Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd. (the “Company”) seeks to ensure management transparency as well as appropriateness and legality of its business and strives to promote expeditious decision-making and business execution under the Sumitomo Forestry Group's corporate philosophy, “The Sumitomo Forestry Group utilizes wood as a healthy and environmentally friendly natural resource to provide a diverse range of lifestyle-related services that contribute to the realization of a sustainable and prosperous society. All our efforts are based on the “Sumitomo's Business Spirit,” which places prime importance on fairness and integrity for the good of society.”
By further enhancing and strengthening its corporate governance through these efforts, the Company aims to continuously increase its corporate value and conduct management that lives up to expectations of various stakeholders around the Group.
Sumitomo Forestry introduced the executive officer system to separate decision making and management oversight from operational execution functions. Comprised of ten directors (nine male, one female) including two outside directors (one male, one female), the Board of Directors is structured to take quick decisions. The oversight function of the Board of Directors has been strengthened, the lines of operational responsibility clarified, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors no longer serves as an executive officer. Nomination and Remuneration Advisory Committee has been established to provide advice on selecting director and auditor candidates and executive officers as well as compensation of directors and executive officers, for the purpose of ensuring transparency and fairness of decision-making.
Sumitomo Forestry has a board of company auditors. In addition to attending important meetings within the Company, the auditors provide oversight for the directors' execution of duties, through sharing information and opinions with auditors at Group companies and the staff in the Internal Audit Division, and by supervising staff assisting auditing operations.
As of June 23, 2017, ten directors (including two outside directors), five auditors (including three outside auditors) and 20 executive officers had been appointed to the Company. The Company notified Tokyo Stock Exchange, Inc. of the designation of the two outside directors and three outside statutory auditors as independent officers as required by its regulations.