Corporate Governance
Policy for Constructive Dialogue with Shareholders
Policy
For sustainable growth and to help improve corporate value over a medium- to long-term perspective, Canon Inc. has constructive dialogue with shareholders through an Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders, corporate strategy conferences, financial results conferences, and interviews with major institutional investors.
Structure to Promote Dialogue
Investor Relations (IR), Shareholder Relations (SR), sustainability, and legal divisions, are responsible for working together and promoting dialogue. The Executive Vice President & CFO oversees the entire structure to promote dialogue.
For analysts and institutional investors, the CEO hosts an annual corporate strategy conference, and the CFO hosts quarterly financial results conferences. In addition, we continue to provide prompt and accurate disclosure of business conditions by posting materials on Canon Inc.’s website. Furthermore, we established an English IR website for overseas investors, disclosing the same information at the same time as in Japan.
Additionally, Canon Inc. provides opportunities to meet with executive officers, Outside Directors, Audit & Supervisory Board Members etc., as necessary, to engage in dialogue with analysts and institutional investors in Japan and overseas.
As for the opinions or demands that are obtained through dialogue with shareholders, accordingly, the department in charge reports to the CFO and the CFO reports important ones to the CEO or the Board of Directors.
Policy for Constructive Dialogue with Shareholders
Dialogue with Shareholders, the Company actively provides opportunities for dialogue and information provision with shareholders and investors by engaging in dialogue throughout the year. The IR Promotion Division, which is in charge of IR, the Corporate Governance Center, which was newly established in fiscal year 2023 as a division in charge of SR, and the Executive Officer in charge of these two divisions engages in dialogue with shareholders and investors according to themes. The dialogue covers a wide range of topics, including business performance and business policies, governance, and sustainability, depending on the time of year and the wishes of investors. In fiscal year 2023, the Company increased opportunities to meet with institutional investors, particularly in Japan, to strengthen shareholder relations, and made efforts to explain the Company’s views on its governance and executive structure in a more thorough manner than before, as well as to listen closely to expectations and opinions of investors regarding the Company, as well as their views on the exercise of voting rights, and engaged in a frank exchange of views. Opinions received from shareholders and investors are communicated to the Directors of the Company and used in discussions within the management team.
The Company increased the number of directors and changed the composition of its Board of Directors according to a resolution of the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders held on March 28, 2024. Prior to this change, the Company announced its intention at an early stage (in September 2023), started dialogue with institutional investors, and based on the results of the dialogue, additionally announced the reasons for the increase in the number of directors (in February 2024), and included the projected skills matrix of the Board of Directors in the convocation notice for the General Meeting of Shareholders.
Likewise, the points raised through the dialogue will be shared with the management team, and the Company will continue to work to further enhance the corporate value of the Company.