Omron 2013 Annual Report Download - page 15

26 Omron Corporation Integrated Report 2013 27
Where We're Headed
proactively take on diffi cult tasks. For this reason, I hope to cultivate a superior corporate
culture that will inspire employees to unite as a strong team that communicates openly
and continues to endeavor to do great things, whether or not we hold such events.
Also, I am aware that communication forms the basis of a good corporate culture. In
accordance with this belief, we hold “The KURUMAZA,” a meeting in which I speak directly
with employees. In fi scal 2012, I visited a number of production sites, principally in Asia.
No suit and tie, I walk around factories in work clothes and speak to the staff therein.
Speaking face-to-face makes it easier for me to express myself and for employees to ex-
press themselves as well. This also enables me to directly learn issues in these worksites.
Outside of work, cheering on our women’s handball team is an important event. The
Omron Handball Team has been reigning champion of the women’s league in Japan. As
a handball player myself in my student days, I get over-excited when it comes to hand-
ball. Cheering our team with employees is thus a special occasion for me. In particular,
the championship match of the Japan league, held in March 2013, was incredibly exciting
as we rooted for our team until our throats were sore and shared in the victory together.
In closing, I would like to share with you something that is of exceptional importance to
myself. This is the Omron Principles. Currently, roughly two-thirds of the employees that
advance Omron’s international operations are non-Japanese. As such, a diverse range of
values exist within the Company. For this reason, the Omron Principles play an important
role as the binding force that unites all employees throughout the Group. The spirit em-
bodied by these principles and our corporate motto guide us as we work to overcome
cultural and language barriers and form a tightly knit team in which all members hold high
ambitions. We continue to boldly take on new challenges to address global issues as we
strive to make Omron a company that people around the world require, with high expec-
tations. Please look forward to the future endeavors of Team Omron.
The post of CFO has been fi lled by Yoshinori Suzuki, who was previously responsible
for management of AEC. Mr. Suzuki has accumulated a wealth of fi nancial knowledge
throughout his career. He also has a strong reputation in the Company for his ability to
reconstruct AEC as its company president during a time when the business was per-
forming quite poorly. Moreover, Mr. Suzuki has been responsible for Companywide
management in the past, when he was placed in charge of formulating management
strategies. For these reasons, we have very high expectations for him. With the new
inclusion of the CFO in the management team, we will conduct even more effective
management with our emphasis on improving corporate value.
Is there anything else you view as important in enhancing corporate value?
Developing human resources and cultivating the corporate culture are both crucial tasks
as these elements underpin corporate activities. As the Company will continue to ex-
pand its business on the global stage and seek to transform into a stronger company,
the development of human resources around the world is crucial. Currently, we have
defi ned 170 “core positions”, and we are actively working to discover and promote
human resources to fi ll these positions. In particular, we are working to fi ll overseas
management positions locally. Elsewise, we are still faced with diversity issues, such
as the promotion of women. However, we are taking steps to address these issues by
establishing specialized teams.
In regard to corporate culture, in fi scal 2012 we inaugurated The OMRON Global
Awards (TOGA). This award program was designed to reward employees for acting on
the spirit we have held since our founding and embarking on bold undertakings to meet
ambitious goals they themselves have declared. The program was also designed to culti-
vate a corporate culture that encourages employees to take on new challenges without
fear of failure. In this competition, more than 20,000 entries, representing over half of
our staff worldwide, formed teams that stepped across national and organizational
boundaries. Then, on “Founder’s Day” in May 2013, awards were presented to the top
13 teams. We intend to continue this initiative into the future. What matters most is to
Q5
Production site in China
Sales base in Singapore
Research and production base in the United States
Omron Handball Team wins Japan women’s league for the
16th time and for the 2nd consecutive year (March 14, 2013)
We are boldy addressing social issues on a global basis
to make Omron a social must.