VISIONS Magazine (April 2025 Edition)
From New Jersey to São Paulo: The Leadership Journey of Hajime “Ike” Uchiike
I like Ike. As much as that served as the Presidential campaign slogan for candidate Dwight D. “Ike” Eisenhower in the 1950s, it’s equally appropriate when talking about Hajime “Ike” Uchiike, General Manager for Sumitomo Corporation of Americas Agri-Food and Life Science Division. His calm demeanor and positive approach make him a vibrant company leader, but the path to his international business leadership has been anything but linear. From his roots in Ridgewood, New Jersey, to his current leadership role as Deputy General Manager of SC South America and Vice President of SC Brazil, Uchiike has cultivated a career defined by adaptability, hard-earned lessons, and a deep sense of cultural purpose.
“Actually, I can tell you that I didn’t have a clue,” Uchiike said, reflecting on his early academic ambitions. Despite growing up in the United States for over 13 years, he made the decision to return to Japan for college. “I really wanted to just learn more about Japan which was my home country.” That decision was not purely academic—it was a personal mission. “Even though I had lived in the United States for 13 years to that point, obviously I looked Japanese... It was very embarrassing for me, and I couldn’t tell the stories or answer the questions that my friends had.”
Uchiike enrolled in a Japanese university and majored in political science. However, much of his time was spent navigating the cultural rigors of varsity football. “The freshmen cannot talk to the seniors directly, for example. It’s very tough and seniority is very important.” Immersing himself in this hierarchical structure gave him what he describes as an “authentic experience” of Japanese society. “I decided to jump into the most, let’s say, conservative environment that I could.”
In 1995, Uchiike joined Sumitomo Corporation and was assigned to the Energy Group, supporting investment efforts in Qatar's liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector. His international aspirations took shape in 2008 when he was transferred to Sumitomo Corporation of Americas’ (SCOA’s) New York office, followed by a longer assignment in Houston. “Obviously working abroad was always a dream for me.”
Uchiike (in center) with colleagues in the Houston Office during his work with Summit Discovery Resources.
While in Houston, Uchiike was instrumental in building Summit Discovery Resources from the ground up. “My job at that time was really setting up our office and hiring people to manage our new investment.” What began as a $15 million investment quickly grew to a $2 billion oil and gas operation in the Permian Basin. “We became a company of maybe 60 people or so at that time, at the peak.”
But the rapid ascent soon gave way to sobering realities. “Too much drilling and too much success in the domestic market actually put a lot of pressure on the oil prices itself.” The downturn in both production and oil prices struck simultaneously. “Your revenues are volume times oil price, right? So, when the oil prices drop maybe 40, 50% and your production goes down by 40, 50%, economics don’t work very well.”
He recalls having to make painful decisions. “I had to lay off maybe 30, 40 people that I hired directly over a period of three years or so.” The experience led to a period of deep reflection. “We did a very diligent process... I don’t think that we cut any corners.” Still, Uchiike acknowledged a core misstep, investing too much in one asset.” The lesson? “You really have to think about the worst case...and the company has to be really ready for that as well.”
In 2015, he returned to Tokyo, tasked with reshaping Sumitomo’s upstream investment strategy in energy and mining. “It was a really good time for me to reflect and think about some of the mistakes, learnings, but also opportunities.” Collaborating with a team under the leadership of Mr. Ueno, Uchiike helped set a new course for Sumitomo’s global resource strategy. “That new strategy is still in place and some new projects have been implemented and executed.”
Then, in a move he did not anticipate, Uchiike was reassigned to the agribusiness sector in Brazil. “I wanted to go back to Houston... but for some reason three years ago, I was told that I was going to move to the agriculture space.” It was a new challenge, but one he embraced. “Actually, you may have heard of companies like Agro Amazonia or Summit Agro South America… I’m working together with the leadership team and also looking at new opportunities.”
Now based in São Paulo, Uchiike speaks enthusiastically about both the professional and personal aspects of life in Brazil. “It’s been the best 10 months of my life... The office is full of laughter and... it fits with me very well.”
Despite current challenges in the agriculture sector—particularly weather-related volatility—Uchiike remains optimistic. “There’s going to be short time, let’s say volatility or hiccups in the market that we can’t control... but I think there’s a lot of growth opportunities.” His perspective is shaped by decades of experience across multiple industries. “Life sciences, agriculture are all related to the health or kind of healthiness or wellness of people... It’s a very fulfilling and gratifying kind of industry to be in.”
Through cycles of growth, adversity, and transformation, Uchiike continues to lead with humility and foresight. “Something that you saw yesterday that was not interesting can certainly become an opportunity tomorrow.”
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Learn even more about Mr. Uchiike's life, career and more in this episode of SUMICAST! Just click on the picture below to be taken to the SUMICAST series located on our SCOA YouTube channel.
