KKR & Co has announced the hiring of Hirofumi Hirano to head its Japanese operations. Hirano was the former chairman of Nikko Principal Investments Japan Ltd.
The appointment is for the position of managing director and chief executive officer for the Japanese unit of the New York based private equity firm. The first day of work would be April 15 and he would be replacing Shusaku Minoda who will take the position of chairman for KKR's Japan unit. Prior to this engagement, Hirano was the head of Japan's business for AlixPartners LLP.
KKR established its Japanese unit back in 2006 and has strengthened the buyout market in Japan. Before Hirano, KKR had been hiring directors from other private equity firms such as Goldman Sachs Group Inc and McKinsey & Co. This came at a time when the stimulus initiatives of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe buoyed investor sentiments.
As for Minoda, who had been CEO of the firm for six years, will continue to maintain KKR's contacts in both the private and public sector.
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