Board of directors

Selection of Directors

The regulations for candidates for director positions stipulate that candidates should have impressive leadership abilities, decision-making skills, vision and planning abilities, and should also have the personal qualities and insight fitting a director, among other qualities. Additionally, current directors who are up for reelection cannot have an attendance rate at Board of Directors’ meetings below 85% without a legitimate reason. In addition, when selected as a candidate, a specific skill matrix should be considered for those skills that directors should have, in light of the Group’s management strategies and business characteristics. The Board of Directors also strives for a balanced structure that reflects gender, global, cultural and other types of diversity in order to facilitate appropriate, swift decision making and promote supervisory functions.

Individuals meeting the requirements who have the skills and who qualify as candidates for director are proposed as official candidates to the Board of Directors after their eligibility and the overall balance of the Board of Directors, among other factors, have been discussed by the Nomination and Compensation Committee. The Board of Directors holds discussions on the candidates for director in light of these reports and the views of the Audit and Supervisory Committee and presents the candidate proposals at the General Meeting of Shareholders.

Skill Matrix

*chart can be scrolled left and right.

Name Experience and expertise
Corporate
management
Knowledge about international business and overseas conditions Financial accounting Technology development Manufacturing and quality Environment Sales and procurement HR development and diversity Legal issues and risk management
Management
strategy

Masanari Yasuda

REPRESENTATIVE DIRECTOR, PRESIDENT

Kenichi Hasegawa

REPRESENTATIVE DIRECTOR, SENIOR MANAGING DIRECTOR

Akihiko Hayashi

DIRECTOR, SENIOR MANAGING OFFICER

Atsushi Igaki

DIRECTOR, SENIOR MANAGING OFFICER

Eiji Toba

DIRECTOR, MANAGING OFFICER

Takahiro Kobori

DIRECTOR, MANAGING OFFICER

Yasushi Suzaki

DIRECTOR, MANAGING OFFICER

Takeshi Ogita

DIRECTOR

Kaori Matsusita

DIRECTOR

Tatsuo Sekine

DIRECTOR, AUDIT AND SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBER

Hajime Hayashi

DIRECTOR, AUDIT AND SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBER

Tomoko Nakada

DIRECTOR, AUDIT AND SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBER

Kenichi Naito

DIRECTOR, AUDIT AND SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBER

Nomination and Compensation Committee

Outside Directors

Independent directors

Appointments of Outside Directors

The Company selects persons with extensive experience in corporate management or expertise in various fields as outside directors in order to provide advice and supervision on management from an independent standpoint, taking into account the characteristics of the company’s business.

When selecting outside directors, in addition to satisfying the criteria for independence set forth in the Companies Act, the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Companies Act, and by Tokyo Stock Exchange, Inc., the company makes its decisions in accordance with its regulations for candidates for directors and Independence Standards for Outside Directors it has set forth. The regulations stipulate that directors may concurrently serve as officers for up to three listed companies including TS TECH.

Reasons for Appointments of Outside Directors
Name Reason for Appointment
Takeshi Ogita Mr. Ogita was engaged in the management of a pharmaceuticals company for many years. Based on his extensive experience and broad insight as a corporate manager, he provides beneficial opinions and suggestions on the management of the Company as an Outside Director. We selected him as Outside Director, in the expectation that he can continue to contribute to ensuring the soundness of management, by reflecting his extensive experience and insight in the management of the Company. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors from June 2022.
Kaori Matsushita Ms. Matsushita has extensive experience and insight gained through the planning and promotion of new business and corporate alliance strategy at a comprehensive IT vendor, and diversity management support at a consulting company. We selected her as Outside Director, in the expectation that she will continue to contribute to enhancing diversity and ensuring the soundness of management of the Company.
Hajime Hayashi Mr. Hayashi has broad insight and extensive experience as an attorney. Since his appointment as Outside Director of the Company, he has appropriately performed audits, such as by giving advice on the management of the Company as necessary. We selected him as Outside Director who is an Audit & Supervisory Committee Member, in the expectation that he can continue to contribute to ensuring the soundness of management, and the audit and supervision of the Company’s management.
Tomoko Nakada Ms. Nakada has extensive overseas experience and broad insight as an attorney. Since her appointment as Outside Director of the Company, she has appropriately performed audits, such as by giving advice on the management of the Company as necessary. We selected her as Outside Director who is an Audit & Supervisory Committee Member, in the expectation that she can continue to contribute to ensuring the soundness of management, and the audit and supervision of the Company’s management.
Kenichi Naito Mr. Naito has extensive experience and insight through financial accounting, domestic and international sales, supervising sales of group companies, corporate management at a major general chemicals manufacturer as well as auditing duties as an auditor. We selected him as Outside Director who is an Audit & Supervisory Committee Member, in the expectation that he can contribute to ensuring the soundness of management, and the audit and supervision of the Company’s management.

Remuneration Policy

TS TECH’s basic policy on executive compensation is to ensure that it is transparent and reasonable, with the potential to further motivate sustained business growth.

We established the Nomination and Compensation Committee, chaired by an outside director and composed of three outside directors and two internal directors, as an advisory body to the Board of Directors. When reviewing the level and calculation method of compensation in consideration of the basic policy and social conditions, revising the compensation structure, or determining the individual compensation for directors for each fiscal year, the Board of Directors makes resolutions based on consultations with the Nomination and Compensation Committee and the deliberations of the Audit and Supervisory Committee.

Officer compensation consists of basic fixed compensation, performance-linked remuneration as a short-term incentive, and non-monetary stock-based compensation as a medium- to long-term incentive to enhance the Group’s corporate value over the medium to long term and further share value with shareholders. The composition of annual compensation is approximately 60% base compensation, 25% performance-linked compensation, and 15% stock-based compensation.

Outside directors and directors who are Audit and Supervisory Committee Members are paid basic compensation only given that their role is to audit and supervise management from an independent perspective.

Analysis and Evaluation of the Board of Directors’ Effectiveness

In an effort to maintain and improve the Board of Directors’ functions, we evaluate its overall effectiveness yearly. These evaluations of effectiveness have been conducted continuously since fiscal 2019. This is the fifth of these evaluations.

Fiscal 2023 Evaluation Process

1. Each director conducts a questionnaire-based self-evaluation (February–March 2023)

Subjects: All directors
Aggregation method: Anonymous questionnaire responses. External organization commissioned to perform aggregation.
Evaluation items: (Board of Directors’ composition)
Board of Directors’ composition, level of diversity, number of independent directors, etc.
(Deliberations and resolutions)
Strategy monitoring, business portfolio optimization, appropriate allocation of management resources, etc.
(Operation of the Board of Directors)
Number of items for deliberation, frequency of meetings, amount of time spent deliberating and time distribution, the system for providing information necessary for deliberations, etc.
(Individual framework evaluations)
Executive compensation scheme, management appointment and dismissal process, structural process construction for the risk assessment system, etc.

2. Board of Directors conducts discussions and summarization (May 2022)

The overall effectiveness of the Board of Directors is analyzed and evaluated on the basis of the questionnaire results, as well as comparisons with the previous fiscal year’s evaluation results, and trends seen in responses to each of the questions. Deliberations are held on policies to be taken to further increase effectiveness.

Evaluation Results and Future Initiatives

Overall Evaluation Results

  • Our Board of Directors was evaluated as making progress in ensuring diversity in its composition, as holding active discussions in which each director makes use of their respective expertise and experience, and as maintaining its effectiveness.
  • Outside directors are provided with advance explanations and information on Board meeting proposals. However, there can still be understanding and perception gaps between outside and internal directors pertaining to such matters as industry and competitor trends. The provision of supplementary information is therefore required.

Future Initiatives

  • Ongoing consideration of steps to take to address anticipated issues regarding the number of directors and ensuring the Board’s diversity
  • Provide opportunities for free-flow, unrestrained discussion at Board of Directors’ meetings in order to tap the expertise and gain the broad perspectives and opinions of each outside director on themes such as growth and human resources strategies, and manage operations efficiently to ensure sufficient time for such discussions

Development and Selection of Successors

The TS TECH Group has set out the qualities, skills, and experience we seek in the people who will take on responsibility for management as directors and executive officers. We offer selective training and other programs to develop the successors who will drive the company’s future success.

In our step-by-step selective training programs for managers and general managers, we aim to nurture human resources with advanced interpersonal skills, dignity, and management capabilities. We do this by enhancing the skills and knowledge required of managers, such as skills in management strategy and financial accounting, as well as broadening perspectives, using various curricula.

At the stage where we select our successors, the Nomination and Compensation Committee, chaired by an outside director, determines director and executive officer candidates’ suitability as next-generation management personnel, including their career background, areas of expertise and personability. After a process of careful deliberation the final decision is made by the Board of Directors.