Former President and CEO of the Japan Exchange Group to Support KKR’s
Partnerships in Japan
TOKYO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Leading global investment firm KKR today announced the appointment of
Atsushi Saito, former President and CEO of the Tokyo Stock Exchange
(“TSE”) and the Japan Exchange Group (“JPX”), as Non-Executive Chairman
of KKR Japan, effective August 1, 2015.
Commenting on the appointment, Henry R. Kravis, Co-Founder, Co-Chairman
and Co-CEO, said, “We are extremely fortunate to have Mr. Atsushi Saito
join us. He brings immense expertise gained through his distinguished
career, where he has worked and advocated to bring value to companies
and uphold the highest corporate governance standards.”
Joseph Y. Bae, Managing Partner of KKR Asia, added, “We across KKR Asia
and, indeed, our global network, look forward to learning from his vast
insights as we work to invest in the highest caliber companies and then
to help them enter new markets.”
Mr. Saito has been an influential member of Japan’s business community
through his decades-long career. He most recently helped to promote
Japan’s public markets activity and enhance corporate governance
reporting standards in his leadership roles at Japan’s exchange groups.
“KKR has cultivated a strong reputation by investing alongside some of
Japan’s leading companies, taking a long-term partnership approach to
business management, and adding value beyond capital. KKR has helped
Japanese companies become more competitive both in Japan and worldwide,
doing so while being mindful of Japanese business culture and values.
I’m proud to be Chairman of a team that exhibits these principles, and I
look forward to assisting KKR Japan in its continuous effort to improve
the corporate values and governance of Japanese companies,” Mr. Saito
said.
“Mr. Saito’s experiences across investment, management and policy will
better enable KKR to partner with strong business owners and
stakeholders in Japan and pursue new opportunities during this exciting
time for investment,” said Hiro Hirano, Member & CEO of KKR Japan.
“Saito-san’s outstanding expertise and network will add value to our
partners, portfolio, investors and KKR.”
Mr. Saito served as Group CEO, President and Representative Executive
Officer of JPX from January 2013 to his retirement in June 2015. He
previously served as the President and CEO of TSE from June 2007, and in
August 2007 he became the first President and CEO of the Tokyo Stock
Exchange Group, Inc., the holding company of the TSE and self-regulatory
corporation of the exchange. In this capacity, he oversaw the merger of
TSE and the Osaka Securities Exchange, Ltd. – now the Osaka Exchange,
Inc. – to form JPX in January 2013.
Prior to his time at TSE, Mr. Saito was the President and CEO of the
Industrial Revitalization Corporation of Japan (“IRCJ”), a
government-sponsored group focused on turnaround investments. While at
IRCJ, Mr. Saito demonstrated strong leadership in the revitalization of
several Japanese companies, and he took the lead in educating many
professionals who are now leaders in Japan’s business community.
In addition to these roles, Mr. Saito was a CEO of Sumitomo Life
Investment Co., Ltd. He previously held various executive roles at
Nomura Securities Co., and was appointed as a member of Nomura’s board
in 1986. He has been a Member of the Board of the World Federation of
Exchanges.
KKR has an established track record of investing in and supporting
Japanese companies’ growth. In 2010, KKR invested in leading Japanese
integrated human resources company Intelligence Holdings
(“Intelligence”), and divested the company in 2013 to Temp Holdings.
During their three-year partnership, KKR assisted Intelligence in
introducing a number of operational key performance indicators and sales
and recruitment initiatives, which enabled revenues to grow by 45%,
EBITDA to increase by 170%, and a 37% rise in headcount.1
KKR extended its track record in Japan in 2014 and 2015 with the
successful carve-outs of Panasonic Corporation’s heath care unit and
Pioneer Corporation’s DJ equipment unit. Both standalone companies,
Panasonic Healthcare and Pioneer DJ, respectively, are focused on
international expansion. In June 2015, Panasonic Healthcare strengthened
its commitment to providing high-quality and life-enhancing products
patients globally through the purchase of Bayer Aktiengesellschaft’s
diabetes care unit, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland.
About KKR
KKR is a leading global investment firm that manages investments across
multiple asset classes including private equity, energy, infrastructure,
real estate, credit and hedge funds. KKR aims to generate attractive
investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment
approach, employing world-class people, and driving growth and value
creation at the asset level. KKR invests its own capital alongside its
partners’ capital and brings opportunities to others through its capital
markets business. References to KKR’s investments may include the
activities of its sponsored funds. For additional information about KKR
& Co. L.P. (NYSE:KKR), please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com.
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1 As of March 25, 2013. A case study detailing the
benefits of the KKR and Intelligence partnership is available here.
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View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150721006749/en/
KKR Asia Pacific
Anita Davis
Tel: +852 3602 7335
Anita.Davis@kkr.com
or
KKR
Japan
Brendan Jennings/John Sunley (Ashton Consulting)
Tel:
+81 3 5425 7220
KKRJapanPR@ashton.jp
or
KKR
New York
Kristi Huller
Tel: +1 212-750-8300
Kristi.Huller@kkr.com
Source: KKR