b'C E L E B R A T I N G 7 0 Y E A R S9 5 2-20 2 Tomonori Tom Wada1 2A President & CEO of Sumitomo Corporation of AmericasN DDB N General Manager for the AmericasOYETom Wada ascended to the executive suite of SCOA as the downside of the pandemic presented a new set of challenges, including captivating a hybrid workforce as well as market and industry fluctuations as a result of various economic and geopolitical stressors. As 2022 comes to a close, we talked with him about the legacy of SCOA at 70, and how to sustain its success in the decades to come. So as SCOA President and CEO & GM for the Americas, what isyour first thought as we contemplate SCOAs 70-year journey?What comes to mind as to where we are now compared to 1952?I wasnt born then, so I dont know (laughs), but I think that weve had much growth over these 70 years, and more recently, weve experienced a big change in our business model. As a traditional trading company in the past, we now see our trading activity decrease because a lot of Japanese manufacturers are able to do their business by themselves here. This created an impetus for us to really change our model, in order to thrive outside of just the trading business. Today, we are doing much more to increase value across our supply chains, not solely as an investment company. We are able to create business footprints and lay the foundation here through our investments to create a business that is much more sustainable. By pivoting away from the trading-only model, we no longer rely just on Japanese manufacturers, but rather we are able to flourish within new business verticals.Our local expertise is vital to the success of each new company or business foundation we create. Pairing the strategy of our teams in Japan with the insights, experience and capability of our local staff is truly the winning combination. Looking toward the future, we need more localization because our competitors are not the other Japanese trading companies anymore, but companies in every industry. Our strategies will continue to trend closer to the respective markets in which we do business, meaning that we need more experienced, specialized professionals for each area.So how do you do that?To start, we need to enhance talent management activities to support the growth of our people, and also hire people in places where they are needed and who know our focus. That means that we have to create a place where people have a clear understanding of our mission, values and strategy, where they feel more comfortable and excited to get to work. Thats one thing that we need to consistently think about and try to improve every day. How has the role of SC in the Americas grown in terms of its position in the business ofSumitomo Corporation?I believe we are moving forward, but like any company, we have challenges to that progress. Under SHIFT 2023, all of the businesses are categorized into SBUs (Strategic Business Units) based on the strategies 4 visions Fall 2022'