Global investment firm Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) has announced the appointment of Yoshinori Komiya as Senior Advisor to its Japan advisory team. Mr. Komiya will assist in identifying and assessing new investment opportunities and contribute to value creation within Carlyle’s existing portfolio.
Mr. Komiya's career in government at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) spans over three decades, during which he handled policy matters related to intellectual property, industrial finance, energy, and space. His roles included Secretary to the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, positions within the Cabinet Secretariat and Cabinet Office, and close collaboration with the Prime Minister's Office. In 2016, he was appointed Commissioner of the Japan Patent Office, overseeing patent, trademark, and design policy reform.
Kazuhiro Yamada and Takaomi Tomioka, Co-Heads of Carlyle Japan advisory team, stated: “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 commented: “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 service in 2017, Mr. Komiya has held executive roles at IHI Corporation; since April 2024 he serves as an Executive Fellow. He graduated from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Tokyo.
With Mr. Komiya’s appointment, Carlyle now has nine Senior Advisors supporting its operations in Japan across core industry sectors. The firm's Japan buyout platform has invested more than 450 billion yen across approximately 40 private equity investments since 2000.
Last month saw Carlyle announcing the final close of its fifth Japanese buyout fund—Carlyle Japan Partners V (CJP V)—at JPY 430 billion (approximately USD 2.8 billion). This marks it as one of the largest fundraises for a buyout strategy focused on Japan according to Preqin data.
