The story of a leader who has gained her wisdom not through a formal avenue of systematic study, but by traversing the unknown, fueled by curiosity and determination to achieve operational excellence, is the essence of her extraordinary journey. The journey of curiosity proves that leadership is about learning, evolving, and trying to turn a challenge into an opportunity. In the hyper-competitive field of consulting and technology, leaders exist who, by definition, do not have the journey of linear clarity but one of transformational turns that clarify and strengthen focus and resolve. Didi Haase, Hitachi Solutions Chief Operating Officer, is one of them. Her path to becoming COO demonstrates how to embrace change and transform setbacks into valuable learning opportunities.
Her tale is a strong witness to a philosophy that reaches beyond the mere career advancement, founded on a fundamental interest in the “inner mechanics of how organizations really work.” Early on in her career, in a rapidly expanding company with little support, she had to master everything on the fly. “We created our own spreadsheets to handle budgets, monitor performance, and make strategic choices,” she remembers. This informal, autodidactic crucible was far from a constraint but a grounding in leadership and operational effectiveness, setting off a lifelong passion to “figure out why things work the way they do, and how they could work better.”
This process of self-discovery came to a turning point when she was passed over for a position for which she had her heart set. Rather than view it as a backward step, she thought of it as an opportunity. She departed to take on a wider role, an expansion that encompassed functions including HR, Finance, and Legal, and enabled the inclusion of critical organizational functions under her guidance. “The learning curve was again steep,” she says, but it was a lesson that helped solidify her understanding of business as an ecosystem
A Leader Forged in Values
Didi’s journey is a powerful demonstration of how a leader is defined not just by their titles, but by their core principles. She has always possessed the structured, efficient mindset of a true COO, instinctively reengineering processes whether in a business workflow or her own home. Her natural curiosity drives her to constantly ask ‘why,’ not to challenge authority, but to understand and improve. As she puts it, “I’m a connector, constantly spotting synergies across teams and disciplines, and reducing redundancy.”
Her leadership is built on a foundation of integrity, empathy, and courage. Integrity ensures her actions align with her words, creating the trust that is the bedrock of any successful team. Empathy allows her to lead with understanding, valuing every voice. And courage, she believes, is what enables progress—the willingness to challenge the status quo and make bold decisions even in uncertainty. “These values guide how I show up every day,” she reflects, “how I build relationships, and how I lead teams through both opportunity and adversity.”
The Moment of Transformation
There was a defining moment when Didi realized she was ready for an executive role. Her initial reaction to being promoted was disbelief: “Me? Really?” She had always seen executives as “superhuman,” but once in the role, the realization was transformative. She quickly discovered she belonged, feeling just as capable as her peers. This newfound confidence allowed her to lean in, grow faster, and push herself further. Each promotion wasn’t about the title, but about the opportunity to see the business through a more strategic lens and to drive meaningful change. “I wanted to understand how organizations connect, how they evolve, and how continuous learning fuels transformation,” she says.
The Art of Balance
As COO, Didi has mastered the art of balancing strategic oversight with day-to-day execution. She believes that effective leadership requires operating at multiple altitudes, “zooming in for detail and execution, and zooming out for vision and direction.” Her goal is to empower her team to handle daily operations autonomously, freeing her up to focus on long-range planning and setting the “North Star”—a bold, unifying vision for the company. The bulk of her work, however, is in the “middle space,” where she translates strategy into action through incremental changes. It’s a constant calibration, knowing “which changes to make, when to make them, and how much the organization can realistically absorb.” Her leadership is an inspiring dance between vision and execution, all while keeping the destination and her people in sight.
A Blueprint for Innovation: Navigating a Changing World
Didi’s leadership at Hitachi Solutions is built on a culture that thrives on innovation, agility, and accountability in an era of unprecedented change. She believes that innovation requires clear direction. “A culture of innovation starts with intentional investment,” she states, emphasizing the need to help teams understand their value to the organization’s future. For her, creativity must be channeled into scalable and reusable solutions. This creates a challenging but crucial balance between agility and scalability, where processes are added to empower, not to stifle, speed. To ensure this, she regularly asks herself: “Did this process improve outcomes, or just add friction?”
This approach is grounded in a strong culture of accountability. Didi believes in setting clear, measurable goals and trusting the data over anecdotes to guide decisions. “Without accountability, you can’t identify, define, and measure progress,” she says. This data-driven mindset ensures that agility is purposeful and that teams are aligned on priorities.
Leading in the Age of AI
Didi identifies the rapid evolution of AI as the defining challenge in the technology services industry. For her, the challenge is twofold: “First, we’re looking inward: How can we leverage AI to become faster, smarter, and more efficient in how we operate? Second, we’re looking outward: How do we lead our customers through their own AI journeys?” This dual focus requires a mindset of continuous learning, strategic foresight, and the ability to connect dots across disciplines. She views AI not just as a tool but as a catalyst that is reshaping the entire industry. “We’re not just reacting to change—we’re also helping to shape it,” she says.
The Architect of a Modern Enterprise
Didi’s leadership is exemplary in building a modern, resilient organization. She recognizes that for a global systems integrator, staying ahead requires more than just technical expertise. It demands a deep understanding of market dynamics and client strategy. “We help customers envision their future, build roadmaps, and navigate change,” she says. This focus on Advisory Services and Change Management allows Hitachi Solutions to do more than implement technology; it helps clients lead their own digital transformation journeys.
Her approach to balancing innovation and operational efficiency is particularly insightful. Didi describes it as a dual-track strategy: “Innovation is the future—and operational efficiency is the now.” Operational efficiency is a continuous effort, managed through a small number of tightly focused projects each year to avoid stretching resources. Innovation, on the other hand, is a long-term investment. The dedicated Innovation Team operates with a three-year roadmap, driving transformative opportunities with a clear “North Star” for guidance. When multiple teams were found to be working on similar AI projects in silos, Didi’s response was not to stifle creativity, but to build a funnel to capture it. Ensuring that viable solutions are vetted for scalability and developed into hardened offerings.
Empowering a Diverse Workforce
Didi believes that the greatest strength of an organization lies in its people, and she has built a multi-layered ‘listening engine’ to ensure every voice is heard. Acknowledging that ‘listening to employees isn’t one-size-fits-all,’ she has implemented a variety of feedback channels, from anonymous surveys to weekly updates and open town halls. These are complemented by specialized groups like Centers of Excellence and Employee Resource Groups, which “surface insights that might otherwise go unheard.” Her goal is to create a culture where feedback is welcomed and acted upon, giving every employee the chance to be part of the conversation if they so desire.
This approach—balancing operational discipline with visionary innovation, all while empowering her people—is what powers Didi Haase’s momentum. She is not just a COO; she is an architect of change, building a sustainable organization that can lead through complexity and uncertainty.
Building the High-Performing Team: A Foundation of Clarity
For Didi, the single most critical element in building a high-performing team is clarity. She sees an organization like a building: every component, from the foundation to the roof, must be precisely placed and executed with quality. ‘If the foundation isn’t level, the walls crack,’ she explains. This powerful metaphor underscores her belief that when team members understand their specific roles and how their work contributes to the bigger picture, performance accelerates. It creates a ‘chain of excellence—each link reinforcing the next.’ Didi’s commitment to this principle is unwavering, and she continuously refines communication and eliminates ambiguity to ensure that every team member can ‘go deep in their craft, execute with confidence, and trust that others are doing the same.’
The Mentor’s Approach: Cultivating Leaders
Didi is not just a leader of a company; she is a mentor who actively cultivates the next generation of executives. Her approach is built on intentional connection and a commitment to fostering trust. She holds weekly one-on-ones with her leadership team, a practice that, while frequent, is designed to build the trust necessary for them to ‘collaborate respectfully and challenge constructively.’ These meetings go beyond updates; they are forums for coaching and guidance. She encourages her team to ‘take off the hat of their individual business unit and put on the hat of the company,’ a simple but powerful shift in mindset that fosters strategic thinking and shared accountability. She believes leadership isn’t about having all the answers but about having the courage to change what’s not working, valuing people and process, and setting the right tone for others to follow.
The Vision for the Future
Looking ahead, Didi’s vision for Hitachi Solutions is to remain a ‘people-first technology services company.’ While the traditional revenue model of billing by the hour is changing, she believes that the human element will be more critical than ever. The future, she explains, is about advisory services and outcome-based solutions. The firm will no longer implement platforms; it will help clients reimagine their businesses through AI-driven processes. This means shifting from being measured by effort to being measured by impact. This bold vision is fueled by a commitment to invest in her team, ensuring that every individual contributes to shaping the future of technology services.
Didi Haase’s story is a compelling journey of a leader who understands that true excellence is a continuous endeavor, built on a foundation of integrity, a relentless pursuit of clarity, and a profound commitment to her people. Her legacy is not just in the success of a business, but in the enduring principles she has used to build a culture where everyone, from a young professional to a seasoned executive, is empowered to lead.
