I joined Ansys in October of 2021 as a part of the Zemax acquisition. So it’s been almost three years with Ansys and about 17 years with Zemax.
My degree is in architecture so naturally my first job was at a real estate company. However, I was assigned to sales and that was the start of my career.
I always had a passion for technology and spent a few years working at a patent firm for an overseas patent application of high-tech products. My interest in sales and technology came together when I found a new job at a distribution company specializing in optics and photonics hardware and software products. This is when I first started working with the Zemax business as a channel partner. After seven years as a channel partner, I moved on to join Zemax to focus on simulation software.
How I’d Explain My Job to a Kindergartener
My role is like building Lego blocks to find the right piece to put them together to make a desired model. So I work with our channel partners to put all of the pieces together to build our customer’s product package.
Toshi was part of the Zemax acquisition in 2021.
2023 Ansys Japan Channel Partner Bootcamp
What I Actually Do
I’m responsible for the channel business in Japan. Our channel partners are our extended salesforce outside of the organization, so they help us expand our customer base and find new and future use cases. It is important to have strong communication, sales enablement, training, and communication to upper management to align our goals and strategies.
My team works with our channel partners to share Ansys’ offerings and solutions directly with customers and bring in bigger opportunities such as multi-year deals. We also work cross-functionally to support our channel partners as the customer continues their journey outside of the sales execution process, including marketing, customer success with our ACE team, order processing, etc.
Why I Chose Ansys
I am confident about Ansys products, technologies, market growth potentials, and vision.
Family photo at Ansys Japan Family day, October 2023 showing Toshi's wife, Manami, and their daughter, Yuina.
Former Zemax team at Ansys Japan. Photo taken after team dinner in December 2024.
Our ONE Ansys Culture
“Be Open” and “Be You” are my favorite Ansys values. Ansys encourages all employees to have diversity of thought rather than a unified single voice. It is important to know someone’s opinion and respect each other while being open to different perspectives and driving new ideas. If you look at a set of dice, depending on the perspective, you will see different numbers. All dimensions make it one dice. Diversity makes us ONE Ansys.
Ansys really values its employees. I felt this especially during the integration process when Ansys considered career path and additional opportunities for their acquired talents. Even today, managers are encouraged to look inside Ansys first when filling a new position.
Sense of Belonging
I joined Ansys during the pandemic when most of us worked from home. Remote work has its benefits but the downside is the difficulty to have more personal dialogue at work. Meeting colleagues face to face, having a hallway chat, or dinner make it more personal and enhance belonging at work.
My Best Advice
Don’t be shy. Try to proactively communicate and network not only with your team members but also outside of your team. It will help you to understand the bigger scope of business and enables you to seek support from others.
What You Might Not Know
I have a great passion for photography, mainly my family portraits and travel landscapes. I wish I was as good as how much I spent on my lenses …
Photograph taken by Toshi of his daughter dressed up in a kimono for "Shichi-go-san," an event to wish for health and longevity.
Toshi at the 2023 Ansys Japan Channel Partner Bootcamp presenting on Channel Ecosystem and Growth Drivers
"Ansys encourages all employees to have diversity of thought rather than a unified single voice."
— Toshi Nagamine, senior manager channel development, Ansys
