Governance

Ashimori understands the importance of strong corporate governance in improving the efficiency and transparency of management and maximizing corporate value. That’s why we strive to realize strong corporate governance through the following basic policy.

• 1. Respect shareholder rights by ensuring equality among shareholders, creating an environment conducive to the execution of their rights, and protecting these rights.
• 2. Cooperate in a fair and socially decent manner with stakeholders other than shareholders.
• 3. Disclose information in accordance with the law, and ensure transparency by proactively disclosing information not required by law.
• 4. Have the Board of Directors properly exercise its roles and duties so that we can carry out transparent, fair, and flexible decision-making.
• 5. Carry out constructive dialogue with shareholders in sharing a direction for long-term, stable growth.

We have a Compliance Committee chaired by our president. It meets twice a year, in principle, to report on progress in compliance activities and scheduled plans. The Compliance Department holds ongoing training and education. In fiscal 2020 and 2021, it held 16 sessions each year using an e-learning system. Certain training is mandatory for all relevant employees in Japan and overseas.
At overseas group companies, training specific to each country and region is held in order to improve compliance in the workplace. Compliance guidebooks have been created and distributed to all worldwide employees containing fundamental guidelines to follow in conducting business activities.

To boost effectiveness of the compliance management system, we have formulated the Compliance Consultation and Whistleblower Protection Rules. We have a whistleblowing system in place inside and outside the company which all employees, including those of group companies, can use to directly consult on or report matters. Some group companies also have their own whistleblowing system. Ashimori’s Compliance Department conducts surveys among all group company employees in order to find out about issues such as harassment and compliance violations at the earliest possible date.

October is Compliance Awareness Month at Ashimori, during which we hold our annual Compliance Convention. At the fiscal 2022 convention, held online again following 2021, our president and the head of the Compliance Department delivered messages to all employees about what it takes to be a company trusted by society.

We have formulated in-house information security standards for all group companies in Japan as we strive to strengthen information security measures. Our overseas group companies have been undergoing information security inspections by third-party assessment firms since fiscal 2021. We promptly deal with any problems that arise from these inspections, and we make the necessary relevant investments in strong and stable information security systems to ensure customer trust is our top priority. We also constantly work closely with business partners to strengthen information security.

We have two internal control policies: the Basic Policy on Internal Control; and the Implementation Policy for Internal Control Assessment Related to Financial Reporting (Basic Plan Document). Based on these, the Internal Audit Office, under the direct supervision of the president, conducts internal audits of the Ashimori Group, including all worldwide group companies. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, fiscal 2020 to 2022 audits for group companies, except those located near the Head Office, were mostly conducted online.