Business Coach Co. and Coaching Qualification Business Launch: First Phase Targets Management and Executive Experienced Individuals

Nikkei Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Nobuhisa Iida; hereinafter 'Nikkei') and Business Coach Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Kaoru Hosokawa; hereinafter 'Business Coach') will jointly launch a coaching qualification business. This business will be implemented as part of a joint project based on the capital and business alliance concluded by both companies in November 2025. As the first phase, a qualification system and qualification acquisition course targeting executive coaching will be launched. 'New Standards' Required for Executive Coaching In a rapidly changing business environment, decision-making required of management is increasingly made under complex premises that span organizations, markets, and capital. In this situation, coaching is expected to take on a new role, shifting from traditional 'support for individual growth' to 'thought support for improving the quality of decision-making.' To accurately meet these needs, Nikkei and Business Coach will present a new standard to society: 'Executive Coaches who understand business practices.' This will serve as a guideline for expanding the scope of existing coaching into the core of management. Integration of 'Business Literacy' x 'Practical Knowledge of Coaching' as a Qualification System To acquire the 'Nikkei Business Coach Certified Professional Executive Coach' qualification, participants will acquire both the latest business literacy provided by Nikkei as learning and the expertise and practical knowledge of executive coaching cultivated by Business Coach for over 20 years. Beyond acquiring coaching skills, this qualification socially certifies individuals who possess 'dialogue design skills with business literacy,' 'question construction skills that advance decision-making,' and 'ethics and perspective to face executives on an equal footing,' thereby becoming strong partners for corporate executives who promote organizational management strategies. In addition to those aiming for independence or side jobs as executive coaches, senior management experienced individuals such as CxOs are the main target audience. Outline of Qualification System and Qualification Acquisition Course Qualification Name: Nikkei Business Coach Certified Professional Executive Coach Course Name: Nikkei Executive Coach Qualification Acquisition Program Tuition Fee: 1,000,000 yen (excluding tax) Course Period: June 27 (Sat) - September 12 (Sat), 2026 (8 sessions in total) Capacity: Approximately 40 people Qualification Examination: January 2027, February Main Lecturers and Responsibilities: Mr. Takeshi Hashiba (Vice President, Business Coach Co., Ltd.) Executive Coaching Overview, etc. Mr. Kenhiro Honda (Partner and Executive Coach, Business Coach Co., Ltd.) Basic Skills of Executive Coaching, etc. Mr. Yosuke Kurashima (Representative Director, Focus on Co., Ltd.) Management Revolution by Generative AI Mr. Fumikatsu Terasaki (Representative Director, Terasaki Human Resources Research Institute Co., Ltd.) Human Capital Management and Human Resources Strategy Learning Business Literacy, Assessment, etc.: Nikkei Potential Assessment, Nikkei TEST, MBA Essentials™ Details: https://school.nikkei.co.jp/special/exe-coach/ Future Outlook ~ Contribution to the Advancement of Human Capital Management through Qualitative Improvement of the Coaching Market Both companies position this initiative as the first step towards the qualitative improvement and sustainable development of the entire coaching market. In the future, they plan to gradually expand the business, including development for middle management and expansion into new coaching areas such as team coaching for management. Nikkei and Business Coach will contribute to the advancement of corporate human capital management through the development of human resources who connect management and the field.