Notice regarding Change of Representative Director (President and CEO)
SMS Co., Ltd. (the “Company”) hereby announces that, on October 9, 2025, its Board of Directors has resolved to change its Representative Director (President and CEO) as described below.
１．Reason for the Change
With the Group mission of “We aim to improve the quality of life by providing information infrastructure for an aging society,” SMS Group provides more than 40 services in Medical Care, Elderly/Disability Care, Healthcare, and Senior Life in Japan and abroad, including career business like recruiting agent, management support platform for elderly/disability care operators (Kaipoke), and medical information service in APAC.
Since its establishment, SMS Group marked rises in sales for 21 consecutive years. To achieve the Group mission, however, we need to continue to grow the existing businesses and promote the development and nurturing of new businesses for further business expansion. We believe that it is an important management issue to nurture a large number of personnel who can develop, cultivate, and operate businesses, and to continuously develop SMS Group over a long period of several decades.
Natsuki Goto, the current Representative Director, President and CEO, has led the growth of SMS Group since he took over the role from the founder, Shuhei Morofuji, in April 2014. As a company that provides businesses with high social contribution in a rapidly changing business environment, he has focused on maximizing the value provided over the medium to long term. He has significantly grown existing businesses such as the Career Business and Kaipoke, and has led the MIMS Group acquisition in the Overseas Business and the development and cultivation of many new businesses. As a result, sales for the fiscal year ended March 2025 are approximately five times higher than when he took office, and EPS has more than quadrupled.
Meanwhile, with the belief that it is essential to hand over management at the appropriate time to further accelerate the sustainable growth and corporate value enhancement of SMS Group, the Nomination and Remuneration Advisory Committee has been continuously discussing the succession of the management team, including the selection of the next President and CEO.
We have determined that a transition to a new management structure to lead the next stage of growth is best for promoting the further sustainable growth and corporate value enhancement of SMS Group, and have decided to transition to the new structure on January 1, 2026.
Masaki Takahata, the newly appointed Representative Director, President and CEO, joined the Company in 2013. After working in the Corporate Planning Division, he served as the project leader for the MIMS Group acquisition. He served as CFO and then CEO of MIMS Group, where he led the growth of the highly uncertain Overseas Business while dealing with a variety of stakeholders. We have determined that he is the most suitable person to lead SMS Group toward achieving long-term sustainable growth in a rapidly changing and highly uncertain market environment, as he not only meets the requirements for a senior management as defined by the Company, but also possesses the qualities necessary to lead the Group's next stage of growth.
Going forward, we will prepare for the change in structure until December 2025, and the newly appointed Representative Director, President and CEO, Takahata, will take the lead in formulating the strategy for the next fiscal year and beyond.
２．Details of the Change
| Name | New title | Current title |
| Natsuki Goto | Director | Representative Director, President and CEO |
| Masaki Takahata | Representative Director, President and CEO | Director |
Natsuki Goto and Masato Sugizaki are scheduled to retire from their positions as Directors upon the expiration of their terms of office at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders scheduled to be held in June 2026.
３．Biography of the Newly Appointed Representative Director (President and CEO)
| Masaki Takahata (Date of birth: April 14, 1984) | Number of the Company's Shares Held | |||
| Career summary | Apr. 2007 Joined KPMG AZSA & Co. (Currently, KPMG AZSA LLC) Jul. 2011 Joined Frontier Management Inc. Sep. 2013 Joined SMS Co., Ltd. May 2016 CFO, the MIMS Group Mar. 2021 CEO, the MIMS Group Jun. 2025 Director, SMS Co., Ltd. (Current position) |
10,810 common shares (Note) |
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(Note) The number of shares held is as of March 31, 2025.
４．Scheduled Date of Appointment
January 1, 2026
Notice regarding Change of Representative Director (President and CEO)