The “Development & Appointment of Transformational Leaders” is one of the key initiatives in human capital management at the Panasonic Group, alongside “Organization Culture Transformation” and “HR Modernization”.
We are committed to the continuous development of leaders who make high-quality decisions and drive transformation.
Better Decision-Making by Diverse, Transformational Leaders
High-quality decision-making is indispensable to achieve an ideal society with affluence both in matter and mind through sustainable business growth. To that end, we will need to develop and appoint diverse, transformational leaders. In addition to the leadership behaviors outlined in our Group’s “Panasonic Leadership Principles, ” we emphasize the following elements.
- Experience: business management, management of overseas business divisions, business creation, etc.
- Knowledge and skills: decision-making and judgment, strategic planning and execution, etc.
To “Develop & appoint diverse, transformational leaders, ” we set targets for diversity (female employees, employees who are non-Japanese citizens, and mid-career hires) in the management team of each operating company to ensure high-quality decision-making in our management. In the current situation in the Japan region, the ratio of female employees in managerial positions within our Group is low, despite no difference in capability between genders. Therefore, the proportion of female managers in Japan is set as one of the key materialities to promote DEI, where diversity becomes a strength that drives new value creation.
Note 1: The KPIs mentioned above are set and monitored by Panasonic Holdings Corporation. Other operating companies will conduct equivalent monitoring.
Note 2: As of April 1, 2025, seven of the thirteen Executive Officers are diverse leaders, including five female employees, five career hires, and two non-Japanese citizens (attributes of diverse employees overlap).
For High-Quality Decision-Making
Development of Successors Shaping the Future of the Panasonic Group
Meanwhile, in an increasingly uncertain business environment, it is more important than ever to have leaders who can boldly envision an ideal future, leverage diverse perspectives for high-quality decision-making, and drive transformation. To continuously develop such leaders, we are advancing the definition of human resource requirements for all critical Groupwide positions along with their succession plans, as well as the identification, development, and monitoring of successors from a medium- to long-term perspective.
We clarified the personnel requirements for important positions and established the “Group Talent Management Committee” to promote the planned development and placement of successors who will become the next generation of leaders. From short-, medium-, and long-term perspectives, we are identifying, developing, and monitoring successors.
The Panasonic Group has two frameworks for management positions as outlined below, with platforms established to develop successors for future initiatives.
- Top Management: Presidents of operating companies/division companies, and Executive Officers of Panasonic Holdings Corporation
- Levels of Business Operations: Executive Officers of operating companies, members of Management Meeting in division companies
As part of the top management succession plan, candidates for 23 key positions are categorized by assignment readiness: immediately assignable, assignable within 5 years, or within 10 years. Furthermore, to accelerate the development of next-generation leaders, we are implementing inclusive initiatives such as global top management development programs in collaboration with overseas regions, and selective training programs aimed at the early identification of young talent.
Recruitment and Development of Female Leaders
(Japan region)
There are no inequalities due to gender or gender identity in the Panasonic Group’s compensation system. However, promotion of female employees to management teams and managerial positions is lagging behind men. The Panasonic Group is working to acquire and develop female leaders by strengthening recruitment, offering more flexible work options, and supporting individual career development— so that the insights of diverse employees can be harnessed to create innovative products and services for the future. (Learn more about the DEI initiatives in our Group)
Case 1:
Monitoring Successor Development based on the PLP Assessment
Development of Successors Shaping the Future of the Panasonic Group
In the Panasonic Group, the “PLP Assessment (360-degree assessment)” is conducted for the Presidents of operating companies, including some executives, as well as those in Panasonic Holdings Corporation. This assessment is designed to monitor leadership behaviors as evaluated by superiors, peers, and subordinates based on the “Panasonic Leadership Principles (PLP),” which support the implementation of our Basic Business Philosophy. The assessees will have the opportunity to reflect on their daily actions and consider how they can be improved. In addition, candidates identified as immediately appointable, or within 5 or 10 years, are also assessed to help develop the next generation of top management.
The results of the PLP Assessment in fiscal 2025 show that the strengths of top management are shared by the next generation: “Builds Trust,” and “Ownership.” Meanwhile, we must recognize the need for improvement in “Best Work Processes,” and “Welcomes Uniqueness and Differences” to further strengthen the process to nurture management candidates.
Case 2:
Electric Works Company, Panasonic Corporation: Eliminating the Gender Gap in Manufacturing Sites
Recruitment and Development of Female Leaders (Japan region)
- Please Refer to Human Capital Management Data of the Panasonic Group for the basic data on our three key initiatives, “Organization Culture Transformation,” “Develop & Appoint Diverse, Transformational Leaders,” and “HR Modernization,” as well as information on personnel, diversity, work styles, and careers.