What are the key projects that you have been involved in over the past twelve months? Please describe a situation where your advice had a significant impact on business outcomes or objectives.

The NTT Group is undergoing a major transformation from a business structure centered on telecommunications to a more diversified model focused on strengthening its global business, including digital services, data centers and AI. In May 2025, the Group established “NTT Group’s Core & Values,” and in July 2025, it changed its corporate name from Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation to NTT, Inc., alongside a renewal of its corporate identity.

At the same time, the Group has been advancing a reorganisation of its business structure. In September 2025, NTT completed the full acquisition of NTT DATA Group, making it a wholly owned subsidiary. This reorganisation has enabled faster decision making in the corporate and global domains, while creating a unified, group‑wide platform to accelerate strategic investment in growth areas such as data centers and AI.

Throughout this series of transformations, the legal function supported these initiatives from an institutional and governance perspective. In parallel, I made significant contributions as a member of the executive management team, advising on governance design, transaction structures and risk management to ensure that strategic objectives were achieved in a disciplined and sustainable manner. Legal involvement was not limited to compliance but extended to shaping decision‑making processes that balanced speed, accountability and long‑term value creation.

AI remains at the forefront of conversations about the future. How can in-house counsel ensure the successful integration of legal tech, while maintaining the human element?

The utilisation of AI services within legal functions is an area of growing importance. While AI has been discussed for several years, recent advancements have been remarkable, and many companies are now beginning to incorporate these technologies into their operations. Discussions with external counsel also increasingly include how AI is being used within law firms.

At the same time, the effective use of AI requires not only a technical perspective, but also thoughtful integration from a governance standpoint. Legal professionals must design their workflows by determining when human judgment should intervene, which tasks are appropriate to delegate to AI, and by taking into account users’ levels of AI literacy.

Given that the NTT Group comprises a diverse range of operating companies with distinct business characteristics, we aim to take the lead in considering and promoting the most appropriate use of AI services tailored to the specific operations of each organisation, while maintaining trust, accountability and professional judgment at the core of the legal function.