Yamaha 2012 Annual Report Download - page 81

Comments from an Outside Director
Outside Director
Masamitsu Sakurai
I believe one of the reasons I was asked to serve as an
Outside Director of Yamaha Motor is that my background
is with a company that is also engaged in Monozukuri
(engineering, manufacturing, and marketing). Since its
founding, Ricoh, where I serve as Executive Advisor, has
cultivated technologies in a variety of areas through product
development. Utilizing such technological assets, we are
constantly pursuing new technological innovation and
development from the “customer’s perspective” to create
new values. As an Outside Director from a Monozukuri
company in another field, I see my function as that of an
advisor who utilizes this experience to enable Yamaha Motor
to achieve sustainable growth.
Given the difficult economic environment globally,
what are today’s companies looking for? I believe they
are looking for “responsible strength,” meaning able to
compete at a global level along with the integrity to be
trusted by society. Putting aside whether a company as an
entity is good or bad, companies have distinct cultures that
they have developed over many years. The nature of this
culture is not spelled out in a manual, but nevertheless the
culture becomes a de facto standard for all employees to
follow, influencing their value judgments—and is particularly
deeply ingrained in the senior levels of management. There
is nothing of which we have less awareness, but is more
difficult to change, than culture. For a culture to progress in
response to changes in the environment, it is important for
managers to set an example through leadership, with
timely action and a strong sense of responsibility to drive
growth and development. It is also important that the
management structure be sensitive to change. It is essential
for managers to verify whether results are being generated
as envisioned, and whether management’s actions are
contributing to improved earnings or are acting as a safety
measure. Given the flexibility and respect shown to the
Outside Directors including myself at meetings of the Board
of Directors and the Management Research Committee,
I consider Yamaha Motor to be a company with very
effective corporate governance.
For a Monozukuri enterprise to successfully compete
in the future, it must determine how to provide customers
with even greater added value. With a diverse range of
products, Yamaha Motor is able to combine various fields
and technologies, and has the potential to change the way
people live. I expect the company to be even more innovative
in the future.
The experience that I have is based on my own
successes and failures. I hope to use this experience to
help to enhance Yamaha Motor’s corporate value, as a
Kando Creating Company that brings joy, surprise, inspiration,
richness, and happiness to people around the world.
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. 󱚈 Annual Report 2012 79
Snapshot
Interview with the
President
Special Features
Overview of
Operations
CSR Section
Corporate
Information
Financial Section