G

Corporate Governance

Basic Philosophy

Under the holding company structure, Nichirei Group’s operating companies engage in a wide range of businesses, including processed foods, marine, meat and poultry products, temperature-controlled logistics, and biosciences. In pursuit of sustainable growth and the enhancement of corporate value over the medium to long term, the Company’s Board of Directors formulates Group strategies and supervises the business execution of operating companies.
The holding company adheres to the principles of the Corporate Governance Code and views the achievement of fair and transparent management as an important management issue. Accordingly, under the supervision of the Board of Directors, we will continue to strengthen governance by promoting appropriate resource allocation, speeding up decision-making and ensuring thorough compliance.
In addition, we have established ourselves as a company with an Audit & Supervisory Board system, an institutional design specified in the Companies Act of Japan.

Nicihrei Corporation, Strategic Planning, Nichirei Corporation, Quality Assurance Division, Nichirei Corporation, Technology Management, Nichirei Corporation, Corporate Internal Audit, Nichirei Corporation, Corporate Supervise, Nichirei Corporation, Legal Affairs, Nichirei Corporation, Human Resources Strategy & General Affairs, Nichirei Corporation, Finance & Investor Relations, Nichirei Corporation, Accounting & Tax, Nichirei Corporation, Group Communication, Nichirei Foods Inc., Nichirei Fresh Inc., Nichirei Logistics Group Inc., Nichirei Biosciences Inc., Hitachi Foods & Logistics Systems,Inc., NIchirei Bisiness Partners .inc

Management System

Corporate Governance Structure (As of June 25, 2025)

Corporate Governance Structure

Activities Aimed at Strengthening the Nichirei Group’s Corporate Governance Structure

Activities Aimed at Strengthening the Nichirei Group’s Corporate Governance Structure

Overview of Board of Directors
Composition 11 directors (5 outside directors)
Number of
meetings in
FY2025
20*
Description of
operations
Promotes proper allocation of Group resources, swift decision-making and thorough compliance through supervision of the Group’s strategy planning and business execution of operating companies. After discussion by the Group Strategy Committee, which meets twice a year, the Board of Directors formulates and approves the Group’s strategies and conducts quarterly checks of the status of implementation at each Group business. It also engages in highly effective supervision of executive directors and executive officers.
  • *In addition to the above number of the Board of Directors meetings held, there were two resolutions in writing which are deemed to be resolutions by the Board of Directors pursuant to Article 370 of the Companies Act and Article 26 of the Company’s Articles of Incorporation.
Specific Discussions at Board of Directors’ Meetings

In pursuit of sustainable growth and enhancement of corporate value over the medium to long term, the Company’s Board of Directors formulates the Group’s strategies and supervises the execution of business at operating companies. Specific matters discussed during FY2025 were as follows. Additionally, the details of discussions on underlined items is included.

Management Strategies Review of Vision for 2030 for Group Material Matters (Materiality), Group measures, and targets (KPIs)
Financial Strategy Shareholder returns (acquisition of treasury shares / special dividends) and stock splits
Long-term Management Goal and Medium-term Business Plan Progress, evaluation and review of the medium-term business plan “Compass Rose 2024,” and formulation of the new long-term management goal “N-FIT (Nichirei Future Innovative Tactics) 2035” and the new medium-term business plan “Compass × Growth 2027”
Sustainability Group Material Matters (Materiality), “realizing sustainable food procurement and a circular economy” and “climate change initiatives,” and ESG index evaluation and issues
Governance Strengthening of governance in response to misconduct at the Company’s Chinese subsidiary, and activities of the Nominating Advisory Committee and Remuneration Advisory Committee
Business Strategies Reorganization of functions for the integration of food business
Agenda Description
Formulation of the new long-term management goal “N-FIT 2035” and the new medium-term business plan “Compass × Growth 2027” A committee which has been set up separately from the Board of Directors and is comprised of directors discussed the competitive advantages of the Nichirei Group and the maximization of group synergies from the perspective of long-term management strategies. In response to that, the Group Strategy Committee had further discussions on the long-term management goal and medium-term management strategies on a back-casting basis along the themes of strengthening profitability and improving capital efficiency. The new long-term management goal and new medium-term business plan were drafted, and the Board of Directors discussed and ultimately resolved on the version for disclosure.
Strengthening of governance in response to misconduct at the Company’s Chinese subsidiary Based on reports and recommendations from the investigation committee chaired by an outside director, the committees discussed how to strengthen the Group governance system, ensure thorough compliance, and improve systems. The committees then formulated and publicly announced concrete recurrence prevention measures.
Overview of Audit & Supervisory Board
Composition 5 Audit & Supervisory Board members (3 outside Audit & Supervisory Board members)
Number of
meetings in
FY2025
16
Description of
operations
As a body that is independent from the Board of Directors, the Audit & Supervisory Board communicates with directors, the corporate internal audit departments and other departments of the holding company in accordance with the annual audit policy and audit plan to gather information and prepare the audit environment.
Overview of Nominating Advisory Committee and Remuneration Advisory Committee and Main Deliberations Thereof
  Nominating Advisory Committee Remuneration Advisory Committee
Chairperson Itsuo Hama Outside Director Kenji Hamashima Outside Director
Role Advisory body to the Board of Directors, made up of outside directors and the Representative Director, President
Discusses the suitability of candidates for senior management and directors/Audit & Supervisory Board members, as well as the succession plan, and reports its findings to the Board of Directors.
Advisory body to the Board of Directors, made up of outside directors and the Representative Director, President
Discusses the remuneration system, remuneration levels, the reasonableness of remuneration amounts for officers, and other related matters, and reports its findings to the Board of Directors.
Number of Meetings in FY2025 8 meetings (including 1 meeting held in writing) 7 meetings (including 1 meeting held in writing)
Main Deliberations
  • Succession planning
    Updating the roadmap
    Implementing the succession plan
  • Skill Matrix
  • New structure for the next fiscal year
  • CxO structure and human resources requirements
  • Payment of basic remuneration, performance-linked bonuses and stock compensation
  • Setting targets for the current year’s performance-linked bonuses
  • Verifying the reasonableness of officer remuneration levels and composition
  • Revising evaluation indicators for performance-linked bonuses in line with the new Medium-term Business Plan
  • Revising remuneration structure for Representative Director, President
Election and Term of Office of Directors

The Board of Directors comprises up to 11 members, appointed to one-year terms in order to enhance flexibility in response to changes in business conditions. Resolutions to appoint directors must be approved by a majority of shareholders, with at least one third of those shareholders who have voting rights in attendance. To improve transparency and strengthen supervisory functions, five of the current 11 directors are outside directors. The Board meets at least once a month. The Board of Directors is chaired by the Representative Director and Chairman, who also serves as an executive officer. Together, the Representative Director and Chairman and the Representative Director and President oversee the Group’s overall execution of business.

Audit & Supervisory Board Member System and Role of Audit & Supervisory Board meetings

Nichirei has adopted the audit & supervisory board member system. Of the five audit & supervisory board members, three are outside audit & supervisory board members, of whom one has experience at a financial institution, another is an experienced attorney, and the third has worked at a government agency. Audit & Supervisory Board meets once a month, in principle, convening additional meetings as necessary. Nichirei has established a framework to enhance the supervisory functions of audit & supervisory board members, allowing for the effective use of audit & supervisory board members, and strengthening the supervisory role of management.

Independent Outside Directors and Outside Audit & Supervisory Board Members

The Company adheres to its Criteria for Independence when appointing outside directors and outside audit & supervisory board members designated by the Company as independent directors/audit & supervisory board members. A vested interest in Nichirei is denied outside directors and their close relatives, as well as outside audit & supervisory board members and any companies or organizations of which they are directors or that they serve in other important positions.

Skill Matrix

The Nichirei Group believes that in order for the Board of Directors to effectively fulfill its roles and responsibilities, it must be composed of both inside and outside members with sufficient knowledge and experience in fields related to business management. We have designated the following knowledge and experience as important from a corporate management perspective. In addition to having appropriate experience in all of the following areas, the Company selects director candidates based on the areas in which the Company has particular expectations.

Skills Required for Decision-making in Management (Contributing to Medium- to Long-term Corporate Value)
Corporate Management Demonstrated leadership in corporate management as a top executive; management experience at a listed company with diverse stakeholders
ESG/Sustainability Experience and expertise in promoting ESG initiatives; knowledge of and experience in making value judgments about ESG and social significance and sustainability for companies; knowledge and experience in promoting corporate sustainability; experience and expertise in human resource development related to continuously developing diverse human resources
Global Cross-cultural communication skills and a high level of ability to get things done in overseas business as well as knowledge and expertise about markets, economies and business in specific countries and regions gained through experience including the management of local subsidiaries
Research and Development Experience and expertise in research and development to establish a medium- to long-term competitive advantage
Marketing Experience and expertise in sales and marketing
Human Resources Strategy Experience and expertise in human resource development and strategy to continuously secure and develop diverse talent
DX Experience, including management experience, and expertise in DX and IT-related fields
Skills Required for Supervision in Management (Contributing to Ensuring Continuity of Management)
Corporate Management Demonstrated leadership in corporate management as a top executive; management experience at a listed company with diverse stakeholders
Financial Accounting/Finance Expertise in financial accounting related to financial reporting and auditing; experience and expertise in corporate financing and management
Legal Affairs/Compliance Experience and expertise in legal compliance, regulatory compliance, internal controls, and promotion of norms and corporate behavior required by society; experience in the legal profession; expertise and network related to quality assurance
Experience and Skills
  Corporate
Management
ESG/
Sustainability
Global Research & Development Marketing Human Resources Strategy DX Financial
Accounting/
Finance
Legal Affairs/
Compliance
Directors ⼤櫛 顕也      
竹永 雅彦
(Processed
foods)
         
田邉 弥
(Marine,
meat and
poultry
products)
           
鈴木 健二      
髙久 祐一        
嶋本 和訓
(Logistics)
         
鍋嶋 麻奈          
濱 逸夫      
濱島 健爾          
吉丸 由紀子          
山口 裕視          
Audit &
Supervisory
Board
Members
片渕 哲郎              
柳沢 健二            
齊藤 雄彦              
加藤 孝明            
松島 浩道              
  • * The above list does not represent all the knowledge, experience, and abilities possessed by each director and auditor.
Succession Plan

The Company positions the succession plan for the Group’s senior management, including the president, as one of its most important issues and pursues it from a medium- to long-term perspective based on the corporate management philosophy. Specifically, the Nominating Advisory Committee, which is chaired by an outside director, carries out training, monitoring, and selection of successor candidates according to the selection process, and reports its findings to the Board of Directors based on thorough discussions. Based on the Nominating Advisory Committee’s report, the Board of Directors approves and adopts the proposed new structure for the Group’s senior management.
The initiatives during FY2025 included deliberations on the Skill Matrix and the new organizational structure for the next fiscal year, which are annual deliberation items, and an update to the succession plan. It also continued deliberations and deepened discussions on the CxO structure and requirements for CxOs.

Image of the Succession Plan

  • * In steps ③ to ⑤, periodic 360-degree surveys, human resource assessments by outside organizations, interviews by outside directors, and discussion forums to exchange opinions on the Company’s medium- to long-term issues with outside directors are used/implemented to decide on the final candidates.
Officer Remuneration System

Design of the remuneration scheme for directors and executive officers incorporates the opinions of a third-party organization. Remuneration comprises a base remuneration component and a bonus component. Base remuneration is paid at a fixed rate determined in accordance with a remuneration schedule. Bonuses are paid according to the concept of productivity-linked bonuses, based on the results of the Nichirei Group, the performance-budget achievement rate of the relevant officer’s business area, and an individual qualitative assessment. Outside directors receive base remuneration only; they are not paid a bonus. Nichirei has established a Remuneration Advisory Committee which meets, in principle, once a year to deliberate on such topics as the remuneration system, remuneration levels, and the validity of remuneration, before reporting its findings to the Board of Directors. The committee comprises the Representative Director and President, a audit & supervisory board member, and outside directors. Officer remuneration is determined by the Board of Directors. The total amount of remuneration and bonuses paid to directors must be within the limit resolved at a General Meeting of Shareholders.

①Policies and Methods for Determining Officer Remuneration

The policy for determining individual director remuneration is for the Remuneration Advisory Committee to discuss the appropriateness of each director’s remuneration each fiscal year and for the decision to be made by the Board of Directors. In these discussions, the Remuneration Advisory Committee reflects changes in the management environment and the opinions of shareholders and investors, and obtains information necessary for discussion from third-party agencies with extensive global knowledge and experience.

②Changes in Policies for Determining Officer Remuneration

In conjunction with the commencement of the new medium-term business plan “Compass × Growth 2027” starting in FY2026, we have decided to revise the performance indicators for performance-linked bonuses. Specifically, in order to focus on improving particularly important management indicators, we will abolish the net sales indicator and increase the weighting of profitability and efficiency indicators in the evaluation. Furthermore, to deepen sustainability management, we will replace external ESG third-party assessments with specific ESG indicators selected from Nichirei Group Material Matters (Materiality). In addition, taking into account the increasing roles and responsibilities of top management due to the continuous growth and expansion of the corporate scale of our group, we have decided to expand variable remuneration that contributes to further growth of the group, with reference to objective remuneration market survey data on executive remuneration. There are no other significant changes to the policy for determining directors (and other officers) remuneration for FY2026.

Items Pre-revision (Until FY2025) Post-revision (From FY2026)
Evaluation indicators for performance-linked bonuses (KPI) Net sales, EBITDA, Profit, ROIC, ESG third-party evaluation EBITDA, Performance, ROIC, Corporate ESG evaluation (Internal indicators)
Composition of remuneration ratio of the president
*Role-based remuneration (Fixed remuneration):Performance-linked bonuses:Stock compensation
60%:20%:20% 50%:25%:25%
Policies for Determining Officer Remuneration
①Basic Policies
Directors (Excluding Outside Directors)
  • Remuneration shall strongly encourage directors to perform their duties in accordance with the Group’s Management Principles, Sustainability Policy: The Nichirei Pledge and management strategies.
  • In order to achieve long-term management goals, remuneration is set to strongly motivate directors to achieve specific management goals as stated in the Group’s material matters (materiality) and medium-term business plans.
  • In order for remuneration to serve as an incentive toward the Group’s sustainable growth, the ratio of remuneration linked to short-term results, performance of duties, etc. (performance-linked bonuses) and remuneration linked to medium- to long-term results and corporate value (stock compensation) will be set in an appropriate manner.
  • Directors shall be treated in a manner befitting their positions as officers of the Company in consideration of the significance of the Group’s social role and responsibilities, trends at companies competing with the Group in business and human resources, including those in the food and logistics industries, and changes in the business environment.
Outside Directors
  • In light of their role of supervising the Company’s management from an independent and objective standpoint, outside directors are paid only basic (fixed) remuneration.
②Remuneration Composition and Levels
Remuneration for Directors Other Than Outside Directors

Remuneration for directors, excluding outside directors, shall consist of “Role-based remuneration” and “Director allowances” as base remuneration (fixed remuneration) and “Performance-linked bonuses” and “Stock compensation” as variable remuneration, as shown in the table below. The ratio of “Role-based remuneration,” “Performance-linked bonuses,” and “Stock compensation” related to the execution of duties shall be set so that the standard amount would be 50%:25%:25% for the president, while for other directors, the ratio shall be 60%:20%:20%. Remuneration levels shall be set at appropriate amounts with reference to objective remuneration market survey data (remuneration levels of companies competing with our Group in business and human resources, including those in the food and logistics industries), taking into consideration the responsibilities and number of our directors and future changes in the business environment, and incorporating the opinions of third-party organizations.

Guideline for the Ratio of Remuneration for Directors Excluding Outside Directors

Guideline for the Ratio of Remuneration for Directors Excluding Outside Directors

Components of composition of remuneration Composition ratio Purpose/Description
Base Remuneration
(Fixed Remuneration)
Role-based remuneration President: 50%
Other directors: 60%
Basic remuneration for the execution of duties (performance of duties)
Set according to the significance of the role of each director
Director allowance Fixed amount Remuneration for the responsibilities of making management decisions and supervising the execution of the management decisions
Set at a uniform amount for all directors
Variable Remuneration Performance-linked bonuses President: 25%
Other directors: 20%
Remuneration for motivating directors to achieve annual financial and strategic goals
The amount paid upon achievement of goals (“standard amount”) is set as a percentage of role-based remuneration
Paid within a range of 0% to 200% of the standard amount according to the degree of achievement
Stock compensation
(Restricted shares)
President: 25%
Other directors: 20%
Remuneration for encouraging management from a long-term/Group-wide perspective and the perspective of shareholders and investors
Value of shares delivered each fiscal year (“standard amount”) is set as a percentage of rolebased remuneration
Restricted shares are delivered every year in an amount equal to the standard amount, and restrictions are lifted upon directors’ retirement
Remuneration for Outside Directors

Outside directors shall be paid only a base remuneration (fixed remuneration). Base remuneration consists of “Basic remuneration,” which is paid in a uniform amount to all outside directors as a members of the Board of Directors, and “Chairperson’s allowance,” which is additionally paid to the chairperson of the Nominating Advisory Committee or the Compensation Advisory Committee. The level of remuneration shall be set at an appropriate amount, taking into consideration the time and effort spent by each outside director to fulfill their expected roles and functions, as well as objective remuneration market survey data (remuneration levels of companies similar in size to ours (all industries).

③Performance-Linked Bonuses

The amount to be paid to each individual as a performance-linked bonus varies within a range of 0% to 200% of the base amount for each position, depending on the achievement of Company-wide, business and individual performance targets.

Amount of individual bonus = Base amount by position × Performance evaluation coefficient (0–200%)
The performance evaluation coefficient is a weighted average of the evaluation coefficients of each key performance indicator (KPI).

Evaluation Weights and Reasons for Selection of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) (a) Company-wide Performance Evaluation (b) Business Performance Evaluation (c) Individual Performance Evaluation
EBITDA Profit ROIC Company-wide ESG evaluation* EBITDA ROIC Responding to medium- and long-term strategic issues and initiatives, including ESG
Improvement in cash generation capability / profitability Improvement in shareholders’ profit Optimization of business portfolio and improvement in capital efficiency Strengthening of responses to sustainability issues Improvement in cash generation capability / profitability Optimization of business portfolio and improvement in capital efficiency
Representative Director, President 100% ̶ ̶
40% 20% 20% 20% ̶ ̶ ̶
Directors
(In Charge of Function)
70% ̶ 30%
30% 10% 15% 15% ̶ ̶ 30%
Directors
(In Charge of Business)
60% 30% 10%
20% 10% 15% 15% 15% 15% 10%
  • *For Corporate ESG evaluations, specific evaluation indicators will be selected from among the Nichirei Group Material Matters (Materiality). Specifically, we utilize the following 3 types of assessments.
Company-wide ESG Evaluation Reasons for Selection
  • Reduction in CO₂ emissions (Scope 1 and 2)
  • Ratio of women employees in management positions
  • Employee engagement
  • Response to climate change
  • Enhancement of human capital for new value creation
④Procedures for Determining Remuneration

In order to ensure the appropriateness and objectivity of the matters related to remuneration for individual directors, the Board of Directors shall make decisions on such matters after deliberations and reports by the Remuneration Advisory Committee, which is comprised mainly of independent outside directors. In its deliberations, the Remuneration Advisory Committee shall take into account changes in the management environment and the opinions of shareholders and investors, and shall properly obtain information necessary for its deliberations from an objective and professional standpoint.
In the process of determining the performance-linked bonuses to be paid to each individual, the individual performance targets and evaluations shall be drafted by the representative director and president, who is delegated by the Board of Directors, after interviewing each director, and shall be decided by the representative director and president after deliberation by the Remuneration Advisory Committee. The determined individual performance targets and evaluation results shall be reported to the Board of Directors in a timely and appropriate manner to ensure the objectivity and fairness of the evaluation. The final bonuses to be paid to each individual shall be drafted by the representative director and president, and decided by the Board of Directors after deliberation by the Remuneration Advisory Committee.
The details of officer remuneration for FY2025 are presented in the 107th Annual Securities Report.

⑤Other important matters

In the event of a deterioration in the Company’s business performance, or in the event of quality problems, serious accidents, or scandals that damage the Company’s corporate value or brand value, the Company may reduce or deny the remuneration, etc., to directors.
With respect to the performance-linked bonuses, when factors that should be taken into account as temporary special factors that were not assumed when the targets were set at the beginning of the fiscal year arise, performance may be evaluated after eliminating the effects of such factors, and the bonuses paid to each individual director may be calculated.
With respect to the performance-linked bonuses, in the event that a director violates the law or his/her duty of care or fidelity as a director before the bonus is paid, or in the event that such a violation is discovered within 2 years after the bonus was paid, or in the event of other similar events, the director’s right to receive the bonus, who related to such violation, shall be extinguished, and the Company may request to return the bonus actually paid.
Remuneration for executive officers who do not concurrently serve as directors shall be determined in accordance with the Company’s policy for determining such remuneration for directors.

The total amount of officer remuneration in FY2025
Classification Total amount of remuneration by type (Millions of Yen) Total amount of remuneration
(Millions of yen)
Number of executives
(persons)
Base remuneration Performance-linked bonuses Restricted stock compensation
Directors (excluding outside directors) 123
(222)
36
(69)
63
(63)
223
(356)
7
(7)
Outside directors 65 65 6
Audit & Supervisory Board members (excluding outside Audit & Supervisory Board members) 48 48 2
Outside Audit & Supervisory Board members 32 32 5
Total 270
(369)
36
(69)
63
(63)
370
(503)
20
(20)
Notes:
  • 1.The above table includes 1 director, 1 outside director and 2 outside Audit & Supervisory Board members who retired at the close of the 106th Ordinary General Shareholders Meeting held on June 25, 2024.
  • 2.The total amount of remuneration, etc. above is stated as the total amount of remuneration, etc. borne by the Company (Total amount of remuneration paid or to be paid, or expenses, etc. borne by the Company). The amounts in parentheses for Directors (excluding outside directors) and Total are the total amount of consolidated remuneration, etc. to be borne by the Company and its subsidiaries.
  • 3.The above “Base remuneration” amount is the total amount of remuneration, etc. paid in FY2025 (all monetary remuneration).
  • 4.The above “Performance-linked bonuses” amount is estimated bonus payments for FY2025 (amount based on the results of FY2025 performance and other factors, and expected to be paid in June 2025 or later) add the difference between estimated bonus payments for FY2024 at the time of filing of the annual securities report for the previous fiscal year and the amount actually paid after June 2024 (all monetary remuneration).
  • 5.The amount of “Restricted stock compensation” above is the total amount expensed in FY2025. In FY2025, the Company granted monetary compensation claims to 6 directors (excluding outside directors) and had all such claims contributed in kind to the Company, resulting in the delivery of 17,249 shares of common stock of the Company as stock compensation. The delivery of such shares is subject to the condition that they do not transfer the shares until they retire from the positions as directors of the Company.
    * The Company has introduced a restricted stock compensation plan similar to that for directors for executive officers who do not concurrently serve as directors, and 8,368 shares of the Company's common stock were delivered to 5 executive officers in FY2025.
  • 6.The maximum amounts of remuneration, etc. for directors and Audit & Supervisory Board members approved at the General Shareholders Meeting are as follows.
Classification Date of resolution at the General Shareholders Meeting Base remuneration Performance-linked bonuses Restricted stock Number of executives
(persons)
Director June 25, 2019 (The 101st Ordinary General Shareholders Meeting) Up to \130 million Up to ¥100 million Up to 70,000 shares 10
June 25, 2024 (The 106th Ordinary General Shareholders Meeting) Up to ¥270 million (including Outside directors: up to ¥100 million) 11 (including Outside directors: 5)
Audit & Supervisory Board members June 26, 2012 (The 94th Ordinary General Shareholders Meeting) Up to ¥120 million 5 (including Outside Audit & Supervisory Board members: 3)
  • *The company and its directors are in a relationship of mandate, and no salary as employee is paid.
  • *Because a stock split was conducted at a ratio of two shares for each common stock, effective April 1, 2025, the maximum number of restricted stocks to be granted on or after April 1, 2025 shall be the post-adjustment number reflecting the stock split (up to 140,000 shares).
Evaluations of Effectiveness of the Board of Directors

As necessary, and with the assistance of outside experts, the Company conducts analyses and evaluations of the Board of Directors’ activities to ensure its decision-making is effective. Summaries of the results are subsequently disclosed.

Evaluation Procedure Subjects: Directors and Audit & Supervisory Board members (16 individuals in total)
Period: January–February 2025
Method: A self-assessment involving third-party engagement, where questionnaires are conducted by external experts
Summary of the Evaluation Results for FY2025 In addition to the free and open exchange of frank opinions in an atmosphere conducive to discussion and sufficient discussions being made in terms of both deliberation contents and time, there have been improvements in presentations at the Board of Directors meetings and Board of Directors meeting materials. As a result of ongoing implementation of such efforts to enhance discussions at Board of Directors meetings, in line with previous evaluations of the Board’s effectiveness, many respondents expressed the positive opinion that the effectiveness of the Company’s Board of Directors has been secured to a considerable degree. On the other hand, directors and Audit & Supervisory Board members pointed out multiple potential areas for improvement in order to further enhance the Board’s effectiveness. These matters are expected to be reviewed in future deliberations of the Board of Directors. Taking the evaluation by the third-party experts to heart, the Board of Directors discussed the points raised or suggested, and has decided to reflect them in its operations as follows.
[Issue Identified] 1. Board of Directors Oriented toward a Monitoring Model
Evaluation and Opinion There were opinions that there had been progress in appropriately delegating authority to the Management Committee and the decision-making bodies of respective operating companies with respect to the matters submitted for discussion at Board of Directors meetings, and that they became closer to those of companies adopting a so-called monitoring model. On the other hand, there were many opinions that the delegation of authority should be further promoted from the viewpoint of promoting the transition to a monitoring model, and that the decision-making authority of operating companies should be expanded from the viewpoint of prompt decision-making.
Future Approach

1) Review of current matters submitted for discussion at Board of Directors meetings

Revisions to the standards for matters submitted for discussion at the Board of Directors meetings to orient toward a monitoring model were made effective April 1, 2023, which has had some effect. In light of the evaluation result, to promote further review of matters submitted for discussion at Board of Directors meetings in order to secure time for discussions related to long-term strategies, we decided to review specifically and individually the authority of which matters should be delegated to the Management Committee and the decision-making bodies of respective operating companies.

2) Review of institutional design

Re-recognizing that institutional design constitutes the foundation of a corporate governance system and in light of changes in the management strategies and business environment, requirements under the Corporate Governance Code, developments in the government’s study groups, and others, we decided to have a deeper review on appropriate institutional design while relating to the succession plan which was being worked on by the Nominating Advisory Committee. In proceeding with the delegation of authority described in (1) above, we decided to review, including from the perspective of whether there is a need to shift to a company with an Audit & Supervisory Committee or a company with a Nominating Committee, etc., which would allow the authority of the Board of Directors to be significantly delegated to the executive side, except for some matters stipulated in the Companies Act.

[Issue Identified] 2. System and Operation for Ensuring Appropriateness of Business Execution
Evaluation and Opinion While the majority of opinions concerned the misconduct at an overseas subsidiary, there were also many opinions on insufficiency in human resources and organizational structures required to expand overseas business.
Future Approach In order to ensure effective group governance, the Company will implement the following recurrence prevention measures which have been resolved at the Board of Directors meeting of the Company held on April 15, 2025, and monitor periodically.
① Clarifying appointment criteria for executives at overseas subsidiaries
② Strengthening governance and internal control at local subsidiaries
③ Thoroughly ensuring the involvement of the management of core companies and holding companies
④ Strengthening audit and monitoring systems
⑤ Thorough operation and management of the in-house reporting system
⑥ Thoroughly ensuring education and guidance on compliance
Support System for Outside Directors (Outside Audit & Supervisory Board Members)/ Policy for Training Directors and Audit & Supervisory Board Members

Nichirei distributes materials for use at Board of Directors meetings to each director and Audit & Supervisory Board member at least three days in advance of meetings in order to ensure meaningful discussions.
When internal communication and coordination are required to accurately provide Company information in response  to instructions from independent outside directors or independent outside Audit & Supervisory Board members, the secretary in charge acts as the contact point in order to ensure necessary coordination with relevant departments.
Newly appointed directors and Audit & Supervisory Board members are given training as necessary on the Companies Act and other related laws, management strategy, financial analysis and other such matters. Additional training on legislative revisions and management issues is provided as necessary after new members assume office. Moreover, explanations of the Group’s businesses and tours of the major facilities are provided to outside officers as necessary.

Approach to Cross-Shareholdings

Cross-shareholdings are only utilized when it is determined that they will contribute to improving the Company’s corporate value: for example, by maintaining and strengthening trade and cooperative relationships. In addition, every year the Board of Directors reviews the economic rationale of individual shareholdings of this type from a medium- to long-term perspective. If the importance of a particular shareholding is determined to have diminished, the shares are sold. In conducting such reviews, the Board of Directors carefully examines and makes a comprehensive judgment on whether the benefits, such as profits from transactions, and dividends or risks are commensurate with the cost of capital, followed by consideration of a qualitative evaluation of the strategic importance of the shareholding.
In regard to the exercise of voting rights for cross-shareholdings, the Company will review all the details of the relevant proposals in the investee company’s shareholders meeting agenda, and if any of the following apply to the investee company, the Company will make a decision after careful examination on a case-by-case basis:
(1) The investee has engaged in acts that will lead to a loss of shareholder value
(2) The investee’s performance or stock price has deteriorated significantly
(3) There are other serious doubts with respect to agreeing to the proposal

Approach to Global Governance

Believing that global governance is one of the foundations for overseas business expansion, we have been working to strengthen it. Specifically, although we have been managing overseas businesses primarily from Japan, we will work to strengthen our systems tailored to the characteristics of each area in preparation for further expansion in business scale. To promote this effort, we have formulated and are implementing the following six measures. Their progresses are reported to and additional actions to be taken are identified by at least one of the Board of Directors, Management Committee, Group Risk Management Committee or other committees, etc. each month.

Our Vision

We will establish global governance and internal auditing systems that are tailored to the characteristics of each area.

1. Clarifying appointment criteria for executives at overseas subsidiaries We are working to formulate the appointment criteria, term of office, and exception criteria.
2. Strengthening governance and internal control at local subsidiaries We will organize and centralize information on the governance of overseas subsidiaries (articles of incorporation, shareholders meetingrelated, officer composition, and the board of directors-related).
3. Strengthening management involvement by core companies and the holding company We will put together the rules for escalating cases of fraud and misconduct and establish regional headquarters in the ASEAN region, to strengthen our systems.
4. Strengthening audit and monitoring systems We will improve the effectiveness of overseas audits and review the auditing system of the Group as a whole.
5. Thorough operation and management of the in-house reporting system We will enhance the existing internal reporting channels at overseas subsidiaries and increase the number of sites that adopt a mechanism that enables direct reporting to the holding company.
6. Thoroughly ensuring education and guidance on compliance We will raise awareness internally by disseminating a message from the top management regarding compliance. We will also start providing education and guidance to expats and local staff.
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