A ReMarker in Tokyo: Meet Ayaka Miyake

Every month, discover the profile of one of our ReMarkers. This month, we're off to Japan to meet Ayaka Miyake, a Business Development Supervisor who joined us in May 2021 in Tokyo. From the experience of the Olympics to joining remotely, Ayaka gives us some insights into her work and life at ReMark. 

Ayaka, you joined ReMark in May 2021, what did you do before? And what do you do now at ReMark?

Before ReMark, I worked as an underwriter for 3 years in fire insurance, a form of property insurance that covers damage and losses caused by fire. My old company was more traditional than ReMark, if I may say. For instance, I didn’t have an experience in business development, but I was eager to learn.

Over the years, I felt that I needed a new challenge and when I came across ReMark, I really felt that the culture commissioned the employees and challenged them. It attracted me straight away. I also wanted to be part of a global and diverse company and get out of my comfort zone by meeting new cultures, different from mine, Japanese. ReMark counts 29 nationalities. So, I was sold when ReMark gave me the chance to join.

What has it been like joining a team remotely? How has the team welcome you?

When COVID-19 hit, we started working remotely at my previous company. I was already used to working from home when I started at ReMark. Thankfully, I received loads of visual trainings and I met my colleagues from around the world. I felt warmly welcome and appreciated. 

In addition, in Japan, the transports are quite crowded. It can be stressful. I like working remotely because I get some “me-time”. Especially in the morning. Instead of taking the tube and go through rush hour, I can stretch and do some exercises at home. I don’t have to worry about being seen by someone else and I feel ready to start my day.

You live in Tokyo which hosted the Olympics whilst facing a Covid state of emergency. What's your experience of being so close and at the same time far from the Olympics?

I would have loved to watch the Olympics from the stadium with my friends of course. I’m watching it on TV instead. My favorite sports are volleyball and baseball.

Especially for this year’s Olympics , as they had to wait an extra year until they could conquer. But they didn’t give up and it empowers me.

I heard you played volleyball for a long time.

Yes. I played volleyball from Secondary School until University. In Volleyball, collaboration is key. It is actually one of our core values at ReMark. Through this discipline I learned to manage a team, to solve problems and to be resilient. At times, I was practicing volleyball alone to get better. It made me stronger and more confident as a person.

What kind of challenge are you facing right now?

Since I joined ReMark, I have learned many things from my colleagues from around the globe. Now, I want to be proactively giving advice to my team or lead projects. I want to expand the business in Japan and offer Japanese insurers (but not only) our excellent tech-solutions.

What’s your most favorite thing to do when you have some free time?

I am a keen reader. My favorite author is Yukio Mishima. In his stories, he uses a wide range of vocabulary. He likes to describe situations, characters, emotions, and appearance in details. I find his books beautiful and fascinating. I also like to participate to tea ceremonies – a big tradition in Japan – and to do Pilates.