Nomura Bank CEO Voluntarily Reduces Pay Following Employee Misconduct Incident

The CEO of Japan's largest investment bank, Nomura, has taken a significant step to address the fallout from a serious incident involving a former employee. Kentaro Okuda, who has been at the helm of Nomura since 2020, announced a voluntary 30% reduction in his salary over the next three months. This decision comes in the wake of charges against a former staff member for robbery, attempted murder, and arson.

The former employee, who was part of Nomura’s wealth management division, reportedly committed these acts against an elderly customer and their spouse in Hiroshima. Allegations include drugging the victims, stealing cash, and setting their home on fire. The individual, dismissed in August, had joined the company as a new graduate in 2018 and had been providing asset management advice since April 2022.

At a recent press conference, Okuda, alongside three senior executives, publicly apologized, expressing deep regret for the harm caused. "We deeply apologize to the victims and everyone affected for the great inconvenience and concerns this incident has caused. We are truly sorry," Okuda stated. Several other senior managers have also accepted pay cuts as part of the bank's response to the scandal.

 Steps to Restore Trust

Nomura has introduced a series of measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. These include enhancing supervision, implementing stricter protocols for home visits, and strengthening employee misconduct detection. Managers will now accompany staff during home visits and client interactions, while ethics training and recruitment updates will further bolster the company’s safeguards.

The bank emphasized its full cooperation with law enforcement authorities during the investigation. Despite the severity of the incident, the institution has reported minimal client account closures since the case became public.

Financial Performance and Resilience

This is not the first time Okuda has taken a pay cut recently. Earlier, he forfeited 20% of his salary for two months after Nomura was fined by Japan’s financial regulator for manipulating government bond futures. Despite these challenges, the bank has demonstrated strong financial performance. Nomura reported a profit of ¥98.4 billion (approximately £518 million) for the July to September period, more than doubling its earnings from the same period last year. Its stock has also shown resilience, trading 54% higher than a year ago, driven by robust results in its investment banking and wealth management divisions.

Commitment to Moving Forward

As Nomura seeks to recover from these setbacks, the bank is committed to rebuilding trust with its clients and the public. Through transparent communication, improved operational practices, and strong financial results, the company aims to solidify its position as a leading investment bank while ensuring such incidents are not repeated.