Our leadership

Shigeaki Okamoto assumed the position of Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Company in March 2022. Having served important roles such as Administrative Vice Minister of the Ministry of Finance during his long years of service with ministries and bureaus, Shigeaki Okamoto possesses considerable knowledge and experience in general national policies. His broad outlook and high standing underpinned by his experience have contributed to the strengthening of the supervisory function of the Group and relationships with various stakeholders, which we deem to be essential for improving the corporate governance of the Group going forward. For this reason, we propose his reelection as a Member of the Board.
Although Shigeaki Okamoto concurrently serving as an Outside Audit & Supervisory Board Member, Yomiuri Land Co., Ltd., The Yomiuri Shimbun Osaka Head Office, The Yomiuri Shimbun Seibu Head Office, and The Yomiuri Shimbun Tokyo Head Office, and Outside Director, Toyota Motor Corporation, he has attended all of the meetings of the Board of Directors, and Advisory Panel on Nomination and Compensation held since he assumed the office of Deputy Chairman of the Company in March 2022 and devoted his time to performing his duties appropriately.

Masamichi Terabatake assumed the position of Representative Director and President of the Company in March 2018. He has experience of driving the growth of the Group even in unclear and uncertain operating environments, with his forceful execution of business backed by precise decision-making. In addition, his broad and deep knowledge and insights on global corporate management and business operations cultivated through his experience are expected to contribute to the strengthening of the supervisory function of the Group and relationships with various stakeholders, which we deem to be essential for improving corporate governance of the Group going forward. For this reason, we propose his reelection as a Member of the Board.

Takehiko Tsutsui was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company in January 2026. Having served important roles such as Vice President of Corporate Planning Division, Senior Vice President, Deputy Chief Strategy Officer, Senior Vice President, Business Development, and Executive Vice President of JT International S.A., a subsidiary of the Company, he has demonstrated strong leadership across a wide range of areas, including driving Group management strategies encompassing overseas M&A, exploring new business opportunities, and promoting the global strategy for the RRP category(*), one of the Company's focus areas, as well as establishing a foundation for further growth in the future, making significant contributions to the growth of the Group. We judge that his exceptionally high perspective and broad outlook, combined with his strong transformative capabilities, are indispensable for the management of the Group going forward, and for this reason we propose his election as a Member of the Board.

Koji Shimayoshi was appointed Executive Vice President of the Company in January 2024 and then Representative Director and Executive Vice President in March 2024. He served in important roles including Head of Tobacco Business Planning Division, Vice President of Human Resources Division, Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer, Senior Vice President, Head of Tobacco Business Planning Division, and Tobacco Business, and Executive Vice President, JT International S.A., a subsidiary of the Company, using his strong leadership focusing on management strategies and business management both in and outside Japan, enhancement of organizational strength, and human resource management. We judge that his keen discernment and accurate decision-making based on his wide-ranging experience and advanced knowledge are indispensable for the management of the Group going forward, and hence we propose his reelection as a Member of the Board.

Kei Nakano was appointed Executive Vice President of the Company in January 2023 and then Representative Director and Executive Vice President in March 2023. He has acquired deep and wide-ranging knowledge in such areas of overall management strategies and business management, during his time serving in important roles, including President and Chief Executive Officer, TS Network Co., Ltd.; Senior Vice President, Communications of the Company; Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy of the Company; and Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy of the Company; and has utilized them to the fullest to contribute to the Company's growth. We judge that his diverse experience and strategic thinking and accurate decision-making based on such experience are indispensable for the management of the Group going forward, and hence we propose his reelection as a Member of the Board.

Masato Kitera assumed the position of Outside Director of the Company in March 2021. He did not engage in corporate management previously other than serving as an outside director or an outside auditor. However, he held important positions over many years of service with the government, primarily in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. With his extensive international experience and a high level of knowledge of international affairs cultivated during his diplomatic and other activities reflected in the management of the Group as it expands its business outside Japan at a time of globally increasing geopolitical risks, he has played a big role in providing advice and oversight which contribute to the further enhancement of corporate governance.
We believe his high level of international experience and broad knowledge are essential for the Group management by the Company, and thus propose his reelection in expectation of his continuous contribution as Outside Director of the Company to improving corporate governance in the Group through his proactive recommendations and advice provided at the meetings of the Board of Directors and the Advisory Panel on Nomination and Compensation.

Tetsuya Shoji assumed the position of Outside Director of the Company in March 2022. He has served as a president and representative director for a telecommunications company, and has extensive experiences in business execution and corporate management and wide-ranging insights in corporate planning, human resources, global operations, and digitization promotion. With his such experiences and insights, he advised on the management of the Group as it expands its business globally and regards IT/information security as one of the increasingly important management foundations in the future. He also played a big role in supervising business execution from an independent and fair standpoint.
We believe his extensive experience and broad knowledge are essential for the Group management by the Company and expect he will continue contributing to the improvement of the Group's corporate governance through his active recommendations and advice as an Outside Director at the Board of Directors and the Advisory Panel on Nomination and Compensation, etc., and hence we propose his reelection as an Outside Director.
Although Shoji Tetsuya is a Corporate Advisor of NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS, Inc., concurrently serving as an Outside Director of Sapporo Holdings Limited, Kanadevia Corporation, and Mitsubishi Logistics Corporation, he has attended all of the meetings of the Board of Directors, and Advisory Panel on Nomination and Compensation held since he assumed the office of Outside Director of the Company in March 2022 and devoted his time to performing his duties appropriately.

Hiroko Yamashina assumed the position of Outside Director of the Company in March 2024. She has served in important roles such as Corporate Officer of a general financial service provider and President of a subsidiary of the company, and we have benefited from her extensive experience in corporate management and business operation and objective point of view based on her broad and deep insights being reflected in the management of the Group. She also played a big role in supervising business execution from an independent and fair standpoint.
We judge that her broad outlook and high standing underpinned by her experience as a corporate manager are essential for the Group management by the Company and expect she will continue contributing to the improvement of the Group's corporate governance through her active recommendations and advice as an Outside Director at the Board of Directors and the Advisory Panel on Nomination and Compensation, etc., and hence we propose her reelection as an Outside Director.

Kenji Asakura assumed the position of Outside Director of the Company in March 2024. He has served in important roles such as Representative Director, President and CEO and Representative Director, Chairman of a trading company specializing in trading chemical products, and has outstanding experience and wide-ranging knowledge in global corporate management, business operation, and corporate cultural reform. These experiences and insights are reflected in the management of the Group as it expands its business globally, and he also played a big role in supervising business execution from an independent and fair standpoint.
We judge that his broad outlook and high standing underpinned by his experience and track record as a top management member of a listed global company are essential for the Group management by the Company and expect he will continue contributing to the improvement of the Group's corporate governance through his active recommendations and advice as an Outside Director at the Board of Directors and the Advisory Panel on Nomination and Compensation, etc., and hence we propose his reelection as an Outside Director.

Yukiko Uchida has served in important roles such as board member of international academic organizations and committee member of government councils as an expert in well-being research, and possesses advanced expertise and extensive experience in social psychology and cultural psychology. Although she has not been involved in corporate management in the past except as an advisor or consultant, we expect that her outstanding knowledge and deep insights will be reflected in the management of the Group, which continues to evolve toward the realization of the JT Group Purpose, ''Fulfilling Moments, Enriching Life,'' and that she will provide advice and oversight that will contribute to further enhancement of corporate governance, and for this reason we propose her election as an Outside Director.