Promoting DE&I

Guided by our Vision Statement to “respect the values of each and every one of our employees and aim to be a company that grows together,” the Group recognizes the importance of human capital and works to create an environment where diverse talent can thrive. To embody the personnel vision outlined in our Human Resources Policy, which calls for self disciplined members of society and people who continuously achieve personal growth, and to fulfill our responsibility as a globally expanding company, we established our Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DE&I) Declaration.
The Group recognizes that promoting DE&I is a key factor in accelerating corporate growth and strengthening competitiveness. We define DE&I as follows and promote a corporate culture, workplace environment, and talent development practices aligned with these principles.

The Group appoints talent based on aptitude and ability, regardless of nationality, gender, or whether they joined as new graduates or mid-career hires. We strive to create an environment where diverse individuals can respect and succeed alongside one another.
In the promotion of women’s active engagement, the Group has a goal of creating a work environment where all employees, both male and female, can thrive. Since April 2021, we have been promoting initiatives in line with the General Employer Action Plan Based on the Act on the Promotion of Women’s Active Engagement in Professional Life. We recognize that increasing the proportion of female employees, the proportion of female managers (including section or group chiefs), and the rate of male employees taking childcare leave are key issues. To improve these numbers, we have set a target to increase the proportion of female new graduate hires to 20% or more, increase the proportion of female managers (including section or group chiefs) to 1.5 times (8.7%) the proportion in fiscal year 2021 by March 31, 2026, and promote the taking of childcare leave by male employees. In fiscal year 2024, women accounted for 13.3% of new graduates hired, and as of March 31, 2025, women represented 6.6% of management positions.

As of March 31, 2025, foreign nationals accounted for 4.1% of the Group’s management. We are working to further increase this proportion as we continue our global expansion. Meanwhile, many of our Group’s managers are mid-career hires with diverse backgrounds, and as of March 31, 2025, mid-career professionals accounted for 42.5% of management. We will continue proactively appointing the talent necessary for our future growth.

In order to develop the company’s internal environment, Osaka Soda not only created and operates several types of systems, such as a flextime system, work interval system, telecommuting system, and a system to encourage male employees to take childcare leave, but is also moving forward with efforts to foster a workplace culture that is more understanding of diverse workstyles. We are working to develop a workplace environment in which the appropriate person is assigned to the appropriate position in line with the business strategy regardless of nationality, gender, whether new graduate or mid-career hire, or other attribute, diverse human resources respect each other, and all employees play an active role.

Our efforts to promote childcare leave for male employees and foster a workplace culture that embraces diverse working styles were recognized in May 2026, when we received the three-star certification as an Osaka City Leading Company in Women’s Participation for the fourth consecutive year. As for one of the evaluation indicators used for certification, the childcare leave uptake rate among male employees in the Group for fiscal year 2024 was 77.4%.