Four Lessons in Leadership from Fujitsu’s SVP & Global Head of Marketing

How does someone go from a small island off the coast of Sardinia to earning a PhD in theater and ultimately leading global marketing at Fujitsu in Tokyo?

For Dr. Laura Bonamici—SVP and Global Head of Marketing at Fujitsu—the answer was not straightforward. It required a series of curiosity-driven choices. She describes curiosity as a leadership superpower; a cross-cultural compass that enables learning quickly and creating meaningful change.

In a recent Professional Seminar, she connected this personal approach to a broader leadership story: Fujitsu’s branding transformation through three linked chapters—purpose, data, and AI. Fujitsu articulated its purpose in 2020: “To make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation.” From there, the organization strengthened measurement discipline and data storytelling—because data alone does not drive change; people do.

Here are the key takeaways from her seminar:

1. Your Career Is Not a Ladder—It’s Cross-Training

Dr. Bonamici challenged the corporate ladder metaphor because, as she put it, “it’s one direction only.” Her alternative is cross-training: moving across arenas to stretch different muscles and build range over time.

Her path reflects that approach. A move from doctoral work into finance, and later into roles across marketing, became less disconnected in hindsight and more like deliberate training linked by a consistent through line of technology and storytelling.

Key takeaway: Don’t fear the detour. If it helps build a range of skills, it is not off track.

2. Leading Across Cultures: Look for Commonalities

When leaders talk about cross-cultural work, they often start with differences. Dr. Bonamici recommended starting with shared human needs: people want to do good work, want their ideas recognized, and want to be seen.

She also highlighted 3SCH (Stakeholder Satisfaction, Creativity, Speed, High Quality, and Systematic Expansion) as a lens for aligning business goals with broader social value, including sustainability. +1

Key takeaway: Respect differences, but lead through common needs, and adapt how you express recognition and trust in each context.

3. Move Like an Ocean—and Stay the Course

Two of Dr. Bonamici’s clearest lessons were about momentum and persistence.

First: “Move like an ocean.” She emphasized collective motion; leaning on peers, teams, and the people who will “join your fan club.”

Second: “Stay the course.” In large organizations, progress can be slower than you want and may take more than one attempt. She illustrated this with her own move to Japan. In 2020, she was raising her interest in an individual request for transfer with her eighth boss. Even after her proposal was approved, COVID-19 delayed the move. Her family finally relocated in August 2022. +3

Key takeaway: Build a support system, and give meaningful ideas enough time, and enough attempts, to land.

4. Redefining Success: The Five Balls Theory

Relocating her family to Tokyo required redefining success. It was no longer only about achievement; it was about alignment.

She explained this using a five balls metaphor: work is rubber, while family, health, friends, and spirit are crystal. Drop work, and it bounces back; drop the others, and they can be damaged permanently.

Key takeaway: Protect the “crystal balls” and define success for your current season.

Q&A: Executive Insights

During the dialogue session with Tomoya Nakamura, managing director of KIBOW, Dr. Bonamici addressed several burning questions from the audience: +1

• On Decision-making: When facing a scary career jump, run a “worst-case scenario” simulation. +1
• On Japanese Corporate Culture: The era of the company controlling your career path is ending. Fujitsu is shifting from HR-led rotations to “career ownership,” where individuals must proactively drive their own growth. +1
• On Leadership in the Technovate Era: As technology advances, soft skills like empathy and interpersonal communication are more important than ever.

Conclusion

Dr. Bonamici concluded with a powerful metaphor from her childhood in Sardinia: “The horizon is not a boundary; it is an invitation.”

By staying curious, building your network, and remaining open to being surprised, you can expand your world far beyond what you currently see.

“Curiosity opens the door. Courage walks through it. Leadership begins on the other side.”