Ando Keito, Representative Director of and Vet Co., Ltd., Selected for 'Weekly Economist REC AWARD: 34 Executives Driving 2026'

Keito Ando, Representative Director of and Vet Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Taito City, Tokyo; Representative Director: Keito Ando; hereinafter "our company") has been selected as one of the executives driving 2026 in the special project "REC AWARD" by Weekly Economist, published by Mainichi Shimbun Publishing.

Mr. Keito Ando, our company's representative, has been selected for the Weekly Economist's "REC AWARD: 34 Executives Driving 2026." The Weekly Economist's "REC AWARD" highlights influential figures across various industries and delivers messages from executives expected to shape the year 2026.

Mr. Ando's message is available on the dedicated REC AWARD webpage.

Special Webpage (Top Page): https://www.weekly-economist.com/recaward2026/ Keito Ando's Feature Page: https://www.weekly-economist.com/recaward2026/keito_yasuoka/

Our company's selection stems from its rapid growth—expanding to five hospitals across the Kanto region within just a few years since its founding—as well as its strategic vision and pioneering efforts toward creating new models of work in the veterinary medical industry.

Background of Selection: Aiming to Be the First Company That Comes to Mind for Animal Care

"Weekly Economist Special Edition REC AWARD 2026" focuses on visionary leaders who are advancing steadily through turbulent times. The reason for our company's selection lies in the vision of Representative Director Keito Ando—"to become the first company that comes to mind for anyone involved with animals"—and the management strategy to realize it.

Since its founding, our company has rapidly grown into one of the industry's leading veterinary hospital groups, operating five hospitals across the Kanto region and employing over 70 professionals, including more than 20 veterinarians. This growth has been driven by initiatives addressing structural challenges in veterinary medicine, such as staffing shortages and harsh working conditions. By advocating new models of employment for veterinarians and companion animal nurses and establishing sustainable career paths, our company has earned high recognition for its bold approach and swift execution—what can be described as a "paradigm shift in the way of working"—leading to this selection.

Organizational Development Behind Rapid Growth

Our company's rapid expansion has been supported by a network of five Kanto-region hospitals, enabling diverse case management and team-based medical care powered by experienced veterinarians. By establishing systems to share cases and treatment strategies across hospitals and fostering collaboration among specialists in surgery and internal medicine, we have been able to deliver advanced treatments that would be difficult for standalone clinics to provide.

In parallel, we have prioritized work-life balance through flexible work systems, transparent salary and evaluation structures, and continuous professional development via in-house training sessions and case review meetings. These efforts have created an environment where veterinarians and companion animal nurses can work securely and long-term. This organizational foundation represents our company's unique solution to the industry-wide structural challenges of talent retention and development.

Building on this foundation, we continue to host internships for veterinary and companion animal nursing students. Our program combines cross-hospital case observations with hands-on experience in team-based care, offering students a firsthand look at the front lines of veterinary medicine within a fast-growing organization. Interest from students has grown steadily year after year.

Future Outlook

We regard this selection as a significant milestone and will continue expanding our hospital network and strengthening team-based medical care in the Kanto region. In the medium to long term, we aim to become a group of 10 animal hospitals within five years, leveraging the expertise gained from our existing five hospitals to establish new hubs that improve regional access to veterinary care.

At the same time, we will directly address the industry-wide challenges of talent acquisition and development by enhancing our initiatives to train the next generation of veterinarians and companion animal nurses. Specifically, we plan to strengthen collaborations with veterinary universities and vocational schools to systematize internship programs, establish tailored mentoring systems based on each trainee's learning stage, and expand mentorship programs that support post-graduation career development. Our goal is to act as a bridge between educational institutions and the field.

Our company views the reinvestment of our accumulated case volume, organizational strength, and management foundation—gained through rapid growth—into the training of next-generation veterinary professionals as a core management priority. We welcome inquiries from students and professionals who wish to co-create the future of the industry via our official website below.

<Weekly Economist REC AWARD> Publication: Weekly Economist Special Issue No. 6/15, 2026, REC AWARD 2026 Publisher: Mainichi Shimbun Publishing Publication Date: May 26, 2026

<Company Overview> Company Name: and Vet Co., Ltd. Representative: Representative Director Keito Ando Headquarters: M's 325 Building, 3rd Floor, 3-25-5 Asakusabashi, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0053 URL: https://and-vet.com

<Inquiries> and Vet Co., Ltd. Head Office, Management Administration Division Email: info@and-vet.com