Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

When our motto meets diversity, differences become strengths. 

Ceaseless Creativity starts from differences.
We respect each other's individuality, experiences and values and take on challenges by leveraging diversity, equity and inclusion as a driving force for creativity.
We see. We listen. We embrace differences and turn them into strengths.
That is Ceaseless Creativity.

(July 16, 2026)

At SATO, we empower employees to take an active and sustained role in generating innovative ideas, guided by our shared commitment to contributing to a better and more sustainable world with Ceaseless Creativity.
The SATO Group promotes diversity through three pillars.

First, through our HR Development Committee, which was established in FY 2022 under the board of directors' Nomination Advisory Committee, now merged with the Remuneration Advisory Committee. This committee meets every month and supports our executive team in reviewing and making decisions regarding human capital management, including developing talent for key roles and ensuring diversity. Its scope of work also includes conducting surveys on the company's current diversity status and discussing various KPIs. An executive officer on the committee set up a diversity subcommittee in FY 2023, now called the Engagement Enhancement Subcommittee, which has taken ownership of driving the following activities with speed.

• Setting targets for the female employment ratio based on the Japanese government's targets, and putting plans into action
• Having executive officers post diversity-related content on our internal social networking site
• Establishing a dedicated team to promote DE&I
• Organizing diversity forums
  (FY 2025: Two sessions held with about 160 participants)
• Holding Values Workshops
  (FY 2026: Held at three sites with about 110 participants)

In promoting DE&I, we place a strong focus on equity.
We are committed to creating a workplace where opportunities for growth and career challenges are not constrained by differences in gender, age, nationality, disability, work style or life stage. Through appropriate support and workplace development, we aim to enable every employee to demonstrate their abilities and turn differences into strengths.

Second, through employee-led diversity activities initiated by individual offices and departments. Each unit identifies its local diversity issues and takes actions to address them autonomously, with the help of a central steering committee.

Third, through DE&I initiatives based on our HR strategic objectives. Specifically, we are working to increase recruitment, expand job opportunities and improve the workplace environment, with a focus on empowering women and employees with disabilities. For example, SATO Values & DEI Office defines its role as "building people through our Values, making the most of talent through DE&I, and building business," with the aim of generating innovation on a daily and continuous basis. In addition to fostering corporate culture by promoting understanding of the SATO Values, the department promotes DE&I and drives cultural transformation across the organization. 

By integrating these three pillars, we aim to achieve true diversity, equity and inclusion to bring out the best in every employee and build a stronger organization together.

Our President and Group CEO, Hiroyuki Konuma, participates in the Leaders Coalition for Empowerment of Women, an initiative organized by the Gender Equality Bureau of the Cabinet Office, Government of Japan. He will continue to network with other leaders from industry, government and academia to advance gender equality and women's empowerment at SATO.

The diverse strengths and capabilities of our employees are what make us competitive as a business. We actively recruit mid-career and non-Japanese professionals, with the former constituting more than 60 percent of our workforce in Japan. We work to build a diverse talent pool, hoping to better combine various specializations to broaden our business horizons and create new businesses. To expand the company's talent pipeline, we have also set diversity goals, which include increasing the number of female managers, as part of our efforts to diversify employees in key positions.