On the morning of January 5, the first day of work, Hiroshi Ide, President of IHI Corporation, delivered New Year's greetings to all IHI Group employees. The summary is as follows. 

- See things from multiple perspectives to prepare -

I am sure you will agree that 2022 was a year of pervasive crises around the world. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic through Russia's invasion of Ukraine, inflation, and numerous floods and heat waves, were but a few examples. It is in that light that I want to take a moment to share three ways in which we can all help the IHI Group to progress in an uncertain future.

1.Prepare for things you don’t want to happen

The pandemic and many other international developments in the past few years were beyond all imagination. Painful experience has taught that bad things happen. We depend daily on organizations, people, and things. While it is human nature to avoid thinking about losing what we rely on, we must be prepared to face reality. These days, we have to devote constant, painstaking efforts to identify and prepare for worst case scenarios.

2.Step away from the past

We cannot use the past to measure the current global situation or market environment. We cannot tackle sudden crises just by sticking with what worked before. In fact, we could easily miss opportunities. We must review our traditional business approaches, operational scope, and position in the supply chain from new perspectives. Thinking outside the box may inspire new ideas for tackling crises or starting new businesses. I also believe that our work practices will change if we each consider whether current approaches make sense and are not just repeating old habits. While it is not necessarily bad to retain past practices, it is important for us to know why. If you question things, you will think about what you should do, speak up, and change how we do things.

3.Embrace diversity and inclusion

In a world in which anything can happen, we need to view things from multiple perspectives to make the right decisions. It is thus crucial to bring together diverse people to share ideas and skills and engage in friendly rivalry beyond Group and geographical boundaries. A material issue of IHI Group’s ESG Management, which we announced in November 2021, is to build a diverse and inclusive workforce as this is essential to become resilient in the face of change. A diverse and inclusive workforce does not refer to any one person –¬¬¬¬ but to each and every one of you. 

We need to create work environments that embrace diversity and inclusion, which is not just about nationality or gender but also encompasses the personality and experiences of each individual. Stereotyping and corporate cultures that prevent people from speaking their minds if they think differently may inhibit diversity and inclusion. Diversity and inclusion is what I believe should become central to what makes us tick.

Finally, safety is central to everything the IHI Group does. Your health and safety undergird our growth. Please consider safety in your own work as your own matter, and with this in mind, do your best to create safe and secure workplaces.

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