Message from a Newly Appointed Outside Director

As a civil servant, I have spent many years working in education, lifelong learning, the arts, and culture. Throughout my professional life, my personal mission has been to play a useful role in society, and in the civil service I worked with private companies to support the arts and culture. At that time, trailblazing companies interested in the arts and culture engaged with the sector as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Now, however, corporations are beginning to step up their sustainability initiatives and place emphasis on contributing to society and winning public trust. Thus, my personal mission is highly compatible with the duties of an outside director today.

The Board of Directors of the Company has the crucial duty of determining the strategic direction for the entire Group. As an outside director, my role is to focus on the Group’s strategic aims and offer my opinions from a standpoint that reflects the “eyes of society” rather than the standpoint of company officers in charge of business. Compared with my extensive experience in the public sector, some aspects of a private corporation’s logic and circumstances are unfamiliar to me, as the main purpose of a company is to pursue profit. I intend, however, to draw on this unfamiliarity as a unique characteristic to encourage new perspectives among the other Board members.
In the civil service, I was involved in promoting gender equality for many years, and I can use this experience to help foster diversity and eliminate the gender gap. The Group adopts Sei-katsu-sha Insight as one of its major policies yet, despite the fact that women comprise at least half of all sei-katsu-sha, I was the first woman to be appointed as a director. Furthermore, the percentage of women working in managerial roles is still relatively low. The Group needs to build a framework that allows all employees, regardless of gender, to achieve their potential and enjoy working for many years. Through such a framework, the Group will become a more attractive place to work and will be able to generate significant social value. Of course, diversity is not simply a matter of the ratio of women to men. Having worked in promoting gender equality and as the only woman on the Board, I intend to offer my frank opinions from a fresh perspective for the Group.

Corporate value is enhanced not only through the pursuit of profit but also through gaining the trust of society by resolving social issues. The Group has established “realizing a society in which sei-katsu-sha can flourish and live active lifestyles of their choosing” as its sustainability goal, and is engaged in various activities and initiatives toward this goal. The Group has now developed an extensive lineup of businesses that stretch beyond advertising. Moreover, as the Hakuhodo DY Group now collaborates with diverse partners and industries, it has greater power to tackle social issues without being constrained by conventional frameworks.
In order to align the strategic direction of the Group with its sustainability goal, I will offer my honest opinions not only as part of the “eyes of society” but also as a sei-katsu-sha myself.