News Release
Carlyle Names Former Japan Patent Office Commissioner Yoshinori Komiya as Senior Advisor
Tokyo, Japan – June 10, 2024 – Global investment firm Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) today announced the appointment of Yoshinori Komiya as Senior Advisor to the Carlyle Japan advisory team.
Mr. Komiya will advise the Carlyle Japan team on investment activities, including the identification and assessment of new investment opportunities, and on value creation initiatives within Carlyle’s existing portfolio.
With a distinguished career in government at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (“METI”) spanning over three decades, Mr. Komiya was involved in various policy matters including intellectual property, industrial finance, energy, and space. He held various leadership roles including Secretary to the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Cabinet Secretariat, and the Cabinet Office, working closely with the Prime Minister's Office. In 2016, Mr. Komiya was appointed the Commissioner of the Japan Patent Office, with oversight for patent, trademark, and design policy and reform.
Kazuhiro Yamada and Takaomi Tomioka, Co-Heads of the Carlyle Japan advisory team, said, “We are delighted to welcome Mr. Komiya to Carlyle Japan as a Senior Advisor. With significant experience in government helping to support and grow Japan’s economy and industry during the course of his remarkable career at METI, he is ideally suited to help Carlyle expand its investment activities and ability to enhance the value of portfolio companies.”
Mr. Komiya said, “For over 24 years Carlyle has had a presence in Japan, investing in local companies and helping to contribute to the development of the nation’s economy. Over this period, the team has developed an impressive reputation for helping numerous Japanese companies achieve their growth potential and business ambitions. I look forward to working with the team on new investment opportunities and helping portfolio companies deliver business transformation and sustainable growth.”
Since leaving government in 2017, Mr. Komiya served in executive roles at IHI Corporation, and since April 2024 is an Executive Fellow. He graduated from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Tokyo.
With Mr. Komiya’s appointment, Carlyle has a team of nine Senior Advisors supporting the firm in Japan across its core industry sectors. The firm’s Japan buyout platform has invested more than 450 billion yen across approximately 40 private equity investments since 2000. This well-established history of investing in Japanese portfolio companies and track record of delivering business transformation and sustainable growth has helped contribute to the local economy.
Last month, Carlyle announced the final close of its fifth Japanese buyout fund, Carlyle Japan Partners V (“CJP V”), at JPY 430 billion (approximately USD 2.8 billion[1]). Representing the largest fundraise for a buyout strategy focused on the Japanese market according to data from Preqin[2], CJP V will continue the successful strategy of investing primarily in upper middle-market opportunities in Japan across specific sectors and focusing on succession transactions, carve-outs, and strategic take-privates.
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About Carlyle
Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across its business and conducts its operations through three business segments: Global Private Equity, Global Credit and Global Investment Solutions. With $425 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2024, Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, portfolio companies and the communities in which we live and invest. Carlyle employs more than 2,200 people in 28 offices across four continents. Further information is available at www.carlyle.com. For more, follow Carlyle on X and LinkedIn.
Media contacts
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[1] Exchange rate as at May 10, 2024.
[2] Source Preqin Pro (as at May 1, 2024); buyout funds with a primary focus on investment in Japan.