Message from the President
By gaining the solid trust of our stakeholders, we are building a "Stronger Marubeni" and attaining sustainable growth
First of all, I would like to offer my prayers for all those who lost their lives in the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and my sympathies to the survivors and their families.
The earthquake and its aftermath are without question the largest crisis Japan has experienced since World War II ended. Japan must now take courageous steps to overcome this calamity for the future of the country. The Marubeni Group will do our part by fully utilizing our capabilities as a general trading company to lend as much help and support as possible to relief efforts for the victims and restoration of the affected areas.
Concerns about stagnation of the global economy have gradually abated, mainly due to expectations that an improving U.S. economy will stimulate conditions in both emerging countries and developed countries. There are still many factors affecting the global economic situation, however, and the outcome is far from certain. The earthquake and tsunami in Japan had a huge impact on the Japanese economy, increasing uncertainties about the economic state of the country, which prior to the disaster had been trending toward recovery. In the short term, a significant economic slowdown may be unavoidable. Turning our gaze to other parts of the world, China and other Asian countries have been implementing tight credit policies, civil unrest continues in the Middle East and North Africa, and European countries are facing the issue of sovereign risk. Meanwhile, the prices of natural resources are rapidly increasing.
In light of these factors, the Marubeni Group launched its SG-12 mid-term management plan in 2010. Under this 3-year plan, we aim to build an ever stronger corporation that will drive its own sustainable growth (SG) beyond our stakeholders' expectations. In order to fulfi ll this goal, I believe it is essential that we actively engage in meeting our responsibilities to society.
Under SG-12, we have allocated the business resources of the Marubeni Group primarily among our businesses involved in the supply of natural resources (e.g., metal, mineral and energy resources), our infrastructure businesses (e.g., water and power distribution), our environmental businesses (e.g., forestation and clean energy projects), and our businesses involved in the stable supply of living essentials (e.g., grain, food and other essential items).
Collectively, these areas make up the principle sectors in which general trading companies are engaged. For us, they are also the key areas of our CSR activities. Along with more easily defined social contribution activities, such as support for social welfare organizations and groups, our business activities in these areas support the development of a stable and prosperous society.
In order to develop a workforce that can provide us with the foundation to fulfill our responsibilities over the long term, we have established the "HR (Human Resources) Strategy Committee" (I chair this committee.). One of the specific measures we have decided to implement to reinforce our HR strategy is to send our employees overseas at least once while they are still in their 20s and give them a chance to broaden their business experience. This and other measures are designed to help our employees develop a truly global mindset and effective problem-solving skills so that they can make better decisions wherever they are in the world.
Needless to say, as a general trading company, none of our activities would be possible if we did not have the trust of our stakeholders. In these uncertain times, the Marubeni Group's duty remains the same: to fulfill our essential role in society. In return, I hope that we can continue to enjoy the trust of our stakeholders and maintain our sustainable growth.
Teruo Asada
President and CEO,
Member of the Board
