Report of the 42nd Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders

President Tanabe, who chaired the General Meeting of Shareholders, declared the meeting open on schedule at 1:00 p.m. Japan time. The first half of the meeting comprised matters reported. Audit & Supervisory Board Members presented their audit report, which was followed by the Business Report explaining the results for the Company's 42nd fiscal year and progress on the medium-term business plan, which was commenced from the 42nd fiscal year. The second half of the meeting comprised proposals resolved. After a report on the status of the exercise of voting rights, the meeting deliberated on each proposal. All proposals were approved and passed without alteration. A total of three shareholders expressed opinions or asked questions after the presentation of the Business Report. Please see below for the details of these opinions and questions.

*To protect our shareholders’ privacy, the Q&A section has been excluded from this video.

Director Uwai, in charge of production, also responded to questions during the Q&A session

Directors and Audit & Supervisory Board Members elected at the General Meeting of Shareholders

Following the relaxation of COVID-19 regulations, we set up an exhibit area in the General Meeting of Shareholders’ venue for the first time in four years. Visitors were able to view print samples generated by our products and deepened their understanding of our business.

Samples of the Company’s first DTF print.
Product used: BN-20D

Attendees were able to directly touch the output samples.

Advance question

Q: What is the percentage of women in management positions?
Also, as a global company, I would like to see you work on goals other than those you currently have on mind, such as those set out in SDGs, like the eradication of poverty, as well as gender equality.

A: Although there are differences by country, the percentage of female managers in the Company’s global workforce is 22%. Roland DG is working to support the career development of female employees and strengthen the training of candidates for management positions. Also, in addition to facilitating flexible work styles, we are making progress in transforming internal awareness and intend to become a company where both men and women can perform “childcare” and “nursing care.” As an operating company, we recognize that sustainable growth is our responsibility, and we will work together with stakeholders to enhance corporate value through our business activities.

Questions asked at the venue

Q: Regarding the production functions that are being consolidated in Thailand, I’d like to know what you will do in cases of emergency.

A: (Respondent: Chairman Tanabe)
Director Uwai, who’s in charge of production, will respond about BCP (business continuity planning) at the Thai factory.
 

A: (Respondent: Director Uwai)
When we were building our factory in Thailand, where flooding is a frequent occurrence, we fully considered its location and design, and in the 10 years since its founding not once has it been hit by a disaster. The BCP was formulated, and is updated annually, taking into account the risk of production stoppages due to events such as other natural disasters and political upheavals. Its basic policy is to ensure the safety of people and to sustain operations with an eye to keeping customer business up and running. The most important aspect of “business continuity” is to ensure the supply of ink and spare parts, and in 2022 we increased inventories to ensure a stable supply of ink and made the necessary capital investments for its storage. In this way, we are ensuring our customers’ business continuity in the event of an emergency. As for hardware products, production facilities in Japan are normally used for prototyping, but we have a system in place to resume a necessary minimum level of production there if production functions are halted at the Thai factory.
 

A: (Respondent: Chairman Tanabe)
In consolidating production functions in our factory in Thailand, we have considered all possible risks. To date, production has been going smoothly at our Thai factory, but still, we recognize that it is our responsibility to ensure production from a medium- to long-term perspective and prevent stoppages at our customers’ business. We will continue to fine-tune our BCP so that we can earn the confidence and trust of you all.

Q: Even though you are a company that specializes in technology, only one of the seven directors in the Skill Matrix has been checked off in the “Production, Engineering and R&D” column. Is this structure acceptable?

A: (Respondent: Chairman Tanabe)
Of our Directors, only Mr. Uwai has a technical background. Although I myself have a sales background, I have also overseen development as Division President for the past 10 years, so I understand the product development process. In addition, Managing Executive Officer Bito and others demonstrate a high level of expertise in “Production, Engineering and R&D.” We hope you understand that Directors and Executive Officers have regular discussions twice a week and are collaborating well.

Q: Candidate #6 is from a major shareholder. I would like to ask again about the relationship between Roland DG and Taiyo Fund.

A: (Respondent: Chairman Tanabe)
Taiyo Fund is a long-term shareholder of the Company and its CEO, Mr. Heywood, has been advising the Company’s management as an Outside Director since 2020. When Mr. Heywood was appointed in 2020, along with my appointment as president, COVID-19 was beginning to spread. Under very uncertain circumstances, we asked Mr. Heywood, who has extensive experience in corporate management, to advise us on how to proceed with company “visualization,” and furthermore, what kind of decisions needed to be made going forward, which we also discussed at our monthly Board of Directors Meetings. We believe that our growth achieved in both sales and profits is attributed to his advice. I can assure you that Mr. Heywood’s advice has made it easier for us to make business decisions. We will continue to make prompt decisions to enhance corporate value.

*Note: The contents stated here may not be transferred or duplicated without permission of the Company in accordance with the Copyright Act.