Sumitomo Corporation's fiscal 2010 welcoming ceremony for new staff was held at the Company's head office on April 1, 2010. A total of 131 new employees, consisting of both those belonging to career-track group and clerical group, who had showed up for work for the first time that day listened attentively to the President's speech. Following the speech, assignments were officially announced one by one and the visibly nervous new employees each received their letter of appointment.

Susumu Kato, President and CEO, first congratulated the new recruits on joining Sumitomo Corporation. He then spoke to them about important matters, including key phrases representing Sumitomo's business philosophy: "integrity and sound management," "never pursue easy gains" and "a spirit of challenge that anticipates change." The President also offered words of encouragement, saying "The quintessence of general trading company's business is to expand by taking risks. To this end, it is necessary to anticipate change and create new value. I really hope that you will see the changes that are currently occurring at this pivotal point in history as opportunities and that you will seize them bravely."
The President's speech was peppered with words and phrases that were likely to be unfamiliar to his listeners, such as "compliance" and "work-life balance"--areas in which Sumitomo Corporation takes a great deal of pride. The inclusion of such terms undoubtedly had the effect of making the new employees vividly aware that they had taken their first step as responsible members of society.

The 113 and 18 employees each moving into career-track group and crelical group will take up their posts in the assigned departments in the middle of April, following a period of new employee training. By the spring of next year, they will be dependable employees of Sumitomo Corporation who will carry the company into the future.