Building a career, breaking boundaries: Nahoko‘s journey at Ericsson

Every day, Nahoko Yoshida works at the intersection of technology, people and experience, ensuring that what Ericsson builds not only works, but truly delivers value to customers.

As Head of Networks R&D Japan, she leads a unique hybrid organization that brings together Ericsson’s global Customer Experience group and local R&D teams in Japan. Her mission is clear: to elevate customer experience through software quality.

“The most important thing is how we translate the value of software into real customer experience,” she says.

From handling technical inquiries to monitoring products after deployment, her work spans the full lifecycle. What drives her is the continuous process of improvement, refining quality, shaping perception, and making sure every release performs better than the last.

A moment that changed everything

Before joining Ericsson, Nahoko had already built her career in the telecom industry. But a defining moment came during her time at a Japanese research institute.

At an international standardization conference, 3GPP, she saw Ericsson in action.

“They came in with a team of dozens, driving discussions with speed and logic,” she recalls. “At the time, I was part of a much smaller team. I remember feeling frustrated, but also inspired.”

That experience stayed with her.

She wanted to challenge herself in a stronger, more strategic organization. She wanted to learn, grow, and eventually contribute to strengthening Japan’s presence in the global telecom landscape.

That ambition led her to Ericsson.

Rethinking what a global company looks like

Like many others, Nahoko once associated global companies with constant turnover and instability.

Her experience proved otherwise.

“At Ericsson, it’s not unusual to see people staying for 10 or even 20 years,” she says. “Both in Japan and globally, there’s a strong sense of stability.”

For her, this creates the foundation for something more meaningful: the ability to build a long-term career, not just move from one role to another.

Designing work around life

One of the defining aspects of Ericsson’s culture is its approach to wellbeing.

Here, time off is not treated as an exception. It is part of how work is planned.

“You secure your holidays first, and then design your work around them,” she explains.

In Sweden, where Ericsson is headquartered, the workday often starts early, and meetings rarely take place after 3pm. By late afternoon, offices are already quiet.

In Japan, working across global teams means navigating time zones. Meetings sometimes extend into the evening, especially when collaborating with Europe or North America.

Flexibility works both ways.

“If I have late meetings, I can start my day later,” she says. “That flexibility makes it possible to maintain balance.”

The power of connection in everyday moments

That balance is not only about schedules. It is also reflected in how people connect.

One example is Fika, a Swedish tradition of taking a break with coffee and sweets.

“At Ericsson, people naturally gather for Fika,” she says. “Sometimes even with 50 people.”

These informal moments bring people together across roles and hierarchies, creating space for open and relaxed conversations.

“It helps build relationships in a very natural way.”

Growing beyond language and borders

In a multinational environment, English is the default language, but it does not feel like a barrier.

“Most of us are not native speakers,” she says. “People listen carefully, even if your English isn’t perfect.”

At the same time, many international colleagues are learning Japanese. This creates a culture where people support each other and learn together.

“You can develop your language skills after joining,” she adds. “What matters is the willingness to communicate.”

From curiosity to career

Nahoko’s interest in science started early.

As a high school student, she dreamed of becoming an astronaut. She went on to study physics at university, and later engineering in graduate school.

Although she did not enter the space industry as she had once imagined, she was assigned to wireless communications in her first job. That decision became the starting point of her career.

Through her work, she experienced the full journey of technology, from standardization to development and real-world implementation.

She was drawn to both the speed and the impact of the industry.

“Telecommunications is not just about communication anymore,” she says. “It is infrastructure that supports society, across industries and even into space.”

When local ideas shape global standards

One of the most memorable moments in her career came during her time as a solution manager.

She worked to turn a customer need in Japan into a globally recognized solution, a process that required persistence and close collaboration with headquarters.

“It wasn’t easy to get local ideas accepted,” she says. “I traveled to Sweden and had many discussions.”

Eventually, the solution was approved for development and adopted by operators around the world.

“That was the moment I truly felt that a need from Japan had become a global standard.”

Balancing leadership, work and life

Today, what motivates her most is simple.

“Being able to help others and hearing ‘thank you.’”

Her journey has not been without challenges. Balancing work and parenting was one of the most difficult phases.

“There was never enough time,” she recalls.

What made a difference was setting clear priorities, communicating openly with her manager, and finding support within internal communities of women.

“Sharing challenges and not carrying everything alone made a big difference.”

A culture that enables courage

At Ericsson, she sees a culture built on rational thinking and trust.

“Unnecessary complexity is removed, and failure is seen as learning,” she says.

This creates a sense of psychological safety, making it easier for people to take on new challenges.

“When you know failure will not be judged negatively, you can challenge yourself without fear.”

Looking ahead

Nahoko is now focused on strengthening connections between Japan and Ericsson’s global organization.

One of her key initiatives is building exchange programs that enable people to learn across regions.

“I want to create more opportunities for people to share knowledge and grow together,” she says.

She also hopes to see more sustainability initiatives in Japan, using mobile technology to help reduce environmental impact.

A message to those considering the leap

For anyone hesitating about taking the next step, her advice is clear.

“My motto is: better to try and regret than not try at all.”

“Even if you fail, you learn.”

At Ericsson, challenges are not only accepted, they are encouraged.

“You’re not alone. There are people around the world facing similar challenges. Just sharing them can make things feel lighter.”

“If you want to test your potential, this is a place where you can.”