音元出版社長 和田光征の「巻頭言」2019年3月：心機一転 音元出版の新組織

1990年からの想い

本年の2月6日、毎年恒例の小社の事業方針説明会を開催し、約50社・80名を数える業界関係者の方々にご参加をいただいた。事業部の責任者達が次々に行ったプレゼンで、未来に向けての万全な体制をご理解いただけたかと思っている。

そしてプレゼンの終了後、社長交代の話をさせていただいた。場内に一瞬どよめきが走ったが、2019年に小社が創業70周年を迎えること、そして私自身が75歳を迎えることが背景にあることを説明すると、当たり前のことと受け止めていただいた。私は社長を退任し、会長兼最高経営責任者（CEO）に就任することになるだろう。7月の定時株主総会の承認をもって、名実ともに新体制がスタートする。説明会にご参加いただいた方々をはじめ、業界の皆様の多大なるご支援・ご協力をお願いし、万雷の拍手を頂戴した。

新社長に就任するのは、現取締役副社長の樫出浩雅。副社長に就任するのは、現専務取締役の永井光晴。そして常務取締役の徳田ゆかりが、社長室長としてバックヤードを担当。さらに新たな取締役に、ファイルウェブdiv.執行役員の風間雄介、SP div.執行役員の平野勇樹が就任する。近未来への布石も打ち、万全を期した新体制である。

こうした小社の今日の体制に至る原点は、1990年にあることを記しておきたい。

私は1968年に23歳で小社・音元出版に入社、その2年後に、当時社内にあった新聞発行のチームが独立し、社を後にした。私も誘われたものの、採用してくださった社長への恩義で断った。25歳となった私は、1972年に「オーディオ専科」誌を創刊。編集業務と営業活動のすべてを担い大変だったが、こなしてきた。1976年には「オーディオアクセサリー」誌を創刊、スクランブルテストという名の大規模な商品テストを企画し、強いメッセージを発信した。

その後小社は順調に業績を上げていたが、1990年の正月、私は大病を患い入院した。命に関わる病である。会社も大ピンチ。その頃、社員も20名近くになっていたが、私の留守の間にクーデターが起きていた。着々と会社の乗っ取りの準備が進められていることが発覚。信用のおける社員に調べさせたところ、そこに加担していたのは14名と、社員の7割にも及んでいた。私はまず、病気と対峙し、必ず退院すると心に誓った。病院の先生の協力を得ながらプラス思考で過ごしているうち、治ることを確信していった。

1月20日頃になって、会長から「皆を集めるから会社へ出てきてくれ」と言われて出向くと、「和田君がこの先やる気がないのであれば、会社を解散する。和田君、どうだ？」と言う。「私は大丈夫です。25日には最終の検査結果が出ますので、それを受けて心機一転、“新生音元出版”の確立を進めます」と答えた。そして検査の結果が出た。病院の先生から「足先から頭のテッペンまでCTをかけたが完治です」とお墨付きをいただき、感謝のご挨拶をすると、会社に電話を入れた。会長は痛風を患い入院していた。私は信頼のおける社員に、クーデターに加担した人間のリストを渡し、翌日からそれらの人間を解雇する旨を告げた。

そして翌2月から、新生音元出版の立ち上げに向けて入社試験を行い、新しい社員を採用していった。今年社長に就任する樫出をはじめ、役員の永井や徳田も、この時に採用した人材である。また小社の屋台骨である総務・経理を担当してきた故・岩間ツウ子専務の功績も讃えたい。今年2019年の小社の心機一転組織は、1990年の危機を乗り越え、そこから育った社員が次を担っていく、まさに新たな旅立ちになることを記しておきたい。

「業界の建設的な発展に寄与する」社是のもと、新たな時代を逞しく、真摯に、全力で邁進して参ります。業界の皆様のご愛顧に感謝するとともに、新生音元出版に旧に倍すご支援ご厚情を賜りますようお願い申し上げます。


ENGLISH
Recollections of 1990
—Ongen Publishing to Make Fresh Start under New Managerial Lineup—

On February 6 of this year Ongen Publishing held its annual business policy briefing. The meeting was attended by about 80 persons from around 50 companies. Our personnel in charge of business departments delivered presentations one after the other, which I think gave the audience a good understanding of our thorough preparations for the future.

After the presentations were over, I announced that there would be a change of presidency in our company. For a moment, a commotion swept through the room. But when I explained that our company would be marking the seventieth anniversary of its establishment in 2019, and that I myself would be turning 75 this year, the participants accepted the change as only natural. Most likely I will quit as president and be appointed as chairman and corporate executive officer (CEO). After approval by the regular shareholders’ meeting in July, the new lineup will take over. After I had expressed gratitude to the briefing participants and others in the industry for their enormous support and cooperation over the years, the audience gave me a thunderous round of applause.

Our current vice-president, Hiromasa Kashide, will be appointed as the new president, and Executive Managing Director Mitsuharu Nagai will become vice-president. Also, Managing Director Yukari Tokuda will take charge of backyard matters as head of the President’s Office, and Corporate Officers Yusukei Kazama of the Phile-web Division and Yuki Hirano of the SP Division will be appointed as new directors. The new lineup will stand us in good stead as we make preparations for the near future.

Our new managerial lineup has its origins in an incident that occurred in 1990. Let me tell you about it.

I joined Ongen Publishing in 1968, at the age of 23. Two years later the newspaper publication team in our company went independent and left. I was invited to join them, but feeling indebted to the president, who had hired me, I refused. In 1972 I launched the Audio Senka magazine and took charge of everything from editing to marketing. It was hard work, but I managed to get the magazine on track. Then in 1976 I launched the Audio Accessory magazine, planning a large-scale product test called the “Scramble Test” and transmitting a strong message.

In the following years our company steadily grew, but then in 1990, at the turn of the year, I entered hospital with a serious, life-threatening illness. The company faced a major crisis. At that time we had nearly 20 employees, but in my absence, a coup was brewing. It became evident that some employees were plotting to hijack the firm. According to an employee whom I trusted, 14 employees were participating in the plot, which meant 70% of the workforce. Pledging to myself that I would get out of hospital, first of all I set about facing up to my illness. Thanks to the cooperation of the doctors at the hospital, I managed to remain positive throughout in the belief that my illness would be cured.

On about January 20, I received a call from the chairman of our company saying that he was getting everyone together and asking me to come, so I went along. “Wada,” he said, “if you don’t have any intention of carrying on, I will dissolve the company. What’s it to be?” “I’ll be okay,” I replied. “I will receive my last test results on January 25, after which I will set about establishing a new Ongen Publishing.” Then I got the test results. The doctor said to me, “We gave you a CT scan from the tips of your toes to the top of your head. You have made a complete recovery.” After expressing my gratitude, I phoned the company. The chairman was in hospital, suffering from gout. I handed a list of those who were participating in the coup to a trusted employee and notified them that they were fired from the next day.

In February we conducted entrance tests and hired new employees toward the start of a new Ongen Publishing. Kashide, who will become our new president later this year, was one of those employees hired at that time, as were Nagai and Tokuda. I also would like to praise the achievements of Executive Managing Director Tsuuko Iwama, who was in charge of general affairs and accounting, the backbone of the company. The new lineup that will take over in 2019 features those employees who helped us to overcome the crisis in 1990 and grew from that time. It really will be a fresh start on a new journey.

On the basis of our company motto of “contributing to the constructive development of the industry,” we will march forward into the new age robustly, sincerely, and with all our might. I thank everyone in the industry for your patronage and ask you to show even more support and kindness for the new Ongen Publishing.