Announcement of New President Appointment ~From Founder to Next Generation, Strengthening Group Collaboration for Further Growth~

Grassroots Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, hereinafter "the Company") announces that Hiroyuki Okazaki, Representative Director and President of Trend Pro Co., Ltd., a group company, has been appointed as the Representative Director and President of the Company, effective April 1, 2026.

◼︎Background

Since its establishment, the Company has grown primarily through its internal communication business.

In August 2024, the Company became a member of the Trend Pro Group, strengthening its business foundation and enhancing customer value. Moving forward, to achieve further growth and maximize group synergy, we will transition to a new management structure.

Founder Ono will remain involved in management as a director for the next year to ensure a smooth business succession and is scheduled to retire thereafter. While cherishing the values and culture built by the founder, we aim for the next stage of growth under the new structure.

◼︎Future Policy

Going forward, we will focus on the following key themes:

• Strengthening responsiveness to customer challenges

• Promoting new businesses and services

• Achieving sustainable growth

◼︎Comment from New President, Hiroyuki Okazaki

I am honored to be appointed as the President of Grassroots Co., Ltd.

While firmly inheriting the history and strengths built by founder Mr. Ono, I will further deepen collaboration with Trend Pro and accelerate the company's growth.

In the internal communication field, where demand is increasing among many companies amidst diversifying values, we aim to be a company where every employee takes pride and continues to be trusted by customers.

◼︎Comment from Founder and Director, Mayumi Ono

This year marks the 42nd anniversary of our company's founding. Following our joining the Trend Pro Group the year before last, we have now revamped our management structure. I will step down as Representative Director and support the new President Okazaki as a full-time director. While this industry tends to be highly personal, our company has focused on management that systematizes knowledge. Based on this foundation, we will support our client companies' internal communication with a proactive management approach geared towards the AI era.

◼︎New Management Structure

Grassroots Co., Ltd.

Representative Director and President: Hiroyuki Okazaki (Representative Director and President, Trend Pro Co., Ltd.)

Director: Mayumi Ono (Founder)

Appointment Date: April 1, 2026

【Grassroots Company Overview】

Grassroots views internal communication (IC) as a solution to emotional and cognitive challenges within organizational groups. We provide IC problem-solving support to large and global companies through consulting, strategy development, and media and content development/production. In addition to consultations on challenges in areas such as identity, direction, and relationships, we also work to improve the quality and efficiency of in-house production to solve increasingly common issues like "in-house content not being read" or "information overload."

Location: SANKI Shiba Kanasugibashi Bldg. 8F, 1-4-3 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Representative: Hiroyuki Okazaki

Established: November 29, 1984

URL：https://www.grassroots.co.jp/

Business Activities: Internal communication support, internal branding support

【Trend Pro Company Overview】

Trend Pro, which provides total production for corporate problem-solving, boasts a track record of supporting 2,400 companies and 12,000 projects since its establishment in 1988. With the purpose of "Revolutionizing communication worldwide with Manga + α," we provide problem-solving support through various outputs such as advertising, recruitment, in-house manuals, and business books.

Location: SANKI Shiba Kanasugibashi Bldg. 8F, 1-4-3 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Representative: Hiroyuki Okazaki

Established: November 22, 1988

URL：https://trendpro-group.com/

Business Activities: Planning, production, editing, and publishing of all manga-related creations

＜Contact Information＞

Grassroots Co., Ltd.

SANKI Shiba Kanasugibashi Bldg. 8F, 1-4-3 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0014

Tel: 03-6665-8358

※ The content is current as of the announcement date. It may be subject to change without notice.

※ Product names, service names, etc., are generally trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.