We aim to realize our management strategies without being constrained by past experiences or preconceptions and based on the watchwords real source and "On site, Hands on, In touch." Accordingly, from the perspective of overall optimization, the Toyota Tsusho Group will employ, develop and advance employees who can cooperate and lead the way to an even better future.
In unavoidable cases such as business location closures or reorganizations, we prioritize maintaining employment above all else and will take every reasonable measure — including reassignment, transfers to nearby group companies, job redeployment, and reskilling support. If termination of employment becomes necessary as a last resort, we will follow fair and transparent procedures in accordance with local labor laws and labor‑management consultations, provide thorough explanation and sincere dialogue with affected employees, and offer appropriate compensation and reemployment support.
Under its Mid-Term Business Plan, Toyota Tsusho has defined a mid-term people-and-organization vision to realize its goal of becoming a “uniquely competitive” general trading company. The vision rests on two complementary pillars: “The DNA Awakens,” which unlocks each employee’s latent potential, and “Thriving, Living Organisms,” which builds flexible, autonomous organizations that leverage diversity. Through a range of human‑capital initiatives, we will promote autonomous challenge and collaboration among our globally diverse workforce of 70,000 employees while ensuring they inherit Toyota Tsusho’s values.
This approach aims to increase added value per employee and engagement, accelerate innovation, and drive growth through a step change in our 70,000-strong organization.
To realize the mid-term vision, we report progress on human-capital management to the Board of Directors annually, and we launched the cross-company forum Human Company Task Force (HCTF), in which divisional executives meet monthly to identify the key issues (headpins) critical to achieving the vision and to discuss measures to resolve them. We have established a forum in which top management themselves acknowledge that “people and organizations” are one of the company’s highest priorities and personally commit to taking concrete action.
At Toyota Tsusho, our eight sales divisions leverage a network spanning approximately 130 nations worldwide to drive business strategies with a global market perspective. We have also established regional headquarters and operating companies in key overseas markets to enable flexible and swift business operations tailored to each region’s characteristics and needs. This matrix-style business structure allows our sales divisions and overseas bases (“regions”) to collaborate closely and create value together. To support this global business framework, we have developed a strategic and functional HR unit designed around the following four key roles.
The CHRO is responsible for formulating the human capital strategy in alignment with business objectives and for directing the company-wide human resource functions. As a member of the executive management team, the CHRO leads medium- to long-term decision-making aimed at maximizing human capital.
The CoE leverages expertise in the human resources field to plan, develop, and implement company-wide human capital strategies and systems. By establishing a globally unified HR infrastructure, the CoE aims to balance a strong sense of unity across the company with the autonomy of each region.
The OPE function is primarily responsible for the operation and administration of HR systems. In addition to daily HR operations such as payroll, performance evaluation, and labor management, it promotes operational efficiency and enhances HR data visibility through effective system and data management. The OPE function also works closely with our affiliate, Toyotsu Human Resources Corporation, to establish a consistent and integrated HR operations framework.
HRBPs and RHRs are embedded within each sales division and region to support the execution of business strategies from a “people and organization” perspective. Working closely with sales divisions and regions, they lead talent allocation, development, and organizational initiatives, driving practical solutions on the ground. HRBPs act as a bridge between strategy and operations by applying the human capital strategies formulated by the CHRO and CoE to business units, while also providing frontline feedback to headquarters.
Toyota Tsusho conducts a wide range of businesses centered on eight business divisions across approximately 130 countries and regions, acquiring talented personnel to meet the needs of each.
At Toyota Tsusho, we hold a variety of events focused on opportunities to interact with our employees, so that you can form a concrete image of working at our company and truly experience its appeal.
In addition to holding in-house events such as roundtable discussions and panel talks by sales employees, we value providing opportunities to concretely envision doing business at our company and to experience the unique approach and values of Toyota Tsusho through practical programs such as workshops based on actual business cases and internships where participants work with employees to conceive new businesses.
In addition, many employees cooperate with OB/OG visits, providing opportunities to deepen understanding of the company culture and business activities. Furthermore, a special selection process is available for full-time international students at overseas universities, and efforts are actively being made to secure diverse human resources.
We value encounters with colleagues who create the future together with us while deepening mutual understanding.
In mid-career recruitment, we consider it an important theme to acquire talent who can bring in capabilities and advanced expertise that our company has not had before, thereby further accelerating our business growth.
We actively welcome talent with diverse backgrounds through broad recruitment in the Sales Divisions and Administrative Unit.
In our history of successfully completing multiple mergers, we have fostered a culture where everyone can thrive equally, regardless of individual backgrounds.
Many people from different industries are also active here, and there is an environment where each person can leverage their experience and expertise to proactively lead projects.
We will continue to enhance organizational diversity through ongoing mid-career recruitment and keep evolving as a resilient, competitive company.
We strive to operate a grade system based on diverse talents and work styles, a fair evaluation and promotion system that fosters employee growth, and a compensation system based on performance.
Toyota Tsusho bases all its HR initiatives—hiring, training, appraisal, and transfers—on two pillars: human capital development and organizational dynamism. By supporting the growth and success of its diverse global workforce of 70,000 employees, Toyota Tsusho cultivates talent that creates unique business value.
To achieve this, we aim to provide an environment where each employee can fully demonstrate their potential in terms of knowledge, skills, and abilities, contributing to organizational goals and enhancing Toyota Tsusho's corporate value.
In fiscal 2025, we revised our grading system to clarify expected roles for each position and expand new career fields. The goal is for individuals to deliver results in the roles where they can shine most, thereby driving company growth.
Our remuneration system consists of salaries determined by job level and bonuses based on company performance and individual evaluations. The performance-based bonus system fairly rewards each employee's continuous self-improvement, efforts, and results.
Additionally, Toyota Tsusho operates a stock ownership plan available to all employees. Under this plan, employees can contribute a fixed amount from their monthly salary and bonuses to purchase company shares. To encourage participation, the company provides a matching incentive on contributions. This stock ownership plan enhances employees' sense of involvement in company management and promotes retention by increasing employee assets through stock price appreciation.
As of June 2025, the plan has 2,490 individual members, representing a participation rate of 68.7%.
We conduct MBO (Management by Objectives) training at the start of each fiscal year and assessment training at the end. These trainings aim to establish clear goal-setting agreements and improve feedback quality to support employee growth.
Throughout the year, we hold four mandatory interviews (at the start, middle, end, and feedback stages). We emphasize building trust between evaluators and employees through regular, close communication such as one-on-one meetings.
Each year, all evaluated employees receive a questionnaire on evaluation feedback. The results are used to improve MBO and assessment training and enhance communication between evaluators and employees.
Starting in fiscal year 2023, we introduced multi-faceted feedback for line managers, collecting input from supervisors and subordinates. This provides managers with objective insights into their management styles and opportunities to improve management quality.
In fiscal year 2023, we introduced a talent management system that enables setting targets considering both career goals and performance goals.
Starting in fiscal year 2025, we implemented a new career goal-setting form called "MCV (My Career Vision)" to help employees clarify their career paths. We continue to provide company-wide support and opportunities for employees to achieve their desired careers. By centrally managing this information, we also promote its use for human resource development as well as transfers and assignments that encourage autonomous growth.
Regarding performance goals, management and some associate positions are required to include items related to "Contribution to Maximizing Organizational Capability." We evaluate initiatives such as human resource and organizational development, encouraging proactive efforts by individuals to build stronger people and organizations.
From among those awards, organizations are further selected for the "Best Division Award," "Vice President's Award" and "President's Award."
The 2023 President's Award was given to the "Power Transmission Project for Wind Power Generation in Northern Hokkaido," carried out across one city and five towns in northern Hokkaido. The adjacent battery storage capacity of 720 MWh is the largest in Japan. Over five years, approximately 600 construction workers and about 700 personnel including developers were involved in building 78 km of transmission lines. This workforce movement significantly contributed to revitalizing the local economy. The project enables approximately 540 MW of new wind power generation with the installation of nine new power plants and 127 wind turbines, greatly advancing the spread of renewable energy.
Additionally, to encourage employee certification acquisition, we recognize employees' achievements and provide monetary awards based on the qualifications obtained. This actively supports employees' autonomous skill development and certification efforts.
In today's rapidly changing business environment, creating value in the business domains we aim to expand—such as addressing social and environmental challenges—requires our employees to continuously pursue new growth. The "Toyotsu's Growth Ecosystem" is a framework that accelerates organizational and corporate growth by harnessing the individual development of each employee, grounded in the Toyota Tsusho DNA and learning agility, ultimately delivering value to our customers and society.
Employees tackle customer challenges firsthand on-site, cultivating their own unique "tags" through practical experience. This process sparks new aspirations—what they aim to achieve next or how they want to contribute to solving social issues—and creates opportunities for them to take on new roles and responsibilities. Growth beyond grade and age is fostered through initiative and challenge. "The Growth Cycle of a Toyotsu Employee" models these growth processes and serves as the foundation of our talent development framework.
Through this Growth Ecosystem, Toyota Tsusho drives the creation of future business value and contributes to building a better society.
Taking ownership of one’s career contributes to personal growth, and the degree to which employees can envision realizing their careers at Toyota Tsusho influences engagement scores. To foster a mindset of career self-reliance across all employees, we offer various initiatives to encourage them to reflect on their careers.
At our company, we have a system called My Career Vision (MCV), where employees work with their supervisors in annual interviews to set and pursue their career goals. For those who find it challenging to develop their MCV or feel uncertain about it, we also offer workshops that support self-reflection, clarify company expectations, and help envision future possibilities.
The purpose of this system is to promote personnel changes that respect the career direction and aspirations of each employee as much as possible.
The purpose of this system is to promote personnel transfers that respect the aspirations and autonomous growth of each employee as much as possible. Interviews are held with the preferred department for transfer and when the needs of both sides match, the employee can be preferentially assigned.
Toyota Tsusho has a Challenge Rotation system, arranged by the Human Resources Department, under which every effort is made to assign employees to their desired department. There is also a Challenge Post system, under which applicants are assigned to departments according to organizational needs.
These programs support not only global employees but also senior staff leveraging their experience in new environments, as well as regional employees seeking transfers involving location changes.
In fiscal 2024, 25 transfers were completed out of 54 applications through these programs.
We believe that employees' autonomous approach to their own careers contributes most to their growth and is also vital for the company's development. Based on this concept of self-directed career formation, we offer a wide range of training programs covering career support, business skills, leadership, and more. These programs are freely available to all employees regardless of grade or position.
In addition to global common training for developing management talent and leaders, we offer pre-assignment training for overseas postings—covering cross-cultural understanding—as well as common skill training in areas such as marketing and digital literacy.
These trainings can be selected according to each individual's needs and are offered in various formats, including online courses accessible from anywhere.
GALP is our most prestigious in-house program, conducted in partnership with leading overseas business schools. Over approximately six months, selected next-generation management candidates from around the world discuss our company's purpose and vision in the global market, as well as their own leadership. Through action learning, participants deeply explore their personal aspirations and collaboratively propose next-generation management strategies. The program is dedicated to developing global leaders who can thrive with high ambition in multicultural environments.
As of November 2024, 30.6% of past GALP participants hold key global positions deemed critical to our consolidated management. Additionally, as a new initiative, we have established "alumni activities" for former participants, providing a platform centered on innovation to exchange information and continuously build a global network.
This development program targets next-generation leaders from our approximately 800 consolidated subsidiaries worldwide. Through meaningful dialogue with management, including outside directors, it cultivates the distinctive aspirations and leadership qualities expected of Toyota Tsusho Group managers. In addition, for corporate management areas such as HR, COCE, Legal, Accounting, and Finance, the program uses real internal case studies to help participants develop practical skills.
As leadership and communication styles evolve to meet the challenges of managing diverse people and organizations, we offer HCP to help managers acquire a variety of communication skills tailored to each member's personality, strengths, and development stage. By reflecting on their role as leaders and their own style, managers foster proactive dialogue with each team member, realizing both strong individuals and a strong organization.
The program also strengthens networks among managers, promotes workplace initiatives, and contributes to improving employee engagement and organizational culture.
As of the end of 2024, a total of 478 managers have completed the program, and about 70% of management in the top 50 organizations with high employee engagement have participated in HCP.
At Toyota Tsusho, we provide junior global employees with the opportunity to gain one year of overseas business trainee experience within their first eight years at the company. The purpose of this initiative is to help young employees broaden their international perspective early and expand their career options. By experiencing diverse cultures and business environments, they develop flexible thinking and problem-solving skills.
As of 2024, 77.5% of eligible employees have completed overseas assignments, supporting the company's growth.
The average overseas experience rate for global employees within their first eight years (based on the past three years) is 77.5%.
*Overseas experience: overseas postings, business trainee assignments, language trainee, and similar programs.
To develop talent capable of deeply understanding local languages and cultures and promoting business rooted in those regions, we offer an Overseas Language Trainee Program for junior global employees.
Participants first study the basics of a second foreign language—such as French, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, or Arabic—at language schools in Japan, then undertake one year of language study at a local university or language institution abroad. This program not only enhances language skills but also fosters familiarity with local culture, climate, and business customs, contributing to employees' career development and revitalizing job rotation opportunities.
Study destinations (2021): France 3 (total 3)
Study destinations (2022): France 1 (total 1)
Study destinations (2023): France 2, Brazil 1 (total 3)
Study destinations (2024): France 2, Brazil 1,China 1 (total 4)
Study destinations (2025): France 1, Brazil 1,China 1 (total 3)
Since 2000, Toyota Tsusho has grown significantly through mergers with Kasho and Tomen and acquiring CFAO as a subsidiary. Our workforce has also expanded and diversified. To respond to this, in 2023 we launched a project to foster ongoing dialogue between project members and management, aiming to pass on and evolve the unique traits that define Toyota Tsusho—our source of strength—to global and next-generation employees. In 2024, we formally established the “Toyota Tsusho DNA.” To instill Toyota Tsusho DNA globally, we have created multiple touchpoints with employees. We developed internal introduction and briefing videos and distributed leaflets not only in Japanese and English but also in local languages, ensuring all employees understand what Toyota Tsusho DNA represents. We also organize workshops and have launched a website where employees worldwide share personal experiences related to Toyota Tsusho DNA. These initiatives help employees visualize and embody its spirit in daily work.
We promote a company-wide, cross-functional project called TIVP to discover and refine seeds of new business and drive the creation of next‑generation businesses. Open to all employees from their second year onward, the project encourages participants to submit passionate ideas, conduct hypothesis testing, and progress through a company-wide pitch contest and proof-of-concept (PoC) validation, with the goal of commercializing successful concepts within the sales division. We value each employee’s aspiration and proactive approach to management, emphasizing their contribution to solving social issues while aligning with our materiality priorities. Now in its eighth year, this project fosters a strong sense of ownership and customer-centric thinking, contributing to the development of capable individuals.
We are committed to building a "Thriving, Living Organism" where every single one of our employees deeply resonates with our Mission, Vision, and Values, proactively taking on challenges and co-creating with autonomy. To maximize the potential of our human capital, drive innovation, and continuously enhance our corporate value—achieving the "Elevating Brigade of 70,000 People to a Higher Dimension"—we position Employee Engagement as one of our most critical management indicators.
Key human capital initiatives for enhancing Employee Engagement, maximizing talent potential, and evolving into a flexible, resilient organization:
We conduct an annual Employee Engagement survey for all employees to gain a timely understanding of the current state and challenges of our organization. To ensure objectivity and transparency, we adopt a format where participants respond directly and anonymously to an independent third-party provider. We share the results both internally and externally, fostering a culture across the entire organization where we mutually elevate engagement.
Analyzing the FY2025 survey results, we recognize that while "Collaboration" and "Work, structure and process" show an improving trend, they remain at relatively low levels. To resolve these issues, we are energizing horizontal and diagonal communication beyond organizational boundaries, while driving zero-based reviews of legacy tasks and reporting as well as eliminating reliance on specific individuals. Furthermore, including the utilization of AI driven by company-wide digital transformation (DX), we are continuously committing to fundamental workstyle innovation.
At our company, we do not let survey results remain mere measurements; instead, management and the frontlines unite to roll out initiatives as one. For agile, top-led issue resolution, we hold monthly meetings of the company-wide body "Human Company Task Force (HCTF)," chaired by the President and composed mainly of executive management, to swiftly identify human capital and organizational challenges and discuss and execute concrete improvement measures across HR and sales divisions.
We regularly hold Town Hall Meetings where the President directly dialogues with employees, bringing employees and the company closer together while deepening understanding of and empathy for our management direction. Moreover, in an era of rapid digitalization and AI advancement, we believe the value of people speaking in their own words and sharing their thoughts and feelings—beyond merely conveying information accurately—is higher than ever; thus, we established an in-house studio in April 2026. Furthermore, through "ToyoTube," our video distribution platform that shares recorded videos across the entire group, our employees take center stage in communicating about people and diverse initiatives around the world. By deploying diverse video content and expanding understanding and empathy, we foster organizational unity and vitality.
We host the "Practical Dojo for Organizational Development," a frontline-driven learning community designed to enhance self-innovation capabilities in the workplace. In this initiative, supervisors and subordinates participate in pairs, learning organizational development through mutual practice and applying these insights to daily workplace management.
Looking at our performance for the fiscal year ended March 2026, Employee Engagement reached 72% and Employee Enablement rose to 70%—both improving from the previous fiscal year—indicating that the impact of our initiatives is becoming evident.
| Fiscal Year ended March 2024 |
Fiscal Year ended March 2025 |
Fiscal Year ended March 2026 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Employee Engagement (%) | 67 | 68 | 72 |
| Employee Enablement (%) | 66 | 67 | 70 |
