Makoto Shinto

Tokyo Electron 

What are the most important cases or transactions you have been involved in during the past year?

This year, I led the team in atypical cases, including a recently closed acquisition deal.

We provided legal support regarding geopolitical risks, export controls, and economic security. Additionally, I led the legal department’s response to incidents involving information security.

I also managed the secretariat’s response for the board of directors and Corporate Officers Meeting (the highest decision-making body of the executive side, “COM”), including the governance structure of the group, which includes the operation of overseas subsidiaries’ boards of directors meetings.

In your experience, what is the secret to successful collaboration with business partners?

Our company is a manufacturer of semiconductor manufacturing equipment — our customers are semiconductor manufacturers, making us a so-called B-to-Bn company. In this rapidly changing semiconductor industry with great growth potential, the environment surrounding the company is constantly changing. To successfully collaborate with management and business partners, it is important to accurately understand the company’s situation and the management’s awareness of the issues. As a former head of the legal department — now general manager, group governance, and vice president of the corporate governance department — I participate in the board of directors and the Corporate Officers Meeting (COM), the highest decision-making body of the executive side, as part of the secretariat. In the board of directors and COM, I actively comment on legal issues from the secretariat seat as the responsible person of legal, thereby raising my own and the department’s presence. I feedback my understanding of these management issues to the departments and, by proactively identifying management challenges and considering solutions from a legal perspective, rather than being passive, I believe am making a significant contribution to the company.

What political, economic, or regulatory changes have had the greatest impact on your work in the past year?

Since around 90% of our revenue comes from overseas customers, geopolitical conflict and/or regional disputes which have impacts on global macroeconomics and/or international order, could also have an impact on our businesses.  In this complex web of regulations in Japan and abroad, I’m taking the lead role in monitoring/complying with the global regulations including export controls and countermeasures, and I feel my role has become more important than ever.

If there are any topics related to business or other matters that you are focusing on, please let us know the reasons.

Our company is a global company with nearly 90 sites worldwide, but there were not many chances for members to lead meetings in English or make presentations in either Japanese or English. Therefore, I have recently been actively assigning team members (especially young and mid-level members) to English-language projects, providing them with opportunities for presentation and facilitation at English meetings, and conducting thorough rehearsals with them before the actual meetings to ensure they can attend with confidence. After meetings, I actively provide feedback comments (mainly positive) to give them confidence and awareness of areas for improvement.