JPX Market Innovation & Research, Inc. (JPXI), a global provider of Japanese financial market data, has launched a beta version of customized data that offers a comprehensive overview of the skills held by directors and auditors of listed companies.

This new offering utilizes generative AI to extract information from the skills matrices and reasons for appointment found in listed companies’ convocation notices for general shareholders meetings. The extracted skills are then classified into eight distinct categories, creating detailed mappings for each director and auditor. JPXI is providing free access to sample data to gather feedback and insights for the refinement of this data, which is slated for future formal service offerings.

The initiative addresses challenges highlighted by Supplementary Principle 4.11.1 of the Corporate Governance Code, which encourages companies to identify and disclose the skills their boards should possess. While a “skills matrix” is a common disclosure method, these matrices often vary in classification and display formats across companies. Additionally, their frequent disclosure in PDF format makes compilation and analysis difficult.

JPXI’s customized data aims to streamline the analysis of skills held by individual directors and auditors across various listed companies. Investors can use this information as a reference when exercising voting rights, while listed companies may find it valuable for understanding industry trends in board composition and identifying potential director candidates.

JPXI is actively seeking input on specific aspects of the sample data, including its specifications and classification methods. Further details on the sample data and application procedures are available on the JPX website.