Greetings

Greetings

I would like to extend my sincerest appreciation for your support and patronage.

I am Toru Nakashima, and I have been entrusted with the responsibility of leading Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group as Group CEO. While I wish my appointment that followed the sudden passing of Mr. Ohta had come under different circumstances, I will nevertheless dedicate myself wholeheartedly to leading SMBC Group to further growth and prosperity.

I believe that SMBC Group’s greatest asset is none other than the unwavering trust of our stakeholders. This trust in SMBC Group is rooted in our corporate DNA as merchants, embodied by our Mitsui and Sumitomo forebearers from the Edo period centuries ago and now ingrained within us all. Our forebearers, as excellent merchants, thought for themselves, had courage, and when required acted boldly. They were not blinded by self-interest and carefully nurtured their businesses following the spirit of sampo-yoshi, in which they value the importance of not only pursuing the benefit of the company but also that of society and customers. We will harness this spirit and DNA as we pursue SMBC Group’s Vision of becoming: “A trusted global solution provider committed to the growth of our customers and advancement of society.”

SMBC Group launched our new Medium-Term Management Plan “Plan for Fulfilled Growth” in April 2023. As of present, I believe we have made steady progress under a positive business environment towards our future growth by executing a review of our business portfolio, expanding the scope of our operations/business regions, and other initiatives established via the Medium-Term Management Plan. Furthermore, if we turn our attention to the business environment going forward, interest rate cuts are expected overseas while in Japan we are seeing healthy levels of inflation accompanying rising wage levels, the revitalization of investment activities by corporations, and the expansion of asset formation by individuals. In other words. I believe the foundations of a positive environment for sustainable growth are being established. Given our position as a financial group that is responsible for acting as a financial intermediary, it has become even more important that we proactively support our customers while at the same time engage in efforts to address social issues.

SMBC Group will contribute to the development of our customers and of society while clearly laying down the path for our growth by accelerating efforts to “Create Social Value” and “Pursue Economic Value,” two key concepts that were established under the current Medium-Term Management Plan. As we stand at a turning point in our business environment, SMBC Group will strive to realize “Growth with Quality” in a positive and powerful way by heightening our sensitivity to various matters and acting in a timely and appropriate manner.

I myself will lead the transformation of SMBC Group as we strive to become a financial group that enjoys the unwavering trust of all our stakeholders. Thank you for your support, and we look forward to serving you in the years to come.

March 1, 2024
President and Group CEO
Toru NakashimaPresident and Group CEO