentage of women in the military remains low.

That said, modern organizations recognize the importance of inclusion and diversity of all kinds as means to activate teams, generate results and sustain growth. The defense sector is no exception.  In fact, studies show that the decision-making of diverse teams outperforms individual decision-making.  The military is a highly disciplined organization, and it must maintain its focus to sustain a strong national security posture. Here, it is a major prerequisite for appropriate change is to work with respect and understanding of the institutions and mechanisms that have been established.

I served in the US Defense Department for 25 years, and at first, there were very few women. In the program office I was working in, I was the only one. The number of women working in the field had expanded a more by the time I left, but we were far from the majority. 

Still, organizational culture is changing, and diversity is increasing. Women are being selected for key military positions. For example, the first female chief of naval operations of the U.S. Navy was appointed just last year. In September, a black man became the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (head of the uniformed services). The door is open to women and racial minorities, and they are increasing their experience.

There is no end to the problems such as work-life balance. The most important thing for winning a long battle is to maintain a strong motivation and will to engage in defense missions. And whether it's data analysis, organizational design, or anything else, it's about maximizing your strengths. I have never worn a uniform or served in the military. My field is the Department of Defense, where I have focused on producing tangible results.

If you're going to be a consultant helping the defense sector, you have to start with a deep understanding of your clients. What issues do the people involved have and what are the avenues to solving them? Putting industry-specific jargon, language, organization, and class into your head is a basic part of the equation. The real challenge is to identify the nature of each problem and use your skills, knowledge and abilities to propose solutions.

Beth McGrath
Global Government & Public Services Leader, Deloitte US

Beth McGrath is Deloitte’s global leader for Government and Public Services. In her role, she is committed to strengthening synergies across global Industries and government and public services with a focus on client mission needs and solutions. McGrath has broad, multidisciplinary, strategic, and operational management experience acquired from 25+ years of successful performance in the United States government sector. As a member of Deloitte’s Strategy practice, she advises government and commercial organizations on strategies that help further innovation and improve business operations.

Don't hold back. If you want to do something, let's put it on the table first.

Marie Fujimoto   In the field of defense, I figured work-life balance or “flexible” workstyle can particularly be a difficult task because it is difficult to introduce remote work due to the high confidentiality of information as well as geographical assignment changes. What is your view on this matter?

Beth McGrath   I originally joined the U.S. Defense Department as an intern and retired 25 years later as a political appointee. The pace of work within Defense and at the Pentagon was always fast, and there were times  that I thought it might be too much for me. At first, I was worried that I might have to sacrifice my work-life balance, but I was able to succeed with the help of good mentors and a strong support structure throughout my career - including my time as a political appointee.  Looking back, I am truly grateful for the incredible experience at Defense and opportunity to contribute to our Nation’s security.

What I learned to be true, however, was that if there's something you want to do, you need to be the one who puts it on the table. I learned the importance of using my voice and advocating for things that were important – a particular work item, spending time with my family, etc..  

Another is to always strive for predictability, flexibility, and transparency. We work in various teams. Each and every team member has our own work-life balance. If someone takes a half-day off in the afternoon, someone else takes care of the work. One of the advantages of working as a team is that we support each other. Predictability, flexibility, and transparency are very important in order to make it work. The good news is that Deloitte has such an ingrained organizational culture that it has the space and opportunity to deal with anything that would come up.

Challenge boldly as a female pioneer to change Japan's defense.

Moe Sugawara   I have been working for less than four years. I only recently started working in the defense field, and I think I have a lot to learn. What skills do women need to demonstrate their skills and advance their careers in the defense field?

Moe Sugawara
Senior Consultant, Deloitte Tohmatsu Space & Security LLC

Moe Joined Deloitte Tohmatsu Financial Advisory LLC as a new graduate and she was engaged in corporate valuation in the life sciences and healthcare sector. She is currently working at Deloitte Tohmatsu Space and Security LLC, where she is contributing to the development of strategies in the space and defense fields.

Beth McGrath   First, love what you do. This is a principle common to all jobs, not just defense. I think defense is super interesting. With top-notch talent, you can always be inspired, learn and grow. I am proud to contribute to the mission of protecting our country.

Second, know and use your strengths. For example, if you're good at analytics, you have a lot of opportunities in defense. Organizational redesign, budget optimization, weapons capability and cost analysis, etc. You can contribute to national security by playing to your strengths.

Third, face the reality of national defense head-on. I believe in democracy and liberalism, but they are not given for free by anyone. I don't want war, but not all the people in the world are good. The West defends itself and protects its democracy on its own, but it cannot do so without a strong military. Deterrence of course, is the preferred Defense approach to discourage an opponents from taking unwelcome actions.  We hope that deterrence is an effective strategy, but sometimes circumstances call for military force.

One more piece of advice I would give to young people is, I want you to boldly challenge yourself with the awareness that you are female pioneers in changing Japan's defense. You may be tasked with difficult assignments that you think you could never do. But embrace it as an opportunity for growth. When you don't give up and work hard to get through it, your perspective will change and you will become stronger and better equipped to tackle more difficult tasks next time

Fujimoto and Sugawara   You gave us valuable stories. I deeply sympathize and sincerely thank you.

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Comment: Diversity is the source of change and creativity

In order to inject fresh air into Japan's defense sector and promote its transformation, it is essential to strengthen its human resources base. Diversity of human resources and ideas will be the driving force for change in Japanese organizations. This is what I believe as the lead in the organization and human resources area of Deloitte Tohmatsu Space & Security LLC (DTSS).

In Beth's words, “If you want to do something, put it on the table first.” embodies the common values of Deloitte. Deloitte is open to change and dialogue, which is why we can use diversity as a source of change and creativity to meet our clients' challenges. DTSS will also continue upholding these values.

DTSS is composed of a wide variety of human resources from various companies in the Deloitte Tohmatsu Group. Professionals with expertise and experience in strategic planning, M&A, innovation, public-private partnerships, supply chain and human resources, as well as those from the defense sector, are also participating. We will contribute to the development of Japan's security, defense and space sectors, which are at a major turning point, by maximizing the innovative thinking, reliable execution and comprehensive cross-sector capabilities of our diverse team.

Toshitsugu Uesugi
Deloitte Tohmatsu Space & Security LLC
Executive Officer in Human Resources and Offering Lead in Organization and Human Resources

Also read “U.S. - Japan Diversity Conversation : It's Time to Talk about Diversity in a Divided World”.