KKR Strengthens Japan Team with Two New Directors Back to Press Releases

KKR Strengthens Japan Team with Two New Directors

March 3, 2013

Hiro Shimizu joins KKR Capital Markets
Sakae Suzuki joins KKR Capstone

 

TOKYO & HONG KONG–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. (together with its affiliates, “KKR”) today announced the appointment of Hiro Shimizu and Sakae Suzuki as Directors for KKR Japan. Mr. Shimizu joined KKR Capital Markets from Goldman Sachs Japan, where he most recently served as Managing Director and Head of the Financial Institutions Group within the Financing Group. Mr. Suzuki joins KKR Capstone from McKinsey & Company, where he most recently served as a Principal with particular expertise in telecom, media & technology, and operations.

In their new roles, Mr. Shimizu and Mr. Suzuki will work alongside KKR’s team in Tokyo led by Shusaku Minoda, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of KKR Japan. This increases KKR Japan’s team to 12 people based in Tokyo.

“The addition of directors for both KKR Capital Markets and KKR Capstone in Tokyo evidences KKR’s optimism for and commitment to the Japan market,” said Joseph Y. Bae, Managing Partner of KKR Asia. “Hiro and Sakae will increase KKR’s ability to bring value-add to Japanese companies as they increase their global competitiveness.”

“We are pleased to welcome world-class talent like Hiro and Sakae to the KKR Japan team,” said Shusaku Minoda. “Hiro will use his extensive experience to expand the presence of KKR Capital Markets in Japan, while supporting and expanding our large and growing base of Japanese investors. As a member of the global KKR Capstone team, Sakae will apply his skills in operational improvement across a wide range of industries to support the growth of KKR investments in Japan and worldwide.”

Mr. Shimizu spent 14 years at Goldman Sachs, where he held various positions during his tenure, including Head of Credit and Alternative Sales within FICC as well as Head of Distribution for Japan within the Special Situations Group. He has extensive experience in marketing alternative products across a broad spectrum of credit, equity and real estate products, which he marketed to institutional clients. Mr. Shimizu holds a BA in Economics from Vassar College.

Mr. Suzuki began his career at McKinsey & Company, where he worked for three years before moving to Gateway Japan, where he served as Senior Manager Business Planning and Online Sales. He then joined Global Freight Exchange (GF-X), where he held the titles of Senior Vice President of GF-X and President of GF-X Japan. Following GF-X, he moved to ZS Associates, where he served as Senior Manager, overseeing sales force effectiveness improvement at medical diagnostic and medical device companies, before returning to McKinsey. Mr. Suzuki holds a BA from Reed College, and a PhD from California Institute of Technology in Physical Chemistry.

About KKR

Founded in 1976 and led by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, KKR is a leading global investment firm with US$75.5 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2012. With offices around the world, KKR manages assets through a variety of investment funds and accounts covering multiple asset classes. KKR Japan, established in 2006, is an integral part of KKR’s Asia Pacific team, which consists of more than 90 executives in seven offices across the region. KKR Japan’s experienced team of executives has established itself as a key player in Japan’s evolving private equity marketplace. In 2010, KKR completed an investment in a leading recruitment services firm Intelligence Ltd. from Usen Corporation. In 2011, KKR and Itochu Corporation were co-investors in Samson Investment Company, one of the largest private exploration and production companies in the United States. Also that year, KKR, Google and Recurrent Energy, a U.S. subsidiary of Sharp Corporation, formed a venture to invest in solar projects in the US. KKR has pan-Asian pool of capital of more than US$5 billion invested in 28 companies across the region. KKR’s portfolio is mixed by country, industry and sector and includes both minority and control investments. KKR seeks to create value by bringing operational expertise to its portfolio companies and through active oversight and monitoring of its investments. KKR complements its investment expertise and strengthens interactions with investors through its client relationships and capital markets platform. KKR & Co. L.P. is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: KKR), and “KKR,” as used in this release, includes its subsidiaries, their managed investment funds and accounts, and/or their affiliated investment vehicles, as appropriate. For additional information on KKR, please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com.

KKR Capital Markets (KCM) has a platform of more than 30 investment professionals globally across debt and equity capital markets. KCM supports our firm, our portfolio companies and select third-party clients by providing tailored capital markets advice and by developing and implementing both traditional and non-traditional capital solutions for investments and companies seeking financing. Our capital markets services include arranging debt and equity financing for transactions, placing and underwriting securities offerings, structuring new investment products and providing capital markets services.

KKR Capstone is a team of more than 60 operating executives across North America, Europe, and Asia who work exclusively with KKR portfolio companies to drive operational improvements. KKR Capstone is dedicated to delivering management expertise in functional areas such as pricing, organizational design, sales force effectiveness, and operational efficiency. This integrated, global team is one of the most experienced in the private equity industry. KKR Capstone is a consulting firm owned and controlled by their senior management and is not a subsidiary of KKR.

 

Media Contacts:
Asia
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P.
Steven Okun, +65-6922-5800
Steven.Okun@kkr.com
or
Japan
Ashton Consulting
John Sunley / Mika Chuma
kkr@ashton.jp
or
Hong Kong
Hill+Knowlton Strategies Asia
Nicholas Worley / Samantha Wang
KKRHK@hkstrategies.com

 

Source: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P.

 

 

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