KKR strengthens Japan private equity team
KKR has hired Kazuyuki Kido, who previously spent 20 years at SMBC Nikko Securities and Nikko Principal Investments, as a managing director in its Tokyo-based team.
Kido’s most recent role was with Simplex Holdings, where he led the operations group, focusing on management, leveraged and secondary buyout opportunities. At Nikko Principal, he helped manage a balance sheet portfolio of approximately $4 billion and participated in investments in the likes of Tower Records Japan, Seibu Railway, Prince Hotels, Styling Life Holdings, and Bellsystem24 Holdings.
Kido worked under Hiro Hirano, now KKR’s Japan CEO, who led Nikko Cordial Group’s principal investment arm and served as chairman of Nikko Principal between 1999 and 2006. Hirano and Kido were both board members of several of the companies mentioned above.
“With three decades of experience across corporate investments, buyouts and listings, he enhances the depth and experience of our senior Japan team. KKR has a long history of successfully investing in the Japanese market and Kazuyuki's appointment reinforces our long-term commitment to Japan,” Hirano said in a statement.
KKR has been investing in Japan since 2010 and has deployed approximately $2 billion of equity in the country. Earlier this year, the firm issued JPY40.3 billion of senior notes to be used for general corporate purposes, including to fund potential deals in Japan. Its private equity portfolio currently features Panasonic Healthcare, Pioneer DJ, Hitachi Koki, Calsonic Kansei, and Hitachi Kokusai.
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