My name is Toshihide Endo. I was appointed President & CEO, Representative Director of Sony Financial Group Inc. (SFGI) on June 23. During my many years working at the Financial Services Agency, I had dialogues with many financial institutions. In 2020, after finally serving as Commissioner of the Financial Services Agency, I graduated into the corporate world, where I served as a senior advisor for Sony Group Corporation (SGC). Through my interactions with engineers and researchers in this role, I learned in my own way about the Sony Group’s power of creativity and technology.

The Sony Financial Group (SFG) is a comprehensive financial group centered on life insurance, non-life insurance and banking, with operations extending to the nursing care business and venture investment. Sony Life’s forte is high-quality consulting and life-planning services provided by Lifeplanner sales specialists. It is the realization of the dream of one of Sony’s founders, Akio Morita. Meanwhile, Sony Assurance and Sony Bank have established a solid presence as pioneers in the direct and online markets of Internet finance.

During the tenure of former President & CEO Masashi Oka, SFG's Vision was restated as "to be a financial group that helps each and every person achieve their dreams and peace of mind, by staying close to people and using the power of technology to build a society in which people feel uniquely enriched,” and the Company formulated and steadily executed its three-year Mid-Range Plan, which started in April 2021. In the process, SFG’s unity as a financial group and its cooperative relationship with the Sony Group became firmly established. In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, we will complete the current Mid-Range Plan, and proceed with the formulation of the next one, which will aim to realize SFG's vision in response to the dramatic changes of the times.

The current environment surrounding the financial services business is unpredictable, with rapid changes in interest rates and foreign exchange rates, as well as financial instability in Europe and the United States. Taking a long-term view, moreover, we are facing irreversible structural changes, such as the progression of low birthrates and population aging, as well as the acceleration of digitalization. SFG has built steadfast relationships of trust with its customers, who will continue to inspire our flexible response to the various changes in our environment as we work to grow and evolve even further.

At its Corporate Strategy Meeting 2023, held in May 2023, SGC announced that it had begun assessing the partial spin-off of SFGI, based on the premise of listing of its shares. This presents SFG with a tremendous opportunity to grow and evolve. We will seize this opportunity firmly, engage in intensive discussions, and build a platform to support SFG’s future operations.

The Sony Group’s corporate direction is “getting closer to people.” I admire this corporate direction. It is simple and concise, and firmly encourages each Sony Group employee to move forward. On the other hand, each SFG company’s daily operations really are about staying close to customers and helping them achieve their dreams and peace of mind. SFG is committed to pursuing and providing better financial services, aiming to build “a society in which people feel uniquely enriched.” I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your continuing support.