Chairman and CEO Hiroyuki Sasaki
Profile
Position
- Chairman and CEO, Pro Labo Holdings Co., Ltd.
- President, Pro Labo Solution Co., Ltd.
- President, Pro Labo Dining Co., Ltd.
- Senior Executive and Vice Chairman, Inner Beauty Medical Foundation (IBMF)
- Board Member, Japan-China Development Association
- Chairman, Beauty Business Compliance Association (BBCA)
- Board Member, Asia Anti-Aging Aesthetic Association (4A)
- Chairman, Japan-China Advanced Medicine and Beauty Association (JCAMB)
- Board Member and Secretary General, Japan Healthcare Service Industrial Association
Career
- 1968
- Born on January 3 in Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Sasaki was raised in Miyamae-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, from the age of 3.
- 1991
- Sasaki graduated from the School of Education, Waseda University.
- 1998
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Following employment at a publicly listed company, Sasaki started his own business.
Utilizing Kawasaki City’s startup support program, he established Wisdom Kyoiku Tsushinsha, a publisher of free papers. Later, he expanded into direct-response advertising and supported numerous e-commerce companies with advertising production and product planning. Several of these companies grew to achieve annual sales exceeding 10 billion yen, earning him high acclaim for his expertise in marketing and branding strategy. - 2002
- The aesthetic salon business was launched.
- 2007
- The business was transitioned to develop high-quality inner beauty products, such as herbal teas and fermented drinks, under the Esthe Pro Labo brand. Operations as a manufacturer began.
- 2017
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About a decade after its launch, the business grew into a salon-exclusive brand supplying products to over 17,700 beauty and wellness establishments nationwide, including aesthetic salons, hair salons, and clinics. Seven directly operated inner beauty counseling salons were opened in locations such as Ginza and Aoyama, offering fasting and dietary analysis by certified professionals, such as nutritionists.
Sasaki received the Higashi-Kuninomiya International Culture Award, one of Japan’s three major royal awards. He was also interviewed by The New York Times as a company supporting women’s empowerment. - 2018
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The Inner Beauty Medical Foundation (IBMF) was established as a research organization dedicated to extending healthy life expectancy for humanity through studies in inner beauty, preventive medicine, and fasting, with the participation of doctors, academics, and beauty professionals.
A new international sister brand, Pro Labo Concept, was launched. The brand was selected for Alibaba’s Tmall, available only to brands recognized by China’s largest e-commerce site, drawing significant attention. - Esthe Pro Labo has now expanded across Asia, including China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia, as well as the United States.
- The products are chosen by top celebrities, including models, actresses, and professional athletes who focus on inner beauty. As an official sponsor of Paris Fashion Week for three consecutive years, the brand has supported the inner care of globally renowned fashion models. It also participated in the Academy Awards’ secret booth. This branding strategy has earned praise both domestically and internationally.
- 2019
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Sasaki was selected for the NEXT ERA LEADER’S AWARDS, which recognizes next-generation leaders making an impact in Asia, by The New York Times.
The Gran Medic brand was launched and received the Popular Health & Beauty Food Brand Award at the Weibo Account Festival in Japan 2019, hosted by Weibo. - 2020
- Sasaki participated in the establishment of the Japan Well-Aging Testing Association and assumed the position of Vice Chairman. He produced the Gran Pro Medical Spa and Gran Pro Dental Clinic Ginza, and also established the Pro Labo Holdings Fukuoka Office and launched Pro Labo Farm, which delivers vegetables grown using a pesticide-free farming method that revitalizes soil microorganisms.
- 2021
- The Inner Beauty business was further expanded with the openings of the Esthe Pro Labo ROPPONGI and Esthe Pro Labo NAGOYA salons. Several new ventures were launched, such as the food and beverage business, which saw the opening of Azabu Kuroshari, the world’s first restaurant with a concept combining gut health and inner beauty. Other endeavors included the Onkatsu x Chokatsu Magma Studio INSEA, which promotes a new fasting style combining thermal wellness and gut health, the FemTech business, which aims to address women’s health challenges through technology, and the Gran Femin brand, which provides products and services supporting women’s life stages.
- 2022
- New inner beauty Esthe Pro Labo salons were opened in Umeda and Sapporo. In the food and beverage field, Azabu Nikushari, an inner beauty meat cuisine restaurant, was launched. The diner features premium ingredients, such as domestic, monensin-free meats and organic, free-range fertilized eggs. In May, EPIUS, an epigenetics cosmetics brand developed through Esthe Pro Labo’s genetic research, was launched. In thermal wellness, THE PROLABO SAUNA, a luxurious, members-only private sauna utilizing patented technology with Mt. Fuji lava, was opened.
Transforming the Beauty Industry with Inner Beauty
We opened our first aesthetic salon in Yokohama back in 2002, and 2022 marks 20 years since I founded this company.
Many of our clients visit our aesthetic salons wanting to slim down. But external treatments through beauty machines and hands-on techniques weren’t delivering the results they truly desired. I realized that achieving beauty and health, the true goals, required turning our attention to inner beauty. To make this vision come true, I concluded that we needed to dig deeper into diet and nutrition. But at the time, there were hardly any inner beauty products backed by solid evidence that could effectively support the body from within.
So, in 2007, we transformed our business into a manufacturer providing authentic, professional-grade products for the beauty industry and started on development. That’s when we launched the Esthe Pro Labo brand. In 2008, we changed our name to Pro Labo Holdings and were reborn as a research institute that creates professional-grade inner beauty products backed by solid scientific evidence.
We highly prioritize researching gut health in order to achieve inner beauty.
It’s been proven that over 70% of immune cells are concentrated in the intestinal tract, and recent studies have shown that gut health is also important for beauty. Based on the simple idea of “putting good things into the gut and keeping bad things out,” we provide high-quality and safe inner beauty products that are designed to improve gut health.
Japan is known for its long life expectancy. But the reality is that many people spend their later years bedridden or managing illnesses with medication. From a healthy life expectancy perspective, these are significant challenges that we can’t ignore. To address them, it’s essential to introduce preventive healthcare (self-medication) at an early stage. And one of the fastest ways to start is through beauty, particularly inner beauty.
Driving Growth Through Purpose and Market Leadership
At the core of Pro Labo Holdings is our purpose-driven management.
Purpose and goals are often confused, but goals are the quantitative and qualitative targets that represent an ideal future state. On the other hand, purpose includes our philosophy and our reason for being, focusing on who we serve and why we exist.
Pro Labo Holdings is a group of individuals who believe in our purpose of extending healthy life expectancy for humanity through inner beauty. To achieve this unwavering purpose, we set clear goals and pursue philosophy-driven management.
Pro Labo Holdings is also committed to its No. 1 Strategy. We aim to become a global leader by establishing our position as the top company in Japan’s inner beauty sector.
Branding is also a strength of Pro Labo Holdings.
A brand represents identity and value, and for Pro Labo Holdings, this means embedding the idea in everyone’s mind that we make high-quality inner beauty products that stand apart from the general market.
To achieve this, we host seminars on enzyme nutrition and intestinal bacteriology through education and training initiatives. We’re also working to promote and raise awareness of inner beauty, for example, by establishing the Inner Beauty Medical Foundation (IBMF) alongside more than 20 healthcare professionals.
Key Values as a Business Leader
Since I started this business, I’ve faced my fair share of challenges. Through those experiences, I realized that the cause of every problem can be found within myself and that genuine strength is necessary to really stand out.
I read many books, learned from those before me, and deepened my knowledge, but the words of entrepreneur Kazuo Inamori particularly resonated with me.
It was the idea that the results of life and work are determined by a multiplication of three factors: mindset, passion, and ability. He explains that passion and ability can range from 0 to 100, while mindset can range from -100 to 100. So, your mindset alone can significantly influence the outcome in either a positive or negative direction.
At Pro Labo Holdings, we’ve added action to the formula. Our staff evaluation criteria are based on a multiplication of mindset, passion, ability, and action. Putting ideas into action in a limited amount of time can be challenging. But that’s why taking action is one of the most important abilities. Avoiding challenges by making excuses or avoiding risks won’t drive the company’s growth. It’s the just-try-it spirit and the ability to take action that really matters.
By basing our management on this philosophy, we strive to earn the trust of our partners and aim to become a company that everyone can rely on. We’re not looking to just sell our products. We are committed to creating a win-win-win relationship with our customers and partners. This includes providing opportunities to learn about enzyme nutrition at a medical level and maintaining fair pricing and standards.
Striving to Be the Global Leader in Extending Healthy Life Expectancy
The global COVID-19 pandemic forced us to adapt in many ways.
One of my favorite phrases is “adapting to the times.” For a company to survive in the long run, it has to stay flexible and adapt to the changes in the world. The pandemic changed consumer behavior and forced changes in our employees’ lifestyles. It made me realize again just how important it is to adapt to the times.
As a company dedicated to long-term success, at Pro Labo Holdings, we aim to enhance our brand strength to become the clear leader in Japan’s inner beauty market before expanding globally. To achieve this, we’re committed to prioritizing the growth and development of our team.
We have a high percentage of female employees in leadership positions and actively support women’s empowerment. We’re also committed to the SDGs and the development of Femtech products that utilize technology to address women’s health concerns.
By focusing on inner beauty and approaching dietary improvement from multiple angles, we will continue to increase our value. With this unwavering determination, we at Pro Labo Holdings aim to contribute to society by extending healthy life expectancy.
Published Works
Branding Strategies to Create a 10 Billion Yen Market
Written by Hiroyuki Sasaki Published February 27, 2021
Purchase on Amazon
From rock bottom to international success in just over 10 years!
The first book by the founder of the top-selling inner beauty brand Esthe Pro Labo.
Discover the extraordinary branding strategies that created a new 10-billion-yen market.
According to data from the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, only about 3% of companies achieve annual sales exceeding 1 billion yen.
Approximately 97% of businesses are unable to surpass this 1-billion-yen line…
Authored by the founder of Esthe Pro Labo, which currently generates approximately 6 billion yen in domestic sales with consistent growth every year, this book covers topics such as leader qualities, sales strategies, brand building, and team and organizational development, making it a must-read for aspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders.
Esthe Pro Labo products have built a new market worth over 10 billion yen in retail value; however, the author’s path to this point was anything but easy.
Five years after the company’s founding, the author found himself facing massive debt, chased by promissory notes, and struggling to manage cash flow, which led him to rediscover what it means to be a leader.
He read hundreds of books by great leaders and on marketing, constantly questioning, “What separates a failing leader from one who grows their business?” Through this process, he came to embrace the spirit of altruism.
In 2007, with renewed determination, he shifted to the manufacturing industry, paving the way for the company’s current business model.
Drawing from extensive business experience and lessons learned through failures, the author provides invaluable insights into cash flow management, organizational development, and brand building. The book explores successful mindsets, action patterns, tactics, and strategies for brand creation.
God Dwells in the Gut
Written by Hiroyuki Sasaki Published March 30, 2022
Purchase on Amazon
The ultimate guide to gut health from the No. 1 inner beauty brand, making waves in the entertainment and sports worlds. Discover why fasting benefits your body and learn beginner-friendly techniques.
Fasting is surgery without a knife.
PART1 Your gut controls your body and mind’s well-being
PART2 Fasting creates energy and beauty [Enzyme Fasting Theory]
PART3 Just skipping breakfast rejuvenates your body from within [Enzyme Fasting in Practice]
PART4 Foods to avoid and foods to choose
PART5 Habits to prevent aging and weight gain
