We are pleased to announce that our Representative Director and Co-CEO, Miki Hirano, has been appointed as an outside director of JGC Holdings Corporation (Chairman and CEO Masayuki Sato, hereinafter referred to as "JGC Holdings"), effective June 27, 2024. Going forward, Ms. Hirano will provide AI solutions to domestic enterprise companies, promote digital transformation centered on AI consulting, and utilize her experience as an entrepreneur and manager in her role as an outside director of JGC Holdings.

JGC Holdings has been developing businesses aimed at realizing "harmony between energy and the environment" since its founding in 1928. Currently, the company has redefined its purpose as "Enhancing planetary health - contributing to a healthy future for people and the earth," and is contributing to the improvement of planetary health in five business areas: energy transition, healthcare and life sciences, high-performance materials, resource circulation, and industry and infrastructure.

In his new role as an outside director of JGC Holdings, Hirano will contribute to the promotion of digital transformation to ensure the sustainable growth of JGC Holdings and further strengthen its competitiveness by advising on the introduction of the latest AI technologies, such as large-scale language models, generative AI, and RAG, as well as process transformation under the company's "IT Grand Plan" business reform initiative that utilizes digital technologies such as AI and IoT.

■Comment from Cinnamon AI Co-CEO Miki Hirano

I have accepted the offer to become an outside director of JGC Holdings, a global energy and engineering company, as I feel a strong connection with their purpose of "Enhance planetary earth." Together with JGC Holdings, which is at the forefront of tackling climate change, one of humanity's greatest challenges, I will leverage my knowledge of AI, one of the greatest inventions of mankind and our specialty, to create a major social impact. I feel a deep sense of purpose in this great challenge.
In addition, as the company, which is soon to celebrate its 100th anniversary, undergoes a business transformation centered on the "IT Grand Plan," I also recognize that in order to achieve sustainable growth, it is important to establish multiple new businesses that utilize the latest technologies, including AI, which will be the growth engine of the future. In response to this challenge, I am confident that my experience as an entrepreneur and manager, as well as my knowledge of implementing and consulting on advanced AI technologies related to Cinnamon AI's large-scale language models and generative AI, will contribute to the formulation and execution of JGC Holdings' strategies.

<Profile>
Serial entrepreneur. Graduated from the University of Tokyo Graduate School in 2008. Engaged in research on recommendation engines, complex networks, clustering, etc. Selected twice for the IPA Exploratory Software Creation Project in 2005 and 2006. Founded Naked Technology while still a student, developing and operating middleware for developing apps for iOS/Android/feature phones. Sold the company to mixi in 2011.
She has received various awards both in Japan and abroad, including the St. Gallen Symposium Leaders of Tomorrow, Forbes JAPAN's BEST 10 Entrepreneur Ranking 2020, Woman of the Year 2019 Innovative Entrepreneur Award, and Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award 2019 New Generation Award. She was also selected as part of the 2022 class of Young Global Leaders under the age of 40 who are bringing change to the world, as selected by the World Economic Forum.
In 2020, he was appointed as a member of the IT Strategy Office of the Cabinet Secretariat and a special member of the Tax System Research Council of the Cabinet Office. In 2021, he was appointed as a specialist member of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy of the Cabinet Office, a member of the New Economic and Industrial Policy Subcommittee of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and an expert member of the New Capitalism Realization Council of the Cabinet Secretariat. In 2022, he was appointed as the chair of the Industrial Policy Study Group for the Realization of a Resilient Society of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Advisory Board member of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Tokyo. Mother of three children.