Launch of "Bushido Capitalism" by Sompo Group CEO Kengo Sakurada

The code to redefine business for a sustainable future

“We are emerging from one of the toughest periods of our professional and personal lives.

Now is the time to think big, take the initiative and instigate bold change”, says Kengo Sakurada, Bushido Capitalism: The code to redefine business for a sustainable future.

Bushido Capitalism presents a powerful manifesto for capitalism to put human health and wellbeing at the very centre of our economies.

“I urge business leaders everywhere to use the crisis we have collectively endured as an opportunity to build a more responsible system of capitalism for generations to come”.

[London, 22 July 2021]: As we reflect on the past 18 months, the damage caused, the industries challenged and the human lives lost, Kengo Sakurada urges business leaders around the world to reconsider their priorities.

Even before the pandemic stalled supply chains and forced businesses to shut overnight, the world faced serious problems.

The climate crisis continues to escalate. Inequality is rampant. The socioeconomic rift between the lowest income and the highest earners seems insurmountable. We face a global health crisis. And while technology facilitates constant connection, communication and easy transatlantic travel, it challenges our mental health — one of our world’s most valuable resources. Kengo Sakurada defines the pre-pandemic decades as the ‘Great Acceleration’.

“I wrote Bushido Capitalism as a manifesto and guide for business leaders – in every industry, in every country - as we grapple with the challenges presented by the Great Acceleration.”

Kengo Sakurada, CEO Sompo Holdings and author of Bushido Capitalism, said: “Bushido, the ancient values of the Samurai, has long been enshrined in Japanese culture but is rarely referenced in the West and I believe it should be. Using Bushido as a roadmap, my book provides practical advice on how we might intelligently design businesses to operate in a sustainable, human-centric way, with all stakeholders’ interests in mind.”

Kengo is passionate about developing a capitalist system that benefits the common good. He believes we should learn from the past, and that the principles of Bushido, adapted to modern life, can provide a moral code for business leaders to follow and implement in order to tackle the issues of today.

He believes we can leverage the power of diversity in teams and bridge demographic divides to enhance productivity, wellbeing and employee satisfaction. He argues that if we use technology with wisdom, and understand data as a precious commodity, we can leverage it to tackle climate change and improve the quality of life for citizens everywhere. He encourages collaboration over competition. And to celebrate value in all that we do.

He urges business leaders to lead by example. “You are cordially invited to join me as we transition from a period of acceleration to a period of reflection and, eventually, to a period of reinvention. We are privileged to be leaders at this poignant moment in history. What we choose to do now has the potential to inform a fairer society and more sustainable world.”

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About the author

Kengo Sakurada is a dynamic business leader and prolific public speaker with almost four decades of experience working in the global insurance industry.

He is the chief executive officer of Sompo Holdings, a company listed on the Nikkei 225. He also serves as chairman of Keizai Doyukai, the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, which is dedicated to creating sustainable solutions to a host of present-day problems and ensuring the overall wellbeing of Japanese society.

Sakurada is passionate about sustainability, ethical governance and using technology for the wellbeing of all. This is his first book.

Advance praise for Bushido Capitalism from business leaders

“Kengo Sakurada is a visionary. His searching account of the creative force of the market, as well as the limits of capitalism, is delivered with humility and moral clarity. Most business endeavours will be forgotten. Sakurada reminds us of what is required to build something both lasting and significant” – Alexander C Karp, Co-founder and CEO, Palantir Technologies Inc.

“What if the path to a sustainable, responsible business future is actually a homecoming to ancient values?  Kengo Sakurada offers us a way to become ethical citizens and leaders by updating and applying the samurai moral code, Bushido.  Drawing on thought-provoking lessons in collaboration, confidence and creativity, Bushido Capitalism is essential reading for post-pandemic leaders.” – Daniel Pink, New York Times Bestselling author of When, Drive, and A Whole New Mind

“Sakurada-san’s Bushido Capitalism shows how business can be the greatest platform for change, applying the ancient Japanese Samurai code as a moral compass for reorienting capitalism in ways that will improve the quality of life for every stakeholder and the health of our planet. It is a must read for every business leader” – Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO, Salesforce