My name is Haruhiko Hirate. I was appointed executive vice president and chief corporate affairs officer in January 2022. For 42 years I worked mostly in the healthcare industry, engaged in trading, marketing, corporate strategy, and other endeavors, work which also saw me posted overseas for several years.

Over the past 25 years I have served in various managerial positions, during which time I have witnessed the trials and tribulations that occur within the offices of executive management, as well as the joys of success and development of talents. It is against this background that I will be focusing my efforts on reforming the Dentsu Group Head Office functions, in preparation for the future.

I feel that my life’s mission is to help cultivate next-generation managers, while also trying to encourage Japan’s somewhat conservative companies to assume a more global outlook. Fairness is what I believe is important in business and I have always embraced this philosophy while designing corporate operations with a hands-on approach.

The traditional Japanese system of in-house personnel rotation has become, I believe, an obstacle to professional development. This is because—certainly in our case—demands for specialization and diversity of talent have grown. Going forward, I hope we can attract employees from all backgrounds—driving true inclusivity. I envision those at dentsu to develop ever further and become more passionate about their work, as the Group regards our talent as the true capital of our business.

Looking back over the past decade or so, companies used to discuss how they could contribute socially in management meetings, before presenting their ideas to shareholders. Now, the reverse is true: society is demanding companies operate with the aim of realizing a sustainable society.

All enterprises must therefore respond to these demands and live up to their responsibilities. Dentsu Group has long been aware of its role behind the scenes too; however, we now plan to ramp-up our indirect and direct efforts in order to better contribute to society.

I therefore expect the whole Dentsu Group, a company of Japanese birth, to serve as a world-class model. Being the largest advertising agency in Asia and based in Japan, we need to be mindful of our identity as well as champion the ideal of B2B2S. The Group, moreover, should take pride in its standing and act with resolve to provide trusted client support and social contributions on the global stage.

Since joining in January, many times I have heard “Talent is our key asset and our key differentiator,” echoed throughout the building. Thus, we should not forget that how we develop talent now will likely become even more challenging in a world that is forever changing.

For this reason, I will set out to leverage my experience and know-how to nurture the talents of the next generation. When reflecting on my personal and professional life, I will have no regrets if it is said of me that, “Hirate was a manager who made great strides in turning employees into talents.”

I have high confidence that my presence here will both support the success of the Group and drive forward the social contributions society expects of us. For me, dentsu represents the ultimate stage of my professional career, throughout which I have steered many corporate reforms. Although already a great company, I have every intention of realizing the reforms needed for dentsu to scale even greater heights.