TOKYO: Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. aims to raise the share of women among its employees in managerial positions to 50 percent by the end of fiscal 2025, President and CEO Yukinori Takada said in a recent interview.

In fiscal 2020, the share of managerial positions held by female employees, including sales manager posts across the country, stood at 39 percent.

“Not only appointing (women) to managerial positions, we would like to offer proactive support to help them keep a balance between work and private life,” Takada said.

At present, women account for 22 percent of employees in managerial posts at the company’s headquarters and branch offices, while they make up 51 percent of all sales managers across the country.

Sumitomo Life has been stepping up efforts to create a work environment that makes it easier for employees to strike a good work-life balance, through teleworking and flextime, as well as a cut in total work time.

The company is also eager to promote appointments of highly motivated and skilled female employees to senior posts, the president said.

Takada, who took office on Thursday in the first change of the top post at Sumitomo Life in seven years, set up a new human resources development department under his direct control this month.

The department aims to clarify what the company expects from employees, depending on their characteristics including gender, age and skills, and nurture them in a cross-sectoral manner to help growth of the company.

“We want to enhance the values we can offer to our customers by encouraging employees to take on challenges,” Takada said.