Hiroo Ota
Representative Director
President and Chief Executive Officer
Kioxia Holdings Corporation

I assumed the role of President and Chief Executive Officer in April 2026. Since joining Toshiba, Kioxia’s predecessor, in 1985, I have built my career in applied technology, within the semiconductor memory division. Since 2001, my focus has been on market development for our NAND business. By standing at the forefront of technology marketing and engaging in direct dialogue with our customers, I have dedicated myself to driving our business expansion.

As President, my primary focus is to continuously put into practice the Kioxia Group’s mission of “uplifting the world with ‘memory.’” We aim to enhance our corporate value by helping advance our AI-driven digital society and resolve increasingly complex and sophisticated social issues through our technological innovations.

The flash memory market has always been defined by rapid technological progress and dynamic changes in market conditions and the competitive landscape. To succeed, we must accurately anticipate these changes and translate them into decisive action. A guiding principle for me is to “seize the moment.” We must never let an inflection point pass us by. By swiftly identifying customer challenges and market trends, and rallying our technology, product, manufacturing, and sales capabilities, we transform shifts into tangible value. It is the accumulation of these relentless efforts that has supported the growth of our Group.

The applications for NAND flash memory have expanded across smartphones, PCs, automotive systems, and data centers, supporting our digital society, and making everyday life more convenient and enriching. As AI evolves from generative and agentic models to physical AI, the demand for memory storage capable of rapidly and efficiently processing massive volumes of data is growing exponentially.

Our roots trace back to NAND flash memory, invented by our predecessor, Toshiba, in 1987. Since then, we have proudly led the market, driven by our core strengths: technology development capabilities, manufacturing scale, and strong customer engagement. Moving forward, we will sharpen these competitive advantages, anticipate evolving market needs, and expand the potential of the memory solutions that empower more effective data utilization. Our ambition is clear: to make Kioxia the go-to memory storage company for customers and partners.

Our financial performance in fiscal 2025 achieved record-high revenue and profit. This success was driven by growing demand for memory solutions fueled by data centers, particularly for generative AI applications, alongside favorable pricing and increased shipment volumes.

As AI transitions from training to inference, we are entering an era where data is utilized in real-time across a broad range of scenarios. Hyperscaler investments in AI data centers remain robust, and demand for enterprise and data center SSDs is poised for continued growth. At the same time, foundational markets like smartphones and PCs remain vital. Rather than over-indexing on specific applications, we will take a holistic view of market trends, ensure stable yet agile production, and meet the soaring demand for AI infrastructure.

The foundation of Kioxia Group’s competitiveness rests on three pillars: our technology development capabilities, manufacturing scale, and customer engagement. As a provider of flash memory and SSDs, technology development is our most critical driver. We are committed to continuously pioneering cutting-edge technologies and products that deliver superior value to our customers and the market.

While we operate on a global scale, our major production bases remain in Japan. Our manufacturing foundation—anchored by the Yokkaichi Plant and the Kitakami Plant—combined with robust partnerships with leading global companies, constitutes a compelling operational strength. Looking ahead, we will deepen collaboration across our Memory and SSD Divisions, integrating Research and Development, Manufacturing, and Sales. By strengthening this end-to-end system, we can swiftly deliver products that anticipate and meet dynamic market needs.

As AI evolves, so do data center architectures. To rapidly and efficiently process massive data sets, storage performance must continuously advance. In lockstep with our partners, Kioxia Group will refine the storage technologies enabling this AI paradigm shift and strategically execute growth investments. We are positioned to capture future market opportunities and deliver highly competitive solutions.

For Kioxia Group to secure sustainable growth, the people who drive our technology development, manufacturing, and customer engagement are our most invaluable asset. We are united by a strong team spirit inherited from our predecessors. Our history proves that close collaboration across these core functions is what built us into an industry leader. As the business environment accelerates, we also recognize that increasing our speed-to-market—from initial development to final delivery—is a critical imperative.

One of my most important duties as CEO is to strengthen the teamwork we have cultivated, ensuring our entire organization is aligned around a shared vision and embraces challenges, even in a continuously evolving environment. To maximize our organizational strength, every employee must strive to deliver value for their colleagues, continuously reinforcing a culture of mutual trust.

I constantly encourage our teams to keep their “antenna high”—staying attuned to the evolving needs of our customers and society. Fostering a mindset that takes ownership of technological evolution, market shifts, and social issues, while driving cross-departmental collaboration, is the catalyst that turns change into growth.

I firmly believe that aligning the individual ambitions of our employees with tangible business results—and further strengthening our collective teamwork—will be a driving force behind the Kioxia Group’s value creation in the AI era.

As a semiconductor memory provider, we aim to advance a sustainable society through our products and technologies. While the increasing capacity and performance of our flash memory and SSDs support growth across various industries, the rising power consumption of data centers has become a significant global challenge. Kioxia Group views the energy efficiency of our products as a critical priority, and we will aggressively pursue technological developments that contribute to energy conservation.

Addressing climate change is also a top management priority. Kioxia Group has committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by fiscal 2050. We are actively reducing our environmental footprint by implementing emission reduction measures in our manufacturing processes, advancing energy conservation, and adopting renewable energy sources. Furthermore, by building a robust supply chain with our partners and maintaining a resilient production system, we will achieve both sustainable business growth and meaningful societal impact.

To realize sustainable growth and enhance our corporate value, effective and transparent governance is an indispensable foundation. Our management team is committed to maintaining open and diligent communication, while executing our strategies with agility and speed. We deeply value dialogue with our stakeholders—including shareholders, investors, customers, business partners, and local communities—and we will actively incorporate their insights into our management decisions.

This Integrated Report is a vital tool for sharing our approach to value creation, our strategic vision, and our ongoing initiatives, while also serving as a bridge to deepen our dialogue with our stakeholders, including you. The Kioxia Group views the paradigm shifts of the AI era not as challenges, but as profound opportunities for growth. Through the power of memory, we will continue to make society more convenient, enriching, and uplifting. We remain dedicated to transforming ourselves, exceeding stakeholder expectations, and maintaining our position as a highly trusted company.