Professionals with Passion: Cole Spence

Our "Professionals with Passion" initiative is designed to support team members who excel not only in their roles at Robert Walters but also in their personal passions at a professional level. Robert Walters Japan will help the selected individuals develop their craft by providing various support based on their unique needs over the next year.

Cole is an Invoicing Officer on the Robert Walters Tokyo Central Finance team. Outside of work, he has developed his longtime passion of gaming into a serious talent, particularly for Super Smash Bros., joining some of the biggest Super Smash Bros. tournaments.

We asked Cole about his work, his passion for esports, and what he hopes to achieve through this program.

What is your role at Robert Walters, and what is one thing that you are proud of having accomplished at work?  

At Robert Walters Japan, I work in the Central Finance Division on the Credit & Billing team. I joined the company in August 2023, and it has been great fun since! On the billing team, I mostly work on invoicing matters for haken (temporary recruitment), permanent recruitment and Staff Augmentation Services (SAS), creating and sending the invoices as well as resolving any issues that arise with our clients.

Since I’ve joined Robert Walters Japan, I am quite proud of winning the Smash Bros. Tournament during Charity Day 2023! At work I am honestly most proud of the relationships I have with my team members. When work is stressful or busy, we are always there to support each other. I don’t think I could do it without them, so I am incredibly grateful for my team. I am also proud to have learned my role quickly and have been able to learn many new aspects of the business as it relates to billing. It is my desire to continue to learn and grow in my role, keep supporting our consultants well and serving our clients with excellence.

Can you tell us a little bit about your passion outside of work and how long you have been doing it?

I am being supported for esports through this program, but more specifically, I play Super Smash Bros. competitively. I started playing this game with my siblings and friends from a young age like so many people, and when I went to college in 2015, I stumbled into the more “serious” and competitive scene. I’ve been competing on and off all over the United States since then. I have had the opportunity to attend some of the biggest Super Smash Bros. events ever, and it is definitely a huge passion of mine.

I love many aspects of the game, both the competition as well as watching the greatest players compete at the highest level. I have also met many of my greatest friends in my life through these games and events. I can honestly say that it changed my life for the better, so to have the opportunity to represent my company by competing in esports is incredible, and I am very excited about the future!

What are your future goals and aspirations related to your passion that you hope to achieve through this campaign?

Of course my number one goal is to win a tournament one day, but the level of competition is considerably high here in Japan. I think it would be a success to attend many events, meet new people and represent Robert Walters well through it all.  I would also love to branch out into other games with even bigger audiences and opportunities. Attending events, giving it my all in the competition and meeting new people are the main things I hope to accomplish through this sponsorship program. I am so grateful to have been selected by Robert Walters and I will do my very best to make the company proud.