Corporate governance

Policy and basic approach

Yaskawa Electric recognizes the importance of corporate ethics based on compliance with laws and regulations, and considers it an important issue to enhance corporate value by speeding up management decision-making in response to changing social and economic environments and improving management soundness.
To achieve this, we will build good relationships with our stakeholders, including shareholders, customers, business partners, local communities, and employees. We will also further strengthen our current institutions, including the General Meeting of Shareholders, Board of Directors, Audit and Supervisory Committee, and Accounting Auditor, while enhancing corporate governance.
For our shareholders and investors, we will strive to disclose information promptly and accurately, and at the same time, enhance management transparency by disclosing a wide range of information.

Yaskawa Electric corporate governance policy

Compliance with corporate governance code

Yaskawa Electric implements all of the principles of Corporate Governance Code.

Corporate governance structure

Yaskawa Electric has adopted a corporate structure with an Audit and Supervisory Committee in order to further strengthen the oversight function of the Board of Directors over management and corporate governance, as well as to enhance the soundness and efficiency of management. The Company believes that the supervisory function of the Board of Directors will be further enhanced by utilizing the legal functions of Audit and Supervisory Committee Members, such as the ability of Audit and Supervisory Committee Members as directors to exercise voting rights at the Board of Directors on important matters of the Company, such as the appointment and dismissal of Representative Directors, and the ability to examine the results of the execution of business by Executive Directors and to express opinions at the General Meeting of Shareholders on the appointment, dismissal and remuneration of Executive Directors. In addition, the Company has introduced an executive officer system to separate management decision-making and business execution functions, enhance each function, and speed up business execution.


  • Corporate governance structure

Board of Directors

Yaskawa Electric’s Board of Directors consists of 9 members, including 4 internal and 5 outside directors.
In addition to the regular meetings of the Board of Directors, the Board of Directors convenes extraordinary meetings as necessary to decide on important matters related to management and matters stipulated by laws and regulations, and to supervise the status of business execution on an ongoing basis.
Yaskawa has appointed Hisanori Makaya, Harumi Mukai, Keiji Nishio, Yaeko Hodaka and Chikako Irie as Outside Directors to provide advice and suggestions from an independent perspective on overall management of Yaskawa based on their diverse perspectives, experiences and advanced expertise. In deliberations by the Board of Directors, Outside Directors fully understand the current status of Yaskawa based on information submitted or reported by the Internal Audit and Control Division, Corporate administration operations and other functions, and the Accounting Auditor provide advice and proposals based on their respective knowledge, thereby fulfilling appropriate supervisory functions.

Audit and Supervisory Committee

The Audit and Supervisory Committee consists of 4 directors (of which three are outside directors) who are Audit and Supervisory Committee Members, and audits the status of execution of duties by Directors and others. In conducting audits, the Audit and Supervisory Committee fully understands the current status of Yaskawa Electric based on information reported by the Internal Control Division, the Internal Audit Division, and the head office business divisions, while full-time Audit and Supervisory Committee Members conduct audits based on actual inspections. In addition, the Audit and Supervisory Committee carries out duties in cooperation with the Accounting Auditor, and monitors and verifies the duties of the Accounting Auditor.
Yaskawa Electric has appointed EY ShinNihon LLC as an accounting auditor, and has provided accurate management information under an auditing contract and created an environment in which audits are conducted from an independent standpoint. We consult with and receive advice from our accounting auditors when they need to make a decision. 

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee is composed of executive directors and executive officers and discusses important decisions related to business execution, including reports on the progress of management plans and deliberations on policies and measures for all businesses. As a general rule, meetings are held once a month, and extraordinary meetings are held as necessary to establish a flexible and prompt business execution system.

Nomination Advisory Committee

The Nomination Advisory Committee, of which the majority are independent outside directors, has been established under the Board of Directors to ensure the transparency and fairness of the nomination of director candidates, the selection process of representative directors and officers, etc., and to ensure a forum for outside directors to obtain and discuss sufficient information to form opinions on the nomination of director candidates, etc. When submitting proposals regarding the nomination, etc. of director candidates, etc. to the Board of Directors, the details thereof shall be fully reflected upon the report of the Committee.

Compensation Advisory Committee

The Compensation Advisory Committee consisting of a majority of independent outside directors is established under the Board of Directors to ensure the appropriateness and transparency of the remuneration of directors (excluding directors who are Audit and Supervisory Committee Members) and executive officers through fair deliberations, and to ensure a forum for outside directors to obtain sufficient information and discuss the remuneration in order to form opinions.
The Committee deliberates on the compensation for directors calculated in accordance with the directors’ compensation rules and other necessary matters concerning directors’ compensation from the viewpoint of appropriateness.

Structures of the Board of Directors, the Audit and Supervisory Committee, and Advisory Committees

Directors Structure
Board of Directors Audit and Supervisory Committee Nomination Advisory Committee Compensation Advisory Committee
Hiroshi Ogasawara (70)
Ayumi Hayashida (61)
Yumie Kubota (58)
Hisanori Makaya (68)
Outside Independent
Harumi Mukai (60)
Outside Independent
Takeshi Ikuyama (62)
Keiji Nishio (67)
Outside Independent
Yaeko Hodaka (60)
Outside Independent
Chikako Irie (54)
Outside Independent

◎Chairperson ○Member

(Note)The ages are as of May 27, 2026, at the 110th Annual General Shareholders Meeting.

Composition of the Board of Directors and board skills matrix

Directors Areas of expertise that the Company expects each Director to demonstrate ●Male
○Female
Corporate management/Business strategy ESG/Sustainability Finance Accounting Legal affairs Sales Marketing Manufacturing R&D/DX Global
Hiroshi Ogasawara (70)
Ayumi Hayashida (61)
Yumie Kubota (58)
Hisanori Makaya (68)
Outside Independent
Harumi Mukai (60)
Outside Independent
Takeshi Ikuyama (62)
Member of
the Audit and
Supervisory
Committee
Keiji Nishio (67)
Member of
the Audit and
Supervisory
Committee
Outside Independent
Yaeko Hodaka (60)
Member of
the Audit and
Supervisory
Committee
Outside Independent
Chikako Irie (54)
Member of
the Audit and
Supervisory
Committee
Outside Independent

(Note)The table above does not cover all the expertise each candidate possesses.
Age is as of the 110th general meeting of shareholders held on May 27, 2026.

Status of Outside Directors

Individuals who do NOT correspond to any of the following items can be appointed as independent outside directors, with regards to the independence standards set by the Financial Instruments Exchange.

  • ・ Nominees have worked for an organization that holds 10% or more of the company’s stock, either now or within the past three business years.
  • ・ Nominees have worked for the company’s main bank or the major group borrowers as described in the most recent business report, now or within the last three business years.
  • ・ Nominees have worked for the company’s Lead Managing Underwriter at the time of writing or within the last three business years.
  • ・ Nominees have worked within the past three fiscal years at an organization whose transaction amount with our company exceeds 1% of either our company’s or the counterparty’s consolidated revenue.
  • ・ Nominees have worked for the accounting firm of the company either now or within the past three business years.
  • ・ The eligible individual has received more than 10 million yen in annual compensation, etc., from the company for consulting or advisory contracts such as laws, accounting, taxation, etc., at the present or within the past three business years.
  • ・ During the past three business years or now, nominees have worked for organizations including individuals that received more than 10 million yen in annual donations from the company.

In addition, the basic term of office as an outside director of our company is 4 years, and it may be extended for an additional year if there are unavoidable business reasons.

Attendance of Outside Directors at Board of Directors Meetings

Name

Attendance Status (FY2025)

Board of Directors

Audit and Supervisory Committee

Hisanori Makaya

10 times/10 times
(100%)

Kaori Matsuhashi

13 times/13 times
(100%)

13 times/14 times
(93%)

Keiji Nishio

13 times/13 times
(100%)

14 times/14 times
(100%)

Yaeko Hodaka

13 times/13 times
(100%)

14 times/14 times
(100%)

(Note)Mr. Hisanori Makaya was newly elected at the 109th Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders held on May 28, 2025. Therefore, the number of attendance and meetings of the Board of Directors differ from those of other Outside Directors.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of the Board of Directors

(1) Methods of analysis and evaluation
In FY2025, Yaskawa conducted a questionnaire survey of all Directors, including Audit and Supervisory Committee Members, hereinafter referred to as the “Survey,” and interviews with Outside Directors regarding the evaluation of effectiveness, hereinafter referred to as the “Interviews.” The Survey and the Interviews consisted of evaluation items related to the size, composition, and operation of the Board of Directors, the functioning of the Board of Directors, management of business plans, support systems for Outside Directors, and overall management, including management issues and strengthening of the management structure.

(2) Summary of evaluation results
As a result of the Survey, positive responses accounted for more than 90% of all responses, indicating that the effectiveness of the Board of Directors is generally ensured.
On the other hand, the items identified through the Survey and the Interviews as requiring improvement include enhancement of discussions on the allocation of management resources and enhancement of the deliberations of the Nomination Advisory Committee.

(3) Future initiatives
As described above, Yaskawa has evaluated that the effectiveness of the Board of Directors is generally ensured at present, and has recognized various issues. Based on these findings, Yaskawa will implement measures to ensure that discussions to further improve the effectiveness of the Board of Directors are held at the Board of Directors’ meetings and other committees.
In addition, Yaskawa plans to utilize analysis, evaluation, and recommendations for improvement by a third-party organization approximately once every three years, and the most recent evaluation was conducted in FY2024.
For FY2026, Yaskawa also plans to conduct an evaluation of effectiveness in a format combining questionnaire surveys and interviews with each Director.

Initiatives to enhance corporate governance

As a Business-to-Business manufacturing company, Yaskawa’s management requires in-depth knowledge of market characteristics and technological trends, it has selected a system with an Audit and Supervisory Committee as an institutional design for its organization.
At the same time, we have developed a governance system to enhance the effectiveness of the Board of Directors by actively incorporating external knowledge, and to strengthen both defensive and offensive governance, in order to continuously improve corporate value. Yaskawa will continue to pursue its best, enhance management transparency, and further enhance corporate governance.

Background of strengthening corporate governance system (Note)

FY

FY2012-FY2014

FY2015-FY2017

FY2018-FY2025

Main measures

FY2012

・Adoption of executive officer system

・Number of Directors was reduced to 12 from 20

 

FY2014

・Compensation Advisory Committee established

FY2015

・Transition to a company with Audit and Supervisory Committee

・Nomination Advisory Committee established

 

FY2016

・Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Board of Directors commenced

FY2018

・More than 1/3 of the Board of Directors are independent Outside Directors

 

FY2019

・Skills Matrix of the Board of Directors Disclosed

 

FY2020

・Determination of basic policies for executive compensation

・Corporate Governance Policy of Yaskawa established

 

FY2021

・Sustainability Policy established

 

FY2022

・Opinion Exchange Meeting of the Board of Directors commenced

FY2025

・Interview of the Effectiveness of the Board of Directors commenced

Aim and purpose

・Faster and more efficient management decision-making and execution

・Ensuring the appropriateness and transparency of executive compensation

・Strengthening of offensive and defensive governance

・Ensuring transparency and fairness in nomination of director candidates

・Improving the functions of the Board of Directors to increase corporate value

・Improving the independence and objectivity of the Board of Directors

・Enhancement of information disclosure

・Contributing to the realization of a sustainable society in addition to improving corporate value

・Enhancement of understanding our business for Outside Directors in addition to improving effectiveness of the Board of Directors meeting

Institution establishment

Company with Board of Corporate Auditors

Company with Audit and Supervisory Committee

Composition of the Board of Directors

Internal

6

8*

4*

Independent outside
(Female)

1

3*

4*
(2)

Composition of Audit and Supervisory Committee
(Up to FY2014, data indicated as “Board of Corporate Auditors”)

Internal

2

2

1

Independent outside
(Female)

2

3

3
(2)

*Including directors who are members of the Audit and Supervisory Committee.
(Note) The No. of members of the Board of Directors and the Audit and Supervisory Committee are of the latest figure of the corresponding fiscal years on the table.

Directors’ compensation

Method of determining Policy on Compensation

The policy for determining compensation, etc. for each individual Director has been resolved by the Board of Directors.

Outline of determining Policy on Compensation

With the aim of continuously increasing corporate value and strengthening competitiveness, officer compensation at Yaskawa is designed to maintain a level of compensation that secures talented human resources and provides incentives for short-term, medium- to long-term performance improvement.
In addition, single-year performance-linked compensation is paid according to the profit results of the previous fiscal year in order to encourage the entire organization to work together toward continuous profit improvement. Medium- to long-term compensation is designed to encourage awareness of enhancing corporate value over the medium to long term and to share benefits with stakeholders.

Remuneration to Directors (excluding Audit and Supervisory Committee Members)

1) Basic compensation

At the 99th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held on June 18, 2015, a resolution was passed to set a fixed limit of 430 million yen or less for the basic remuneration of Directors. Details are as follows. The number of Directors subject to this basic remuneration is 12 or less, as stipulated in the Articles of Incorporation.

・Directors (excluding outside directors)
As directors assume the responsibility of improving corporate value, a certain amount will be paid according to the performance evaluation and position of each Director.

・Outside Directors
Outside directors are responsible for supervising the execution of duties, so a fixed amount is paid in advance.

2) Performance-linked compensation

At the 99th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held on June 18, 2015, the Company resolved as follows. The number of Directors who are eligible for this performance-linked compensation is limited to 12 or less in accordance with Yaskawa’s Articles of Incorporation.

・Directors (excluding outside directors)
The maximum amount of performance-linked compensation shall be 1.0% or less of the consolidated net income of the fiscal year prior to the general meeting of shareholders elected or reappointed, in order to further clarify the link with consolidated performance. The amount of remuneration for each Director is calculated by taking into account the relative results to Yaskawa’s business performance from the standard deviation based on operating profit rate, operating profit growth rate and ROA of other companies in the same industry.

・Outside Directors
Performance-linked compensation is not provided.

3) Stock compensation (medium- to long-term compensation)

Based on the resolutions adopted at the 101st Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held on June 15, 2017, the 103rd Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held on May 28, 2019, and the 105th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held on May 26, 2021, the Company has introduced a stock compensation plan for directors, the “Board Benefit Trust (BBT).” This plan is a stock-based compensation system that is linked to the degree of achievement of performance indicators set forth in the Company’s medium-term management plan. Through this system, directors share not only the benefits of an increase in the Company’s stock price but also the risks associated with a decrease in the stock price together with shareholders. The aim is to further enhance directors’ motivation to improve medium- to long-term business performance and increase corporate value.
The compensation under this plan was approved at the 105th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held on May 26, 2021, and its outline is as follows. As of the conclusion of the said shareholders’ meeting, the Board of Directors consisted of six directors (excluding outside directors) and one outside director.

・Directors (excluding Outside Directors)
The evaluation indices used to calculate stock-based compensation in mid-term business plan “Dash 35” from FY2026 to FY2029 are as follows.
The stock compensation is calculated by the performance factor according to the target value of each evaluation index.

・Outside Directors
A predetermined number of points will be awarded only when the company‘s target operating profit for each fiscal year set forth in the medium-term management plan is achieved.

Evaluation indicators and formulas for stock compensation for Directors (excluding Outside Directors)

(A)Base amount by rank

Considering the size and responsibilities of the areas in which Directors are responsible and their contribution to Group management, the Company sets the base amount according to their positions.

(B)Operating profit amount (fiscal year concerned)

Evaluations are based on operating profit amount for each fiscal year of the mid-term business plan “Dash 35” from FY2026 to FY2029.

(C)ROIC (Return on Invested Capital) ratio (fiscal year concerned)

Evaluations are based on the actual ROIC for each fiscal year of the mid-term business plan “Dash 35” from FY2026 to FY2029.

(D)Comparison of TSR (total shareholders return) with TOPIX (fiscal year concerned)

Evaluations are conducted according to the degree of achievement of TSR with the aim of motivating directors to increase corporate value from the shareholders’ point of view.

(E)Achievement level of the YASKAWA Group’s CO2 emissions reduction rate (fiscal year concerned)

In order to realize sustainable corporate activities and respond to social issues, Yaskawa evaluates Achievement level of the YASKAWA Group’s CO2 emissions reduction rate.

Policy on the proportion of each remuneration

・Directors (excluding outside directors)
Directors’ compensation consists of basic compensation, which is fixed compensation, as well as performance-linked compensation and stock compensation, which vary according to performance. In the event that performance targets are achieved, the composition ratio of basic compensation, performance-linked compensation and stock compensation for the President and Representative Director is assumed to be approximately 30%:55%:15%

・Outside Directors
From the perspective of independence, performance-linked compensation will not be paid, and base compensation as well as non-performance-linked stock compensation only when performance targets are achieved will be paid. The proportion of outside directors’ remuneration shall be as follows.

(a)
In the event that stock compensation does not accrue
Basic compensation: Stock-based compensation = 100%: 0%
(b)
When stock compensation is generated (when stock compensation is maximum)
Basic compensation: Stock-based compensation = 85%: 15%

Remuneration of Audit and Supervisory Committee members

1) Basic compensation

The maximum amount of basic remuneration for Directors who are the members of the Audit and Supervisory Committee was fixed at a maximum of 150 million yen per year and resolved at the 104 th Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders held on May 27, 2020. The number of Audit and Supervisory Committee Members subject to this basic remuneration shall be six or less pursuant to the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation of Yaskawa.

2) Stock compensation

A predetermined number of points will be awarded only if the target operating profit for each fiscal year, as set forth in the medium-term management plan, is achieved.

Total Amount of Compensation, etc. by Director Category, Total Amount of Compensation, etc. by Type, and Number of Applicable Directors (FY2025)
Director category Number of directors Total amount of compensation(millions of yen)
Monetary compensation Non-monetary compensation
Basic compensation Performance-linked compensation Stock-based compensation
Directors
(excluding Directors who are Audit and Supervisory Committee Members and Outside Directors)
4 448 188 213 46
Directors who are Audit and Supervisory Committee Members
(excluding outside directors)
1 31 31
Outside Directors 5 65 65

(Note) The above includes 1 Director (excluding Directors who are Audit and Supervisory Committee Members and Outside Directors) and 1 Outside Director retired at the conclusion of the 109th Annual General Shareholders Meeting held on May 28, 2025.

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