Aberdeen Standard Investments strengthens its capabilities in Japan with the hire of a new head of direct real estate and successful acquisition of two licenses.
Aberdeen Standard Investments (ASI) hired Ono Hidetoshi as its head of direct real estate, Japan, last month to diversify its local investment capabilities. Ono was most recently a managing director at Manulife’s Japan real estate unit.
Ono has more than 25 years of experience in real estate investment and management from various local Japanese and global firms. Prior to his most recent Manlike role, he had also worked with the likes of AXA Real Estate, ING Real Estate, General Electric, and Mitsui Fudosan.
Adding Global and Alts Solutions
In addition to Ono’s hire, ASI has also received two new licenses – Type I and Type II – that will enable it to expand its Japan-based shelf significantly.
The Type I securities license will enable the direct sales of foreign-domiciled funds to Japanese professional investors. The Type II license will enable ASI to offer private market funds to the same investor segment in Japan.
Recent Acquisition
The new announcements follow ASI’s recent acquisition of Hong Kong-based real estate specialist Orion Partners which covers various regional markets including Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore. According to the asset manager, its local business had expanded 30 percent in the last 12 months through senior hires across distribution, product strategy, investment specialist and marketing.
«Obtaining new regulatory licenses, together with the added ability of local direct real estate investment for both our global and local clients, reflects our intent to build a long-term, sustainable business in Japan,» said Neil Slater, CEO and representative director of ASI Japan.
