Toshihiro Hirao: Chairman, CIO
Toshihiro Hirao and Mamoru Taniya established Asuka Asset Management in July 2002 as a result of a management buyout of the Japanese subsidiary of Tudor Investment Corporation.
Previous to Asuka Asset Management, Mr.Hirao was most recently a Director in charge of trading Japanese equities at Tudor Capital Japan (1999-2002). He is a specialist in Japanese equities and has over 30 years of long/short trading experience in the Japanese equity markets.
Mr. Hirao, also a principle founding member of Tudor Capital Japan, managed its Japanese equity long/short and directional portfolio and has a long proven track record within the volatile Japanese markets.
Before joining Tudor, he was a Managing Director and co-head of Salomon Smith Barney’s Japan and Asia proprietary trading department. At Salomon, he was the Principal Manager for the 80 billion yen CB/Warrant arbitrage portfolio as well as the equity long/short portfolio.
Shinichiro Shiraki: Representative Director, CEO
Mr. Shiraki has over 20 years of experience investing in private equity, venture capital funds, and hedge funds in Japan and globally. He launched and managed several portfolios of hedge funds and private equity funds for Sanwa Bank, now part of the Mitsubishi UFJ Group.
He has been a founding member of Monex Alternative Investments and served as its CEO and CIO since 2004. He was appointed CIO of ASTMAX Co., Ltd. in 2013.
In 2015, Mr. Shiraki founded Akebono Asset Management Ltd.
Mr. Shiraki also began serving on the Board of Directors at Aizawa Securities Co., Ltd. TSE1 listed security broker company in 2019 and started serving on a Board of Directors at Asuka Asset Management in June 2020. He was appointed as a Director of Aizawa Securities Group Co., Ltd. in 2022.
Mr. Shiraki has been a Board Member of the Alternative Investment Management Association of Japan (AIMA Japan) since 2001 and currently serves as its Vice-Chairman. He is also a Committee Member Japan Venture Capital Association.
Yasuhiro Shibata: Director
Appointed as Director of Aizawa Asset Management Co., Ltd. in November 2023.
Mr. Shibata joined the Industrial Bank of Japan, Ltd (currently Mizuho Bank, Ltd) in 1986.
He assumed the role of General Manager for the Credit Trading Department at Mizuho Securities Co., Ltd. in 2005. His subsequent positions at the company included General Manager of Market Trading Department, General Manager of Fixed Income Business Division, and General Manager of Market Trading Group.
He was appointed as Deputy President of Mizuho International plc. in 2014 followed by the appointment as Deputy President of Mizuho Securities USA LLC in 2018.
In 2019, he assumed the position of Managing Executive Officer / Head of Global Markets Division and Head of Global Markets at Mizuho Bank Co., Ltd.
In 2021, he was appointed as a Senior Executive Officer and Co-Head of Global Markets Company at Mizuho Financial Group, Inc., Managing Executive Officer and Co-Head of Global Markets Division at Mizuho Bank, Ltd. and Managing Executive Officer and Co-Head of Global Markets Division at Mizuho Trust & Banking Co., Ltd.
In 2023, he was appointed as Executive Chairman of Aizawa Securities Co., Ltd. and Executive Chairman of Aizawa Securities Group Co., Ltd.
Atsushi Oishi: Director
Appointed Director of Aizawa Asset Management Co., Ltd. in April 2023.
Mr. Oishi joined Aizawa Securities Co., Ltd. in 1990. He advanced to the role of General Manager of Investment Banking Department and became President of Aizawa Investments Co., Ltd. in 2005.
He then assumed the role of Executive Officer and General Manager of Planning Department of Aizawa Securities Co., Ltd. in 2009.
He was a Director at Yahata Securities Co., Ltd. (currently Aizawa Securities Group Co., Ltd.) in 2013, and was appointed as Director of Japan Asia Securities Co., Ltd. (currently Aizawa Securities Group Co., Ltd.) as well as Managing Director of Aizawa Securities Co., Ltd. in 2017.
He was appointed as Director of Life Design Partners Co., Ltd., Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer of Aizawa Securities Co., Ltd., and Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer CMO of Aizawa Securities Group Co., Ltd. in 2021.
He was appointed as Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer CCO and in charge of Compliance Department of Aizawa Securities Group Co., Ltd. in 2023.
Yuichi Baba: Director
Appointed Director of Asuka Asset Management Co., Ltd. in June 2020.
Mr. Baba joined Aizawa Securities in 2001 and was in charge of retail sales. He then worked at Aizawa Investments, a subsidiary of Aizawa Securities, to engage in fund formation, securitization and start-up investments.
Mr. Baba returned to Aizawa Securities in 2011 and mainly worked on corporate planning and PR/IR operations.
He was appointed as Director of Aizawa Investments in 2017.
In 2018, Mr. Baba became General Manager of the Corporate Planning Department at Aizawa Securities.
He was appointed as General Manager of Corporate Planning Department of Aizawa Securities Group Co., Ltd. in 2021.
He was promoted to Executive Officer of Aizawa Securities Group Co., Ltd. and became Executive Officer, Head of Administration Division, General Manager of Corporate Planning Department and General Manager of Finance Department of Aizawa Securities Co., Ltd.
Koichi Yasuda: Auditor
Appointed Auditor of Aizawa Asset Management Co., Ltd. in June 2023.
Mr. Yasuda joined Aizawa Securities Co., Ltd. (current Aizawa Securities Group Co., Ltd. ) in 1987.
He advanced to the role of General Manager of Accounting Department of Aizawa Securities Co., Ltd. in 2005. He subsequently served as General Manager of Internal Audit Department and Audit Department, and General Manager of Compliance Department.
In 2020, he became Executive Officer and Head of Compliance Division.
In 2021, he was appointed as Executive Officer and Head of Compliance Division of a re-established Aizawa Securities Co., ltd. as a result of a split-off after a series of company restructuring in 2021.
In 2023 he became Auditor of Life Design Partners Co., Ltd., Auditor of a re-established Aizawa Securities Co., ltd., and Auditor of Aizawa Investments Co., Ltd.
Shoichiro Kusumoto: Executive Officer
Appointed as Executive Officer of Aizawa Asset Management Co., Ltd. in April 2024.
Mr. Kusumoto joined Aizawa Securities Co., Ltd. (Currently Aizawa Securities Group Co., Ltd.) in 2000.
He joined the Investment Department of Aizawa Investments Co., Ltd. in 2005, and was mainly engaged in venture company investments in addition to M&A advisory services.
In 2013, he advanced to the role of Deputy General Manager of Corporate Department 1 (currently Solution Department) of Aizawa Securities Co., Ltd.
He was appointed as Manager of Machida Branch of Aizawa Securities Co., Ltd. in 2014 and Manager of Shizuoka Branch of Aizawa Securities Co., Ltd. in 2017.
He was appointed as Executive Officer and General Manager of the Investment Department of Aizawa Investments Co., Ltd. in 2019.
He was promoted to President and Representative Director of Aizawa Investments Co., Ltd. in 2023.
Kosuke Noda: Executive Officer, CFO
Mr. Noda joined Asuka in April 2006 to and was charged with Compliance.
Mr. Noda started his career at Mitsubishi Bank (currently, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ).
He was engaged in examination of loan, rebuilding of companies, and administration.
He has a deep experience in managing inspections by the FSA, etc. Prior to joining Asuka, he was most recently Head of Strategy Planning Department at the company which the Bank has financed.
Shinobu Miyata: Executive Officer, COO
Mr. Miyata joined Akebono Asset Management and was charged with operational and administrative matter.
Before joining Akebono, he was involved in fund management and also ran his own fund administration businesses. He founded the Japan representative office of Moore Management (2007-2014) and Millennium Fund Services (2015-2017) which served the alternative funds industry, including private equity funds, hedge funds, and structured funds.
He began his career at Citibank Tokyo and was instrumental in the development of management systems of investment trust products. From 2000 to 2005, we worked on the development and management of securitized products at Japanese and European trust banks. He has a variety of product experiences with securitization of a wide range of asset classes at trust banks.