Shin Shibata, CEO of Net Protections, will speak at Corporate Rebels Summit 2026, taking place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on November 19–20, 2026. Under the theme “How We Abolished Managers,” he will share with business leaders and practitioners of organizational change from around the world how Net Protections has grown its business without managers, while operating as a publicly listed company.
About Net Protections
Net Protections is a pioneer of buy now, pay later (BNPL) payment services in Japan, having launched NP Atobarai in 2002. Today, the company offers a range of BNPL services, from deferred payment for B2C to B2B services that take over invoicing for transactions between businesses, and also operates in Taiwan and Vietnam.
Just as important to us as our business is how we organize ourselves. Guided by our mission, “Create New Standards,” we have sought to create new standards not only in business but also in the way we work as an organization.
The Session and Its Background
In 2018, Net Protections abolished traditional manager positions and replaced them with “catalysts,” a role dedicated to supporting each team’s growth. At the same time, we introduced Natura, our own evaluation system, which shifted the purpose of evaluation from differentiating pay to supporting each individual’s growth. It incorporates practices such as 360-degree feedback and company-wide disclosure of salary bands. Since 2012, we have also run a “Working Group” program that lets members devote 20% of their working hours to projects of their own choosing.
Today, more than 300 members make decisions autonomously, based on trust and a shared purpose rather than instructions from managers. As a listed company, we maintain the official roles required for corporate governance.
Corporate Rebels, the organizer of the summit, has researched and featured Net Protections as a leading example of progressive organizational design in Japan. We also took part in the 2025 summit in Barcelona, Spain, and, on the recommendation of Corporate Rebels, have received the ZeroDX Award hosted by Haier for three consecutive years. Building on this ongoing relationship, Shibata will take the stage at this year’s summit.https://corp.netprotections.com/en/news/info/corporate/20260928/
Since becoming CEO in 2004, he has built the business from the ground up while personally leading the company’s organizational transformation for more than a decade. In his session, he will speak candidly, from a CEO’s perspective, about the journey to abolishing managers, how the evaluation and decision-making systems were designed, and the trial and error encountered along the way.
Learn More About Our Organization
More information about Net Protections’ organization and practices is available below.
・Our Teal organization and the Natura evaluation system: https://corp.netprotections.com/en/culture/
・Corporate Rebels’ article on Net Protections: https://www.corporate-rebels.com/blog/net-protections
About Corporate Rebels Summit
Corporate Rebels Summit is an annual gathering of leaders from around the world who are building organizations that do not rely on hierarchy. The organizer, Corporate Rebels, is based in the Netherlands and researches and shares the practices of progressive organizations worldwide. This year, around 350 participants from more than 30 countries are expected to attend.
Event:
Corporate Rebels Summit 2026
Date:
Thursday, November 19 – Friday, November 20, 2026
Venue:
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Organizer:
Corporate Rebels
Details:
https://www.corporate-rebels.com/summit-2026
Direct any inquiries regarding this news
・Contact: Public Relations, Net Protections, Inc.
・Email: pr@netprotections.co.jp
