DENSO to Establish Global Common Personnel Management System to Spur Development and Diversity of Leaders Worldwide

KARIYA, Japan, Jan. 12, 2016

"Due to the increasing globalization of its business, and in order to survive an increasingly fierce global competition, it is vital for DENSO to develop and promote more leaders who can be active beyond the borders of their regions," said DENSO Corporation President and CEO Koji Arima, "Typically, leaders at DENSO who occupy important positions tend to be Japanese, so employees of overseas group companies find it difficult to build their professional careers in the DENSO Group, including at global headquarters. We are looking to change this moving forward."

Until now, the personnel management system for senior members of DENSO group companies outside Japan has been different than that of its global headquarters, as they have been assessed by a "Position Grading System" depending on the scope of their roles and responsibilities. Also, the criteria for promotion, evaluation, and remuneration had differed according to company and region. DENSO's new system will unify personnel grading, promotion, evaluation, and remuneration systems, which are key to its personnel management system. The new system also will incorporate a "Global Individual Grade" that is focused on the competences of individual senior officers. By using a common grading tool to assess the performance of its senior staff using the same criteria, DENSO aims to evaluate personnel fairly and encourage them to be more proactive.

Since 2005, to effectively utilize its diverse employees, DENSO has been implementing a global common competency criteria program, encouraging its employees to share the DENSO Spirit as a common value, and training senior officers of group companies worldwide in preparation for the facilitation of a newly developed global common personnel management system.

DENSO will continue to improve the work environment for diverse personnel to be more proactive. Moreover, through collaboration across the entire group, DENSO group companies will continue to work as one to lead the creation of an automotive society where vehicles are more environmentally friendly and fun to drive.

About DENSO: DENSO Corp., headquartered in Kariya, Aichi prefecture, Japan, is a leading global automotive supplier of advanced technology, systems and components in the areas of thermal, powertrain control, electronics and information and safety. Its customers include all the world's major carmakers. Worldwide, the company has more than 200 subsidiaries and affiliates in 38 countries and regions (including Japan) and employs more than 140,000 people. Consolidated global sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2015, totaled US$35.9 billion. Last fiscal year, DENSO spent 9.2 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development. DENSO common stock is traded on the Tokyo and Nagoya stock exchanges. For more information, go to www.globaldenso.com, or visit our media website at www.densomediacenter.com.

About DENSO in North America: In North America, DENSO employs more than 22,000 people at 30 consolidated companies and affiliates. Of these, 25 are manufacturing facilities located in the United States, Canada and Mexico. In the United States alone, DENSO employs more than 14,000 people in California, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Arkansas. DENSO's North American consolidated sales totaled US$8.0 billion for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2015. For more information, go to www.densocorp-na.com.