Dialogue between Inside and Outside Directors

Unifying the Group’s Aspirations and Accelerating Human Capital Enhancement

Director Mizoguchi and Outside Director Kawamoto held a discussion on how the Canon MJ Group is putting its Purpose into practice, advancing the sophistication of its human capital, promoting womenʼs empowerment, and strengthening governance.

Kawamoto : Looking back on the history of the Canon MJ Group, it’s clear that our business has expanded through the integration of various companies via M&A. In this context, the Purpose we announced internally in April 2023 and externally in January 2024 holds great significance in connecting and uniting the hearts and minds of our Group employees. That said, the results of our Group Employee Engagement Survey suggest there is still room for improvement in terms of deeper understanding and embodiment of the Purpose. I hope that top management will continue to promote it passionately and persistently until it is fully embedded throughout the organization.

Mizoguchi : While the Group Employee Engagement Survey shows a general increase in employees who empathize with the Purpose and feel a rewarding sense of contribution through their work, the number remains relatively low among some newly joined Group companies and divisions with limited direct contact with customers.
In order to increase the number of people who embody the Purpose, it is important that each employee recognizes and fully understands the significance of their own role within the Company and broader society. Moreover, they should take ownership of not only their own tasks, but also the processes that come before and after their work. From this perspective of optimizing the whole, I encourage employees to exchange diverse ideas, viewpoints and opinions with others, to respect one another, and to work together to create something new.

Kawamoto : As we strive for growth, it is essential that the entire Group comes together to explore what is truly best by sharing a variety of perspectives. The Canon MJ Groupʼs warm, family-like corporate culture is certainly one of its strengths. However, excessive camaraderie can sometimes lead to inward thinking or a sense of complacency that the status quo is sufficient. By revisiting our roots and aligning around the clearly articulated Purpose, I hope the Group will continue moving forward together with a shared aspiration toward transforming its business model.

Mizoguchi : Since the 1970s, the Canon MJ Group has been engaged in the IT solutions business and has focused on hiring human resources, including sales personnel, who are capable of making objective judgments and conducting analysis based on data and numerical evidence. In recent years, as our business has expanded not only in IT solutions, but also in industrial equipment, I recognize the need to enhance upskilling programs that develop human resources capable of understanding technologies.

Kawamoto : While we are placing emphasis on improving IT skills through internal training, it is important to foster human resources that are recognized both inside and outside the organization. We aim to enhance talent mobility and encourage employees to take advantage of our In-House Recruiting Program, internal FA System, and external business schools and seminars to increase the number of employees who can produce results across a wide range of operations. I hope management will actively assess the utilization and effectiveness of these initiatives, including from the standpoint of external evaluations.

Mizoguchi : As Ms. Kawamoto pointed out, incorporating external perspectives allows for fair and objective personnel evaluations, which in turn can boost employee motivation. Before promotion to the general manager level, we conduct external assessments to objectively evaluate each candidateʼs capabilities and suitability for managerial roles and use it as reference. Additionally, we have revised our selection training programs for managerial candidates to include more external input. For example, in 2024, we conducted a training program for general managers where participants engaged in dialogue with management executives of startups and were asked to develop solutions based on assigned themes. The external review of this training revealed several discrepancies from internal assessments from the field. In particular, we focus attention on areas where external evaluations were high despite lower internal ratings, which provided fresh insights and led to new actions.

Kawamoto : That’s an excellent initiative. Beyond self-assessment, I believe it is important to incorporate third-party evaluations and identify gaps from multiple perspectives, and then continue the dialogue derived from these Analyses.

Kawamoto : At my previous company, many female employees were appointed to leadership positions and were actively engaged across various workplaces. In today’s society faced with increasingly complex and multifaceted issues, achieving sustainable growth requires diverse perspectives in discussions and decision-making. Diverse perspectives are necessary at all levels, from directors and executive officers to general staff. That’s why I have consistently emphasized the need to further strengthen our initiatives to promote women’s empowerment. While the ratio of female managers has been improving, I still feel it remains too low. I also hope to see further efforts to create a more supportive work environment for women.

Mizoguchi : Ms. Kawamoto has consistently pointed this out, and I completely agree that we must move beyond traditional thinking and encourage input from individuals with diverse viewpoints and experiences to foster more creative and innovative ideas. Promoting women’s empowerment is a key part of this. In particular, I believe it is vital to increase the percentage of female managers in leadership positions responsible for driving our business. Based on Canon’s core value of meritocracy, we must provide equal opportunities for everyone to thrive, regardless of gender, and recognize our responsibility to eliminate any barriers that may hinder women’s advancement. To facilitate this, changes in mindset and behavior among those who appoint and promote them are necessary, but so too is awareness among women themselves. To that end, weʼve implemented the Empowerment Program, which offers structured seminars and training aimed at supporting women and cultivating a more proactive mindset. Although the percentage of female managers in our Group by age has gradually increased, rising from 4.7% among those in their 50s to 9.3% among those in their 40s, it still remains below 10% at present. We intend to implement various measures to increase the number of female managers as quickly as possible.

Kawamoto : I also believe there is room to further increase the percentage of women in our new graduate hiring. From the standpoint of promoting women’s empowerment, I hope to see the appointment of female executive officers who can contribute directly to management decision-making.

Kawamoto : In terms of governance and disclosure, we must proactively take the lead with a strong sense of purpose to enhance transparency and objectivity, in line with the expectations of the stock markets. Regarding the discussions on the nomination process for officers at the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, for which outside directors including myself are included as members, outside directors must become more deeply involved. As for the officer remuneration system, there remains room for further consideration, such as the appropriate ratio of stock compensation as a medium- to long-term incentive and the incorporation of non-financial indicators into performance evaluations. It is also important to recognize that the purpose of disclosing non-financial indicators is not to present favorable numbers, but rather to provide a realistic assessment of the current situation. Where gaps exist, the goal should be to demonstrate a clear will to overcome them. It has now been two years since I assumed the role of outside director. I will continue to engage actively, seeking explanations whenever there are uncertainties or doubts, while always keeping the stakeholders’ perspective in mind, so that I can contribute to enhancing the Company’s corporate value.

Mizoguchi : In 2025, we have increased the number of female directors to two and ensured that independent outside directors account for a half of the Board of Directors. I believe it is essential that the Board itself serve as a model of diversity. We will continue to welcome diverse perspectives from our outside directors. We remain committed to driving forward our various initiatives to strengthen human capital with a sense of urgency.