Takeda Recognized as a Nadeshiko Brand, An Enterprise Encouraging Women's Success in the Workplace

Osaka, Japan, March 4, 2014 –Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Takeda) announced today that the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) have recognized Takeda as a Nadeshiko Brand, a listed enterprise that is “exceptional in encouraging women’s success in the workplace”. The Nadeshiko Brand Program is a joint effort by METI and TSE to publicly acknowledge and promote enterprises that proactively encourage women to play more active roles in the workplace by providing an environment that enables women to further their careers. The selection of the Brands is based on return on equity (ROE)* and scores for “conducting career support for women” and “supporting women in balancing work and family” among TSE First Section companies.

“Diversity” is a key element of Takeda’s Mid-Range Growth Strategy. Takeda aims to foster a corporate culture that is full of vitality in which employees of all ages, genders, and nationalities are shown mutual respect, and which stimulates creativity by providing an environment in which employees can demonstrate their capabilities to the fullest.

Takeda is also boosting efforts to empower women in the workplace under Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), a set of international business activity principles, which Takeda joined in December 2012. Takeda has identified fostering women’s career advancement as a key issue in the promotion of diversity within Japan, and Takeda is advancing deliberate efforts to foster female leadership through training, as well as networking and mentoring with senior management, as Takeda aims for a ratio of 5% of female representation in managerial positions in FY2015. Takeda is also moving ahead with efforts aimed at supporting work-life balance, such as instigating a "Power-up Day" to encourage employees to leave work on time, implementing a flex-time system, and enhancing our vacation and retirement systems.

Selection as a Nadeshiko Brand is acknowledgement of Takeda’s efforts in this area. Takeda will continue to foster a corporate culture that nurtures creative ideas through mutual understanding and respect for diversity, and Takeda will continue to improve its corporate value as a global pharmaceutical company.

* METI and TSE screen brands whose average ROE over a period of three years (FY2010-12) are higher than the industry average.

###