Outside Directors Roundtable Discussion

I believe outside directors have two main roles. The most important role is to "oversee the execution of duties by the management team, including the president, from an external perspective." This involves overseeing whether governance, spending, personnel allocation, organizational structure, etc., are appropriate and whether they enhance corporate value and lead to growth. On the other hand, there is also the role of "providing advice from an external perspective." Having had extensive experience in human resources and risk management, I offer advice from that viewpoint.

I have been involved in the automotive industry for many years, and having previously conducted research on engine efficiency, I can also offer advice from a technical perspective. I sometimes delve into specific development challenges, but I need to find a balance, as getting too involved internally would prevent me from properly fulfilling my role as an outside director.

Our company has a very broad range of services and the potential to provide a variety of services. The automotive industry, our main market, is undergoing a period of transformation, but we believe that the scope of our contribution will only continue to expand even amidst these changes. We believe that maintaining our founding spirit of sincerely responding to customer feedback will lead to good results. When you continue the same business for many years, your framework can become fixed, and maintenance can become the goal itself, causing you to miss out on the original purpose and needs. However, with President Ogoshi leading the way, we are now consciously working to prevent this from happening, and we believe that if we continue on this path, we will continue to grow.

I agree. I believe our company has a good culture, and by leveraging those strengths, we can become a company that can thrive in a variety of markets. On the other hand, the biggest challenge to our growth is the lack of human resources. It would be good if we could accelerate the streamlining of our operations to free up resources and focus more on deepening our presence in existing markets and expanding into new ones. I also believe that actively promoting open innovation with other companies is a measure we should take.

I think the current approach of using both real-world testing and modeling is a good one. However, as Director Kimura mentioned earlier, resources are limited, so we need to be selective and focus our efforts.

I also think it has growth potential.

I agree. However, until now, these strategies have mostly been adopted by domestic companies expanding overseas, so if you want to grow your business overseas, it's important to implement measures to get your products adopted by local companies.

We would appreciate both your warm support and constructive criticism from those outside the company, as we will use it to motivate us. Our employees are all highly motivated and talented. We hope they will utilize their diverse talents and grow together while valuing communication with one another.

Our company is steadily evolving towards sustainable growth and increased corporate value, so we hope you will take a long-term perspective. Furthermore, we possess excellent technology and tradition, so we encourage you to take on challenges with confidence and let's forge a new world together.