I will spur Sojitz forward in evolving to accomplish the goals of Medium-Term Management Plan 2023 in order to improve corporate value.

In FY2022, we continued our efforts to strengthen our governance structure and focused on stimulating discussion at Board of Directors meetings.

Our Board of Directors has a diverse membership with a wide range of age groups and various backgrounds. Furthermore, the proposals for the election of directors were approved by the General Shareholders’ meeting held on June 20, 2023, and the composition of the Board of Directors is such that Outside Directors constitute the majority. With this, we intend to further strengthen our governance.

In addition, to ensure that discussions at Board of Directors meetings are constructive and substantive and promote the implementation of medium- to long-term strategies, we are continuously reviewing the criteria for submission of proposals and improving the efficiency of the Board of Directors' operations.

As a general trading company with global operations, we will continue to support management by providing proactive proposals from various perspectives, not to mention exercising our supervisory function, in order to take on challenges bravely and improve corporate value while assessing risks.