Note: This page includes content from the Integrated Report 2026.
Driving Transformation and Taking on
Challenges to Create New Value Globally
My name is Yasuaki Kuniyasu. I was appointed Representative Director, President and CEO of DUNLOP in March 2026. I am acutely aware of the weight of responsibility that comes with being appointed to lead the Company at this important time, which can be described as the beginning of a new era. At the same time, I am fully committed to carrying through transformation and taking on challenges to further enhance the Company’s corporate value.
Since my appointment as President was decided, I have felt each day the tremendous potential of the Company. I see it as my responsibility to steadily translate our strengths in technologies, talent, and our globally expanding business foundation into growth, and to provide value to our stakeholders that exceeds their expectations.
More than 70% of the Group’s sales are generated overseas, and approximately 70% of our employees work outside Japan. In terms of business scale, we are a global company. However, I recognize that we are not yet where we need to be in terms of unity across the Group and the sharing of common values, and that there remains significant room for improvement as we work to realize true global management.
What I want to emphasize is personally embodying the “WAY” set out in our corporate philosophy and practicing management globally that supports individuals and the organization in taking on challenges.
To that end, I will further promote management that respects diversity and fosters inclusion by enabling diverse talent to demonstrate their respective values and strengths, recognize one another, and connect these strengths to value creation.
I joined the Company in 1992. Since then, I have gained experience across a wide range of areas, from upstream to downstream operations, including the design of original equipment tires, manufacturing front lines, production engineering, quality assurance, and corporate planning. Throughout these experiences, I have consistently felt that the essence of any issue is always found on the front lines. Here, things rarely proceed exactly as planned, and unexpected challenges arise on a daily basis. In such situations, I have worked to address issues by viewing them from multiple perspectives and carefully determining priorities.
Moreover, throughout my many years as an engineer, I have maintained an attitude of never giving up, even when facing difficult challenges. Even when one approach did not work, I have valued the process of achieving results through repeated trial and error, based on the belief that there are always many possible paths forward.
What is important in management is to think independently, make decisions, and take responsibility for the results. Amid growing uncertainty, there are more situations in which decisions based solely on past successes or precedents are no longer sufficient. This is precisely why management must make responsible decisions based on insights and data gained from the front lines. Rather than postponing decisions, I will formulate hypotheses and make decisions with speed and flexibility. I believe my role is to firmly establish the structural reforms carried out under Chairperson Yamamoto, my predecessor as President, as a foundation for growth, and to lead the Company to its next stage of growth by realizing the Long-Term Corporate Strategy “R.I.S.E. 2035.” As the new President, I will place importance on the quality and speed of decision-making and further enhance our competitiveness as a global company.
The automotive industry is now at a turning point, with the structure of the industry itself being redefined against the backdrop of technological innovation, changing social demands, and the advancement of CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared & Services, and Electric mobility) and SDVs (software-defined vehicles, whose performance and functions are determined by software). While the sources of value and the basis of competition are changing significantly, the direction of technologies and markets is not uniform, requiring diverse responses. This is an extremely challenging phase in which swift and accurate decision-making is essential amid a highly uncertain environment. In particular, the rise of Chinese manufacturers is having a significant impact on the competitive environment. These manufacturers have different forms of competitiveness from conventional players in terms of development speed and cost structures, and are changing market assumptions. The pace of electrification also differs by region, depending on market conditions and policy directions in Europe, China, and the United States.
Strategies that reflect regional characteristics are therefore essential.
Furthermore, the ways in which mobility is being utilized are also changing. As values shift from ownership to usage, vehicle utilization rates and usage environments are changing, leading to diversification in the functions required of tires. As a result, in addition to durability and efficiency, providing added value through the use of data has grown in importance.
Moreover, uncertainty in the business environment is increasing further due to factors such as geopolitical risks, the fragmentation of economic blocs, and fluctuations in raw material prices. To address these circumstances, I believe flexible and swift decision-making is becoming increasingly important.
For the Company, 2025 was a year in which we completed our structural reforms and laid the groundwork for shifting toward growth. It also enabled us to reaffirm the direction the Company should take. Specifically, we improved our cost structure and profitability by reviewing our production system in North America. We also rebuilt our brand strategy globally through the acquisition of DUNLOP trademark rights and other assets in Europe, North America, and Oceania. These initiatives will serve as the foundation for future growth.
I was personally involved in formulating “R.I.S.E. 2035” at the Corporate Management Planning & Administration Department, where we developed our vision for 2035. The Long-Term Corporate Strategy is not merely a policy. It sets out specific initiatives going forward and also presents commitments in terms of financial targets.
“R.I.S.E. 2035” also serves as a message to employees. It expresses our intent regarding where we are headed from here. We share the belief that, to realize this strategy, each employee must grow through strong commitment and bold challenges. Based on the understanding that the growth of people leads to the growth of the Company, strengthening human capital is also a key element.
We will free up human resources by streamlining existing operations, including the use of AI, and reallocate those resources to growth areas. At the same time, by optimally assigning personnel based on the strengths and aspirations of each employee, we will seek to improve the productivity and value creation capabilities of the organization as a whole.
To date, the Company has built strength through business development driven by technology. In a rapidly changing environment, however, it is important to first clarify the direction the Company should take and then build the technologies that align with that direction. Based on the direction set out in “R.I.S.E. 2035,” we will advance each business while allocating resources from a medium- to long-term perspective.
We have set forth our vision for 2035 as “Continuing to Provide ‘New Experiential Value’ Born from Rubber to Everyone.” “Everyone” refers to all stakeholders, including customers, shareholders, employees and their families, and local communities. We aim to provide value not only through products and services, but also to become a company that everyone connected with us can feel proud of and identify with.
At the core of this vision is the DUNLOP brand. Going forward, as a global brand, we will ensure consistency across products, experiences, and communications, and we believe that this value will extend to areas including OE fitments, motorsports, and digital domains.
From hereon, enhancing synergies among businesses will be important for increasing brand value. In the Sports Business, we aim to establish a top-class global position in the golf and tennis fields and drive the enhancement of DUNLOP brand value. Through customer touchpoints in both competitive and leisure settings, we will broaden brand recognition and affinity, creating ripple effects across each business, including the Tire Business.
We position 2026 as an extremely important year for turning “R.I.S.E. 2035” into concrete results. Our top priority is to demonstrate the revival of the DUNLOP brand through tangible outcomes. In Europe, we have seen encouraging initial signs in sales of DUNLOP tires, and ensuring that this momentum takes hold will be an important prerequisite for our growth strategy.
At the same time, we will steadily strengthen the foundation for reforming our earnings structure. In advancing these initiatives, we have clearly defined key themes for each business.
In the Tire Business, in addition to increasing the ratio of premium products, we will enhance product competitiveness and brand value through Company-wide cost optimization under Project ARK, a total cost reduction initiative. Taking the acquisition of DUNLOP trademark rights and other assets as an opportunity, we will fully roll out premium tires, including all-season tires, in Europe, North America, and Australia, and accelerate revenue growth by working as one with local bases where development structures have been strengthened.
In the Sports Business, centered on a brand portfolio consisting of SRIXON, XXIO, and DUNLOP, we will accelerate growth in the golf and tennis businesses in North America and Europe. Through the expansion of new customer touchpoints, including e-sports, we will drive the enhancement of DUNLOP brand value globally.
In the Industrial Products Business, we will advance the shift to high-value added fields, primarily rubber parts for medical applications and vibration control dampers. We will seek revenue growth through overseas expansion centered on Asia and the market launch of high-value added products that resonate with customers.
In the Automotive Systems Business, we will expand the data business centered on SENSING CORE, our proprietary software technology. By using information obtained from tires to enable not only anomaly detection but also failure prediction, we will contribute to improving safety and operating efficiency. To achieve this, we will advance integration with the AI technologies of Viaduct, a U.S.
company acquired in 2025, and aim to provide greater value. In new business domains, we will also accelerate initiatives toward the commercialization of multiple new technologies currently under development and nurture them as future growth drivers.
In this way, while keeping tires at the core of our business, we will expand the areas in which we create value by leveraging the strengths of each business. In 2026, we will steadily execute each measure under our growth strategy.
For the Company, sustainability is connected to the Sumitomo Business Philosophy, including “Integrity and sound management,” “Enterprising spirit,” “People are our most important asset,” and “Benefit for self and others, private and public interests are one and the same.” It should be promoted as an integral part of business. Quality, human rights, and the environment are the foundation of manufacturing, and I believe that steadily putting these elements into practice is essential for sustainable growth.
For example, reducing tire weight can enhance product value by improving fuel and electricity efficiency, while also helping to reduce the raw materials used and energy consumption in the manufacturing process, thereby contributing to lower CO2 emissions. Although this involves the challenge of balancing weight reduction with durability and safety, I believe that continuing to take on this challenge can create opportunities for technological innovation and ultimately lead to enhanced corporate value.
New technologies such as ACTIVE TREAD have the potential to reduce the number of tires used by enabling a single tire to deliver performance suited to different usage environments. This initiative contributes to reducing waste and resource use, while also improving convenience and value for customers. In this way, we will strategically promote initiatives that contribute to both reducing environmental impact and enhancing customer value.
In addition, responding to issues specific to our industry is also important. With regard to tire and road wear particles (TRWP), we will work to suppress their generation and develop recovery technologies, while also contributing to the development of assessment methods and standards in collaboration with research institutions and industry associations in Japan and overseas. With respect to natural rubber, an important raw material, it is essential to respect human rights throughout the supply chain and appropriately recognize and address dependencies on, and impacts on, the natural environment. In addition to ensuring traceability, we will deepen our understanding and provide necessary support by understanding actual conditions upstream in the supply chain and engaging in dialogue with related parties.
It is people who support these various initiatives and serve as the source of value creation for DUNLOP. We will place importance on employees who think and make decisions independently, an organization where people can express their views frankly, and a culture in which people support one another in taking on challenges.
By doing so, we will foster a corporate culture that encourages challenges, founded on respect for diversity and inclusion. We will not reject failures that result from taking on challenges; rather, we will commend the challenges themselves. We will also deepen our technologies, accumulate intellectual capital, and enhance our competitiveness by strengthening our manufacturing base.
By uniting diverse strengths and realizing “R.I.S.E. 2035,” we will evolve into a company capable of navigating change and achieving sustainable growth. To achieve this, we will integrate multiple perspectives: developing people, developing technologies, developing the Company, and contributing to society.
Highly effective governance is essential as the management foundation that supports these initiatives. The Company is currently strengthening the supervisory function of the Board of Directors, establishing a structure in which an Outside Director serves as Chairperson of the Board of Directors, and reviewing the composition of Internal and Outside Directors. In addition to ensuring a diverse composition of members in terms of experience, knowledge, skills, and attributes, we will engage in frank and sincere discussions not only at Board of Directors meetings but also through initiatives such as off-site meetings.
We want DUNLOP to support people throughout their lives and to be a presence whose value they can feel in every situation. We will evolve DUNLOP into a brand under which diverse stakeholders come together to co-create value. We will connect our Purpose, “Through innovation we will create a future of joy and well-being for all,” to concrete experiential value. By implementing world-first technologies in society and elevating them to global standards, we will demonstrate DUNLOP’s reason for being across all areas: products, services, brand, and data.
The Company will continue to be trusted and chosen by all stakeholders. We will balance value creation through the resolution of social issues with sustainable business growth. I sincerely ask for your continued support and expectations, based on your understanding of the Company’s growth potential.
