Editor’s Note: This article has been specially adapted and written for our international audience based on some original Japanese-language reports by inclusive_solutions. While it draws on the original research, it provides additional context and analysis to explain the significance of Yoshiko Shinohara and the “HiPro Scandal” to global readers.
Original Japanese sources can be found here:
Yoshiko Shinohara is a pioneering figure in Japan’s business history. As the founder of Tempstaff (now PERSOL TEMPSTAFF), she transformed the Japanese labor market. Today, even at the age of 90, her influence remains significant, not only as a legendary entrepreneur but also as a major shareholder of PERSOL Holdings.
Recently, the “HiPro Scandal”—a governance and compliance scandal within PERSOL’s high-skilled talent business—has raised serious questions. This article explores Yoshiko Shinohara’s career and examines her responsibility as a shareholder in the face of these modern challenges.
Career Highlights: Japan’s First Self-Made Woman Billionaire
Born in 1934, Yoshiko Shinohara founded Tempstaff in 1973 in a small one-room apartment. At that time, the temporary staffing industry was not yet legally established in Japan, and it was extremely rare for a woman to start a business.
• 1973: Founded Tempstaff Co., Ltd. with 1 million yen in capital.
• 2006: Listed the company on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
• 2013: Acquired Intelligence (now PERSOL CAREER), significantly expanding the group’s scale.
• 2017: Recognized by Forbes as Japan’s first self-made woman billionaire.
Shinohara’s management philosophy has always focused on “investing in people.” This vision helped create countless employment opportunities, especially for women, in an era when gender equality was far from the norm.
The Gap Between Philosophy and Reality: The HiPro Scandal
Today’s PERSOL Group is a giant organization formed by the merger of the original Tempstaff and Intelligence. While the group officially promotes DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion), a gap has emerged between these ideals and the current governance.
The “HiPro Scandal” refers to a series of organizational compliance failures and governance problems within PERSOL Career’s “HiPro” services. Despite the seriousness of the situation, PERSOL’s management has largely remained silent.
Interestingly, many executives leading the DEI initiatives and the HiPro business come from the “Intelligence” side of the merger. This raises a critical question: To what extent has Yoshiko Shinohara’s founding philosophy—putting people and integrity first—been inherited by the current management?
Yoshiko Shinohara as a Powerful Shareholder
Yoshiko Shinohara is not just a figure from the past; she is a key stakeholder today. As of 2025, her combined influence is immense:
1. Yoshiko Shinohara (Individual): 11.74%
2. Yoshiko Shinohara Memorial Foundation: 7.04%
Together, they hold nearly 20% of the shares in PERSOL Holdings. This makes her (and her foundation) a dominant force in the company’s governance.
The Responsibility of the Foundation
The Yoshiko Shinohara Memorial Foundation (led by Yoshimi Shinohara) is known for its philanthropic work, such as providing scholarships for students in nursing and social welfare. However, as a major shareholder, the foundation also holds “voting rights.”
In the context of the HiPro Scandal, the foundation’s silence is notable. If a foundation claims to pursue “Well-being” and social contribution, it should arguably exercise its power to correct governance failures within the company it owns.
Conclusion: A Time for Leadership
Yoshiko Shinohara changed Japan by believing in the potential of people. Now, as PERSOL faces a crisis of trust due to the HiPro Scandal, her responsibility as a founder and a major shareholder is being tested.
Active shareholders, including firms like Inclusive Solutions LLC, are now calling for reform. For PERSOL to truly honor Shinohara’s legacy, the company must move beyond silence and address its governance issues with the same courage its founder showed half a century ago.
Key Terms for Readers:
• Temporary Staffing: 労働者派遣
• Self-made Billionaire: 自力で築き上げた億万長者
• Governance Failure: ガバナンス（統治）不全
• Major Shareholder: 大株主
• Stewardship Responsibility: 受託者責任（株主としての対話責任）
Further Reading
About Us
Inclusive Solutions is an IT and data consulting firm founded in 2024 in Tokyo, Japan. The company supports organizations in DX, data pipeline development, and compliance-related advisory.
It is currently the only independent organization that has uncovered and reported on the HiPro scandal at PERSOL Career, while also acting as a shareholder of PERSOL Holdings. Inclusive Solutions is committed to promoting stronger corporate governance and transparency within PERSOL and Japan’s HR industry as a whole.
We have published multiple in-depth articles in Japanese covering the HiPro scandal:
Furthermore, Inclusive Solutions LLC became a shareholder of PERSOL Holdings on July 31, 2025, and we are now fully committed to projects aimed at rebuilding the company’s corporate governance.
Inclusive Solutions LLC supports organizational management grounded in transparency, public interest, and ethics through the power of data and systems.
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