At Coupang, the future of global commerce starts with one goal — “Wow the customer.”
On this International Women’s Day, we spotlight leaders who are driving growth across our markets while shaping what leadership looks like within Coupang.
Wowing customers begins long before an order reaches their door. It starts with hiring and developing exceptional talent, because extraordinary customer experiences are built by extraordinary teams.
In Japan and Taiwan, Aki and Claire lead that effort. Through their leadership in HR and Recruiting, they strengthen talent, build capability, and create high performing environments, accelerating growth while expanding opportunities for more women to lead.
Elevating talent to power Coupang Taiwan’s growth
As Recruiting Director for Coupang Taiwan, Claire focuses on building the leadership foundation for long term success.
Since launching in 2022, Coupang Taiwan has scaled rapidly, expanding its logistics network, growing selection across key categories, and building a customer centered local operation.
“What makes Taiwan impactful is not just growth. It is how we adapted and strengthened Coupang’s global business model for Taiwan, designing it to deliver exceptional convenience and sustainable value for customers and partners.”
Claire believes recruiting has been central to success.
“Recruiting is often the first door through which top talent experiences Coupang. The right hire can accelerate the business. Talent becomes our competitive advantage in Taiwan.”
During a critical period of rapid expansion, her team raised the hiring bar while moving with speed, ensuring the organization could scale without compromising quality.
She is clear about the leadership required as the business continues to grow.
“We need leaders who combine operational excellence with a startup mindset. Leaders who thrive in ambiguity, make data driven decisions, act with ownership, and scale teams while preserving culture.”
Her leadership journey reflects that philosophy. She credits being given ownership before feeling fully ready and leading cross regional transformations as defining moments that strengthened her resilience and strategic thinking. Each experience reinforced her belief that leadership is built through challenge, not comfort.
Now, that perspective shapes how she supports women across the organization. She creates environments where women feel seen, supported, and empowered by providing candid feedback, advocating for their visibility, and ensuring they are considered for stretch roles.
“Leadership does not require perfection. Seek challenges, ask for opportunities, and believe that you deserve a seat at the table. When women lead boldly, the entire organization rises.”
Building the people foundation behind Rocket Now Japan
As Japan HR Director for Rocket Now, Aki shapes the people strategy that enables the business to scale with speed and discipline. She joined shortly after launching with a focus on building a high performing and resilient organization centered on the customer.
Rocket Now is redefining convenience in Japan’s on demand food delivery market through technology, disciplined operations, and a strong culture of ownership.
“HR is a growth engine. We remove friction, accelerate decision making, and build systems that allow the business to scale sustainably.”
Aki strengthened leadership capability, built clear structures for accountability, and identified high potential talent early through stretch opportunities. Within five months, she established the local HR foundation and performance processes that enabled transparent reviews and reduced risk as the organization grew. Many members of her team are women who now lead key areas of the function and continue to take on broader responsibilities as the business scales.
Looking ahead, she believes sustainable growth depends on leaders who scale with discipline while preserving speed and ownership.
“The environment shapes the leader. I was able to demonstrate strong leadership because I had an excellent team around me.”
For Aki, leadership in fast-growing environments requires clarity and courage.
“Clarity over perfection. Courage over hesitation. Empathy with accountability.”
She is equally committed to creating space for more women to lead.
“Own your ambition. Invest in your strengths. Ask for opportunities, not permission. You do not have to fit a mold to lead. You can create your own.”
This International Women’s Day, Claire and Aki remind us that building the future of commerce is also about building opportunities. By investing in talent, strengthening leadership capability, and creating space for more women to lead, they are shaping not only business outcomes, but the future of leadership at Coupang.
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In the fast-paced world of commerce, Coupang Taiwan is breaking trade-offs for our customers by making prices lower, deliveries faster, and providing a vast selection. We sat down with four leaders from diverse organizations to hear their honest take on what it's like to grow with Coupang Taiwan.
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Griselda Dominguez, Director of U.S. Recruiting, focused on elevating Coupang's U.S. hiring and building strong, long-term pipelines as the company's first U.S.-based Principal Recruiter. Click to read her full story.