New Year 2025: Message from President Masayuki Mizushima

Happy New Year.

In recent years, it has become commonplace to find ourselves in the midst of great change. As climate change progresses, major natural disasters are occurring more frequently, providing more opportunities to consider the natural environment and human existence. Changes in technology such as AI are not only affecting industry and science, but are also penetrating our everyday lives and significantly shaking up existing values. As a result, we are forced to choose what should change and what should stay the same.
These major changes seem to be providing an opportunity to re-examine the very essence of our existence.

The world is filled with questions that have no one correct answer, and the diverse aspirations inherent in society and sei-katsu-sha-our term for the holistic person-are searching for an outlet. We at the Hakuhodo DY Group closely observe and imagine the unique aspirations of each individual. The reason is because it is always the aspirations of sei-katsu-sha and organizations that move society forward and usher in new eras. To clarify our raison d'être and what it means to work here, last year we formulated our Global Purpose as a consensus among our more than 28,000 employees in over 30 countries and regions around the world.

That Purpose is: "Aspirations Unleashed break down boundaries, open new doors and usher in new eras for every sei-katsu-sha, organization and society." When aspirations are given form, they lead to behaviors and become a culture. We will take the bold first step by connecting intentions, passions, hopes, ambitions and ideals and turn them into a force for opening up a new era.

The emergence of generative AI is beginning to dramatically change the relationship between technology and humans. We founded the Human-Centered AI Institute last year. We view AI not as a tool to improve efficiency or to search for correct answers, but as a partner that asks questions together with humans. AI will become a powerful partner in understanding sei-katsu-sha's inner aspirations and giving them concrete form. Co-creation with AI will expand human creativity, discover new challenges and create new value.

Moreover, organizations' marketing needs are also evolving from just integrated communications to full-funnel Sei-katsu-sha Data-Driven Marketing. We ourselves are also restructuring our previous corporate structure and are set to integrate Hakuhodo and Hakuhodo DY Media Partners in April 2025. Going forward, we will combine the specializations of Group companies to gradually evolve our infrastructure for taking on new challenges to enable us to provide optimal services.

The source of value creation at the Hakuhodo DY Group is our diverse workforce and human-centered sei-katsu-sha insight. Conscious of common-sense, sustainable workstyles that assume that our employees are each themselves sei-katsu-sha, we create an environment where they can unleash their inner aspirations and live vibrant lives. I look forward to working with you all to contribute to making the world a brighter, happier and richer place.

Masayuki Mizushima
Representative Director & President, Hakuhodo DY Holdings Inc.
Representative Director, President & CEO, Hakuhodo Inc.