CEO Message

Since its founding in 1909, the Ajinomoto Group has aspired to help people “Eat Well, Live Well.” Over the past century, we have expanded beyond food, including amino acids, medical foods, agricultural and livestock materials, cosmetics, pharmaceutical intermediates, and electronic materials. The foundation of these diverse businesses is “AminoScience”—the Ajinomoto Group’s unique expertise in amino acids—and ASV (Ajinomoto Group Creating Shared Value), our approach to solving social challenges through business while co-creating both social value and economic value.

The strength of the Ajinomoto Group lies in our intangible assets—employees, technology, customers, and organization—which have been cultivated over the years. By strengthening these assets, we will standardize and implement the “High-Speed Development System”, enabling us to anticipate customer and market needs, predict required improvements, and provide total solutions in a rapidly changing business environment. Through ongoing enhancement of this system, we will drive continuous growth, particularly in the four growth areas: Healthcare, Food & Wellness, ICT, and Green. At the same time, we will continue strengthening our technology, quality, and productivity, while deepening trust with our customers.

To achieve business growth and increase corporate value, it is also essential to foster a culture where trusted employees and teams can fully leverage their strengths, work with creativity and passion, and welcome challenges and strive for growth. We are committed to encouraging employees to proactively take on challenges without fear of failure, ensuring that employees feel a strong sense of fulfillment and satisfaction in their roles. We will also continue to cultivate diverse talent, not only in terms of gender and nationality, but also through varied experiences, ways of thinking, and approaches for problem solving. Through these efforts, we will reinforce our commitment to the Ajinomoto Group’s Purpose of contributing to the well-being of all human beings, our society, and our planet with “AminoScience” and aim to become the No. 1 organization for high employee engagement.

The world faces complex social and environmental challenges, and sustainability continues to become increasingly important. The Ajinomoto Group has a tremendous opportunity to make a lasting impact based on “AminoScience”, particularly by contributing to sustainable food systems. As CEO, I am determined to lead the Ajinomoto Group with urgency and ambition, ensuring that we Speed Up × Scale Up to achieve our Vision—together, as one team.

I look forward to continuing to work alongside our stakeholders, customers and consumers to create a healthier, more sustainable future.

Shigeo Nakamura
Representative Executive Officer,
President & Chief Executive Officer
Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
April 2025