Sustainable growth | Rising to the opportunity

As we welcome the start to a new year, and the final year of our 2024 Mid Term Management Plan ,? it's important to take a moment to reflect on all that has been achieved as well as looking ahead to our upcoming goals. For me, 2023 was a year of new horizons, focus and growth. I took on my new role as President of Hitachi in EMEA, working to transform and grow the business so that we act as the hub for Hitachi in the region and help drive sustainable growth.?

One of the things that sets Hitachi apart is the wide range of capabilities we have within the EMEA region. Throughout the year, I had the opportunity to attend several OneHitachi meetings, kicking off in Spain and moving around the region. This included for the first time the newly added MEA region and a meeting in Dubai. These gatherings brought together leaders from across the company to share ideas and collaborate on new initiatives. It was great to see people from across Hitachi business units coming together for the first time to unite over shared goals.

These meetings are crucial in understanding why people choose to work with us. 2023 saw the first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) month at Hitachi, highlighting how our business growth is down to the passion, commitment and unique talent of each and every employee. One of my focuses for 2024 is to continue to celebrate and recognise this and to showcase why Hitachi should be the first choice for young talent, making sure we are fostering the next generation of employees who will help us on our mission to deliver a decarbonised future.

Hitachi’s innovative solutions have helped drive new partnerships throughout 2023. These included an agreement with FirstGroup to accelerate the UK’s push to electric mobility, delivering 1,000 new bus batteries through a new financing model and supplying transformers and reactors to TenneT’s transmission grid development program in Germany. In 2024, we aim to see more cross sector deals, particularly developing these into areas we haven’t previously covered, pushing ourselves to deliver more sustainable solutions across business units.??

There have been many other highlights from the past year including hosting a reception at the UK House of Commons in September, which was a fantastic opportunity to connect with key stakeholders and decision makers. The theme of the event was Digital Transformation and we were able to showcase the digital capabilities Hitachi has across many business sectors and how these can be utilised to transform the UK economy, infrastructure and environment. We were also privileged to host a dinner for our younger employees, just at the start of their career with Hitachi and they joined Chairman Toshiaki Higashihara where we discussed the future of Hitachi and EMEA’s role in helping shape it. Looking ahead to 2024 I expect to see more discussions this year around how technology, including how generative AI can help to unlock opportunities in sustainability and how we can maximise this to its full potential.

Another highlight in 2023 was our Possible campaign, which poses the question “Is net zero possible?”. The film reflected the scale of our solutions across Europe from pioneering future of rail in the north of Italy to showcasing two islands that are making huge strides towards net zero by harnessing wind and solar to provide clean, safe and reliable power for local communities and beyond. We will continue this momentum into 2024 so keep an eye out for our next film around digital coming soon!?

The EMEA region was well represented at COP28 , the United Nations Climate Change Conference at the end of November. Not only were we able to showcase our commitment to reducing emissions but also meet with customers, partners and governments to share views on decarbonisation challenges. It was great for me to represent EMEA for Hitachi on the ground at COP28 and I am pleased to announce we will also be opening a new office in Saudi Arabia later this year to help continue to drive meaningful change in the region.

2024 marks a significant year for Hitachi as we create the building blocks for the next Mid-Term Management Plan in 2025. I'm excited to continue our growth trajectory in EMEA throughout the year, to continue learning and growing as a leader, and I'm committed to supporting my team as we navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this journey in 2023, and I look forward to what 2024 holds.