Transitioning to a New Management Structure with the Start of the Current Mid-term Plan

From April 2025, I have become the chairman and director, and Yuji Asako has become the president and representative director.
With the conclusion of the previous Mid-term Plan, which ran from April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2025, and the start of the current one, we transitioned to a new management structure. Under this new structure, we will continue to promote our strategies while working to make our decision-making more consistent.
In FY2025.3, we achieved a record-high performance through the collective strength of the Group, and this has brought me a great sense of joy and accomplishment. However, while we recorded significant growth in existing businesses under the period of the previous Mid-term Plan, I believe we are now faced with the issue of establishing new business pillars under the current Mid-term Plan. I fully expect that the new president, Yuji Asako, understands this issue and will take steps to address it moving forward. Mr. Asako was involved in the management integration of Bandai Co., Ltd. and Namco Limited in 2005. In 2010, he was appointed as a director of Bandai Namco Holdings Inc., and since then, he has fulfilled key management responsibilities, particularly in the areas of corporate planning and business administration. He also has a track record as CFO, being involved in Groupwide financial and capital strategies, engaging in repeated dialogues with capital markets, and building strong relationships with various stakeholders. He has also held roles as chief sustainability officer (CSO) and chief information security officer (CISO), demonstrating his ability to lead cross-organizational functions across the Group. Looking ahead to the future, the Group’s management team will be expected to not only pursue business growth but also ensure that the Group fulfills its social responsibilities as a corporate citizen. From this standpoint, I believe Mr. Asako is exceptionally well-suited for the role, as he brings multifaceted insight and the ability to provide leadership that is well-aligned with changing societal needs.
Furthermore, I believe that the newly appointed executive vice president, Nobuhiko Momoi, will play a key role in not only strengthening collaboration between Units and regions but also actively promoting co-creation and collaborations with external partners. Going forward, the Bandai Namco Group must go beyond simply what it has done in the past to explore the potential in areas not entirely covered by its existing businesses as well as completely new business domains. I believe we can achieve further growth if we are able to cultivate new domains through alliances and collaborations with external partners, rather than handling everything only within the Group. The close collaboration between Mr. Asako and Mr. Momoi provides an extremely robust structure that can serve as the engine for driving the success of the Mid-term Plan.

Making New Contributions in My Role as Chairman

Looking ahead, I will strive to contribute to management by providing support to Mr. Asako from both the perspective of Groupwide optimization and from the standpoint of my position as chairman. In the transition to the new management structure, I have relinquished my representative authority so that Mr. Asako could take over as the sole representative. This decision was based on my belief that it is better to have a single person be the ultimate decision-maker. A similar approach was taken when I was appointed as president. At that time, I made decisions based on careful consideration and reflection while receiving the support of then-Chairman Mitsuaki Taguchi. I feel that, to ensure effective management, it is crucial that each director takes responsibility in their respective area of expertise, while the representative director ultimately assumes responsibility for decision-making that contributes to corporate value enhancement.
In the selection process for the new management structure, the Personnel Committee, a voluntary body that comprises a majority of outside directors and is chaired by an outside director, held repeated discussions covering various aspects. The outside directors offered advice and recommendations in line with succession plans based on a thorough understanding that the new management structure is well-suited for realizing the further growth of the Group going forward.

Realizing Further Growth by Bringing Together the Group’s Strengths Through Our Purpose and Mid-to Long-term Vision

Looking back on the four years I served as president, I am very proud of the fact that we were able to more than double our operating profit. This result was of course made possible through the dedication of our frontline personnel who take pride in working for the Bandai Namco Group. I also feel that establishing our Purpose, which is the ultimate definition of the Group, was a major accomplishment. Rather than adopting a top-down approach, we formulated the Purpose through the lens of our employees, and I have been extremely impressed by how many employees have taken the Purpose to heart and put it into practice in their daily work. At the same time, I am extremely pleased with the high employee engagement survey scores that we continued to achieve during my time as president.
The entertainment industry of today is truly brimming with opportunities. By repeatedly taking on challenges in this positive operating environment, we can evolve into a more dynamic Bandai Namco Group. To that end, we will continue to strive to form 360°connections with fans and creating a world of smiles and happiness. We sincerely ask for your continued support and encouragement as we pursue these endeavors moving forward.