Key Personnel
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Directors
Naoki Suzuki (President & CEO)
Naoki Suzuki joined The Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan, Ltd. in 1990.
After working in the Securities Investment Department of the bank‘s Head Office, he was transferred to LTCB and F&C Investment Management Limited.
UBS Brinson Asset Management Co., Ltd. (presently, UBS Asset Management (Japan) Ltd.) as a Japanese equity analyst, appointed Director and Head of Japan Small Cap Equity at Schroder Investment Management (Japan) Limited. in 2000 .
After serving as Managing Director of Lupus Alpha Asia GmbH in 2007 , he was appointed as Head of Research Department at Mitsubishi Corp.-UBS Realty Inc. (presently, KJR Management) in 2012.
and then he was appointed as Deputy President & Representative Director of MCUBS MidCity Inc. (presently KJR Management) .
Mr.Suzuki was appointed as Deputy President & Representative Director of Mitsubishi Corp.-UBS Realty Inc. (presently, KJR Management) in 2019.
Appointed President of KJR Management in 2022 to present.
Hirofumi Hirano (Director, Chairman / part-time)
Hirofumi Hirano (Tokyo) joined KKR in 2013 and is a Partner, Deputy Executive Chairman of KKR Asia Pacific, and CEO of KKR Japan. Prior to his current position, he served as Co-Head of Private Equity for KKR Asia Pacific from 2019 to 2023. He serves on the KKR Asia Private Equity Investment Committee and the KKR Asia Portfolio Management Committee. At KKR, he has been involved with investments including PHC Holdings (formerly Panasonic Healthcare), AlphaTheta (formerly Pioneer DJ), Marelli Holdings (formerly Calsonic Kansei), Koki Holdings (formerly Hitachi Koki), Kokusai Electric (formerly Hitachi Kokusai Electric), Seiyu Holdings, and LOGISTEED (formerly Hitachi Transport System). Prior to joining KKR, Mr. Hirano worked at AlixPartners as the Japan representative and head of financial services in Asia. From 1999 to 2006, Mr. Hirano led the principal investment arm of Nikko Cordial Group (now known as SMBC Nikko Securities) and became chairman of Nikko Principal Investments. Mr. Hirano graduated from Keio University and holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.
Ralph Rosenberg (Director / part-time)
Ralph Rosenberg (New York) joined KKR in 2011 and is a Partner and the Global Head of KKR's Real Estate Platform. Mr. Rosenberg is Chairman of the Board of Directors of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Inc., Chairman of the Board of Directors of KKR Real Estate Select Trust, and a member of the Board of Directors of KKR Realty Japan Management. Prior to joining KKR, he was a partner at Eton Park Capital Management and managed his own firm, R6 Capital Management, which later merged into Eton Park. Previously, Mr. Rosenberg was a partner at Goldman Sachs. He holds an undergraduate degree from Brown University, where he graduated magna cum laude, and holds an M.B.A from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Mr. Rosenberg is a member of the Board of AFIRE, a Governor of the Urban Land Institute Foundation, and serves on the Brown University Investment Committee and the Investment Committee of the Urban Land Institute. He is a former Global and US Trustee of the Urban Land Institute, former Chair of the board of directors of the Pension Real Estate Association (“PREA”) and a former member of the board of directors of the PREA Foundation. He is an Emeriti Member of the Brown University Corporation and is an Honorary Trustee of the Francis W. Parker School in Chicago, Illinois. He is also a former trustee of the Stanford Graduate School of Business Trust and a former trustee and former vice-chair of the board of directors of the Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, New York.
Billy Butcher (Director / part-time)
Billy Butcher (New York) joined KKR in 2004 and is Co-President of KKR's global real estate business, the Chief Executive Officer of KKR Real Estate Select Trust, and serves on KKR's global real estate investment committees. Mr. Butcher previously served as Chief Operating Officer of KKR Real Estate and co-led U.S. real estate acquisitions. Before helping to establish the firm's dedicated real estate investment business in 2011, he worked in the firm's corporate private equity business in the U.S. and Asia. Prior to joining KKR, he was at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He holds an A.B., summa cum laude, from Princeton University, and an M.B.A. from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, where he was the Henry Ford II Scholar and an Arjay Miller Scholar. Mr. Butcher is actively involved in a number of non-profit organizations and currently serves on the Board of Peer Forward, which is committed to enabling broader college access to U.S. high schoolers through positive peer influence.
John Pattar (Director / part-time)
John Pattar (Hong Kong) joined KKR in 2018 and is a Partner and Head of KKR’s Real Estate business in Asia Pacific. Mr. Pattar played a key role in the fundraise of KKR Asia Real Estate Partners (AREP), KKR’s inaugural Pan-Asian real estate investment fund. AREP has a US$1.7 billion corpus and takes a flexible investment approach across assets and platforms in sectors including mixed use, commercial, industrial, hotel, office and retail properties. Prior to joining KKR, Mr. Pattar was the CEO of CLSA Real Estate since 2004. At CLSA, Mr. Pattar built a Pan-Asian real estate platform for the firm, consisting of a value added fund, Fudo Capital with equity raised of US$2.2 billion and a Core Fund mandate with MEC (Mitsubishi Estates Corporation) managing US$600m gross AUM. He managed the day-to-day operation of Fudo Capital, property funds specifically targeting direct investment in real estate in Asia Pacific. On behalf of funds and principals of CLSA Capital Partners, Mr. Pattar sourced and completed property deals in Asia of approximately US$5 billion. Mr. Pattar has worked in Asian real estate markets for over 27 years; including South East Asia from 1992-1997, and in Hong Kong since 1998 covering principally North Asia. His extensive real estate experience covers property investment, development, capital transactions and asset management in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand and Australia. Mr. Pattar holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from King’s College London, University of London (LLB) and is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (F.R.I.C.S.).
David Cheong (Director / part-time)
David Cheong (Hong Kong, Tokyo) joined KKR in 2015 and is a member of the Real Estate team. Mr. Cheong is responsible for the Firm's Real Estate business in Japan and Korea. Mr. Cheong played a key role in KKR’s acquisition and integration of KJR Management, a Japan-based REIT manager. Mr. Cheong currently serves as a Board Member of KJR Management. Prior to joining KKR, Mr. Cheong was a portfolio manager at LIM Advisors overseeing public and private special situation investments in the Asia-Pacific region, based in Hong Kong. Before LIM, Mr. Cheong was a member of the Lehman Brothers Real Estate Private Equity team in Tokyo covering Japan and Korea real estate. He started his career at Lehman Brothers Global Real Estate Group in New York. Mr. Cheong holds an M.B.A. and an M.A. from the Wharton School and the Lauder Institute as well as a B.A. and a B.A.S. from the University of Pennsylvania.
Kensuke Kudo (Director / part-time)
Kensuke Kudo (Tokyo) joined KKR in 2022 and is a member of the Asian Real Estate team. Prior to joining KKR, he was a managing director at Fortress Investment Group where he spent 11 years focusing on opportunistic investments including office, residential, data center, and affordable housing. Prior to that, he was at Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division. Mr. Kudo holds a B.A. from Hitotsubashi University in Japan.
Auditors
Ken Matsumura (Auditor / part-time)
Ken Matsumura (Tokyo) joined KKR in 2014 and is a member of the Private Equity team. At KKR, Mr. Matsumura has been involved with investments in PHC Holdings, Marelli Holdings, Seiyu and KJR Management (formerly Mitsubishi Corp.-UBS Realty Inc.). He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Seiyu Holdings and also an Auditor of Marelli Corporation and KJR Management. Prior to joining KKR, he worked at Goldman Sachs & Co.’s Asian special situations group, managing investments into equity, corporate debt, real estate, and energy/infrastructure while leading turnaround operations for clients. He holds a B.S. from the Keio University and a M.S. from the University of Tokyo.
Executive Officers
Shinichiro Ichiki (Executive Officer, Vice President)
Shinichiro Ichiki joined KJR Management in 2023 and appointed as Executive Officer and Vice President.
Prior to joining KJRM, Mr. Ichiki was a managing director in Real Estate within Goldman Sachs Asset Management, serving as co-head of Real Estate Invest Management business in Japan. he was responsible for deal sourcing and equity raising in the Japan Real Estate business of Goldman Sachs Asset management Japan.
He joined Goldman Sachs in 2007 as a vice president in the Merchant Banking Division and was named managing director in 2015. From 2001 to 2006, he was a manager in the Principal Investment Department at Daiwa Securities Capital Markets Co. Ltd. He earned a BA in Economics from Keio University in 2001.
Keita Araki (Executive Officer, Head of Metropolitan Division)
Keita Araki joined Nomura Real Estate Development Co., Ltd in 1992.
After working in the Housing Sales Division and nternational Division, he was transferred to The Toyo Trust and Banking Company, Limited (presently, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation) in 2001.
Mr.Araki joined Mitsubishi Corp.- UBS Realty Inc. (presently KJR Management) in 2003, engaged in real estate management operations for retail properties and real estate investment operations.
Appointed as Head of Acquisition Department, Retail Division in 2013, and after serving as Deputy Head of Retail Division and Head of Asset Management Department, was appointed as Head of Retail Division in 2015.
Appointed Executive Officer and General Manager of Urban Business Division in 2021 to present.
Hidehiko Ueda (Executive Officer, Head of Industrial Division)
Hidehiko Ueda joined House Foods Corporation in 1995 and worked at Tokyo Branch, then joined SNK Corporation in 1998 and worked in the Accounting Department before joining Gap Japan K.K. in 2000, where he was engaged in financial operations.
Joined Morgan Stanley Properties Japan K.K. (presently Morgan Stanley Capital K.K.) in 2001 as Manager of Finance and Accounting Group.
In 2004, he joined Jones Lang LaSalle Japan K.K. as Finance Manager, and in 2005, he transferred to LaSalle Investment Management K.K. to manage the Structured Finance Department.
In 2007,he joined Mitsubishi Corp.- UBS Realty Inc. (presently KJR Management) and after serving as senior Manager of Finance Dept., Retail Division and Senior Manager, Finance Dept., Corporate Division, was appointed as Head of Planning and Coordination Dept., Industrial Division in 2013.
After serving as General Manager of the New Business Development Office, Strategic Planning Dept.,in 2017,
he was appointed as Executive Officer and head of Industrial Division in 2017 to present.
Takuji Nozaka (Executive Officer, Head of Compliance & Risk Management Office)
Admitted to the bar in 2001.
Takuji Nozaka joined City-Yuwa Partners and was transferred to Seconded to the legal department of the Chuo Mitsui Trust and Banking Company Ltd. (presently, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Ltd.).
Mr.Nozaka studied the University of Pennsylvania LLM in 2005, joined Bingham McCutchen Murase LLP, New York Office, NY, USA in 2006 and admitted to NY bar in 2007.
After joining Atsumi & Sakai in 2007 and working at the Inspection Bureau of Financial Services Agency in 2010, he became Head of Legal & Compliance Department, GLP Japan Inc. in 2012 and Head of Legal & Compliance Department, Vanguard Investments Japan, Ltd. in 2015.
Appointed as Executive Officer, Head of Compliance Office, Mitsubishi Corp.- UBS Realty Inc. (presently KJR Management) in2019 to present.
Yasuyuki Matsumoto (Executive Officer, Head of Corporate Division)
Yasuyuki Matsumoto joined Mitsubishi Corp.-UBS Realty Inc. (presently KJR Management) in 2006, and after serving as Head of Finance & Accounting Department, Head of Planning Coordination Department, Industrial Division, and Head of Asset Management Department, Industrial Division, was appointed as Head of Operations Planning & Accounting Department, Corporate Division in 2017.
After serving as Head of Corporate Division in 2022, he was appointed as Executive Officer and Head of Corporate Division in 2023 to present.
Prior to joining KJR Management, he was a Regional Financial Controller at CCA International Japan.
Before CCA, he worked for Secom Co. and Kintetsu International Express Co.
He holds B.A. from Waseda University.
Michio Matsumoto (Executive Officer, Head of Investment Division)
Michio Matsumoto joined Kajima Corporation in 1993. After engaging in real estate development, sales and purchase, and asset management in the Real Estate Development Group, he worked in the Corporate Planning Division.
He joined Deutsche Securities Inc. in 2006 and he led domestic real estate investments for overseas investors in the Real Estate Opportunistic Group.
From 2013, he served as Head of Acquisition and Head of Commercial-Residential Investment Department at CBRE Investment Management Japan K.K., where he led real estate acquisition activities in Japan and established an asset management platform for the residential portfolio.
In October 2023, he Joined KJR Management as Executive Officer and General Manager of Investment Division.
Mr. Matsumoto holds a B.A. from the University of Tokyo and an M.B.A. from the University of Rochester’s Simon Business School in the United States.