Japan > Senior Directors

vCardEiichi Ando

Eiichi Ando has been working as an M&A advisor for over 16 years. In the early 1990s, he focused on advising Japanese companies purchasing overseas assets and in the late 1990s his career focused on executing domestic (Japan) transactions. He has executed transactions for both public and private companies, asset sales and equity purchases as well as mergers and liquidations. 

Eiichi Ando began his career with Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank in 1987 and began working as an M&A advisor in 1991. During his employment with Dai-Ichi Kangyou Bank he was assigned to Lehman Brothers as a trainee, where he worked on LBO transactions. He continued his M&A advisory career with Mizuho Securities in 2001. He subsequently joined BearingPoint in 2003 and then moved to J-Power in 2004, where he focused on principal investing. 

Eiichi Ando graduated from Keio University, where he majored in Economics.

vCardToshiyuki Mitsuzawa

Prior to moving to Lazard, Toshiyuki Mitsuzawa spent 3 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers Advisory. He was a manager of the Business Recovery Service Group specializing in corporate restructuring and M&A advisory. He also participated in private equity fund raising initiated by Japanese mega banks, the first of its kind. Prior to joining PwC, he spent 9 years at Nissho Iwai Corporation (currently Sojitz Corporation), one of the largest Japanese trading companies. He focused on credit risk management in Japan as well as in New York engaging in work-out assignments in North and South Americas and Southeast Asia.

Prior to joining GCA, Toshiyuki Mitsuzawa worked in Lazard Freres where he spent 3 years as a vice president of the Investment Banking Group. He focused on restructuring advisory (in-court/ out-of-court) and M&A advisory services. He was also engaged in sales of non-performing loans held by Japanese mega banks.

He is a graduate of Kobe University of Commerce (Kobe), B.B.A.

vCardTakeshi Nagashima

Takeshi Nagashima has been providing M&A advisory services and principal investment services since 2000.

Prior to joining GCA Savvian, Takeshi Nagashima worked in principal investing at GE Real Estate and Lehman Brothers Real Estate Ltd. during which time he closed the acquisition of a real estate company group, a real estate business transfer transaction and co-investment with a Japanese company in real estate portfolio. Takeshi Nagashima worked for 4 years as an M&A advisor at Daiwa Securities SMBC and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. He focused on and closed both domestic and cross-border transactions in industries such as real estate, retail and transportation. His major advisory experience includes the sale of a hotel portfolio and the hotel, sport stadium and retail business owned by a large-sized GMS, the arrangement of DIP financing to a large retail company under Japan’s Civil Rehabilitation Law, the sale of hotels in Asia and Europe owned by a Japanese construction company and the sale of a golf course managed by Japanese conglomerates. 

Takeshi Nagashima also worked at Singapore Branch of Sakura Bank (currently known as Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation) where he spent several years leading the restructuring the bank’s non-performing loans to non-Japanese corporations which were related to the 1997 Southeast Asian region economic crisis. 

Takeshi Nagashima graduated from Waseda Univesity where he majored in Political Science and Economics (1987) and received MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University (1996).

vCardIsao Okubo

Isao Okubo has been engaged in the M&A advisory business since 1996. He has significant experience in cross-border M&A transactions for manufacturing companies.

Before joining GCA, he was a senior vice president in the Strategic Advisory Department of Daiwa SMBC, which he joined in 2002. Prior to joining Daiwa, he worked in the M&A Group at Sakura Bank (currently Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation). At Sakura Bank he worked in several departments, including Aircraft Financing, foreign exchange and lending.

Advisory deals include the business transfer of Crown Leasing (the largest bankruptcy deal in Japan at the time), the sale of the Grand Hyatt in Seoul, the sale of a US magnetic iron oxide manufacturer, the acquisition of a shipbuilding business of Niigata Engineering, the sale of a Japanese automotive parts manufacturer, the acquisition of a LCD manufacturing machine maker, the sale of a Japan business owned by a major US PE fund, the acquisition of a ticketing machine business of a telecom equipment company, the sale of Thai subsidiary of a Japanese electric maker, and the sale of a financial consulting company. 

Isao Okubo received his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Tokyo where he studied law.

vCardKazuo Sakairi

Kazuo Sakairi has over 15 years experience in M&A advisory with top-tier Japanese financial institutions. He started his advisory career at The Bank of Tokyo (currently Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ or “MUFJ") in 1988 where he worked on executing cross border transactions. In 1995, he was transferred to the Investment Banking Group in New York, where he acted as a sell side advisor for major Japanese trading, electronics, and engineering firms which were divesting subsidiaries in the US. After spending seven years in New York, he was promoted to lead corporate advisory services for the construction, real estate, transportation and retail sectors of MUFJ. He has been involved in numerous transactions including buy-side, sell-side and restructuring.

Representative cross-border transactions (which are not able to be publicly disclosed) include transactions such as the sale of an US auto parts subsidiary by one of the largest Japanese trading firms, the sale of US printing joint venture by Japanese printing company and auto parts company, the sale of US steel service center by one of the largest Japanese trading firms and the acquisition of 8 engineering subsidiaries of Japanese telecom company by an Australian company in the same industry. Recent domestic deals that he has played a central role in include the capital participation in Fudo Construction Co., Ltd. by Tetra Co., Ltd. and Phoenix Capital, the sale of Katsumura Construction Co., Ltd. 

Kazuo Sakairi joined GCA in June 2006 and has advised on several transactions including representing Nikko Cordial Group on the tender offer for over 50% of its common stock by Citigroup. 

Kazuo Sakairi graduated from Keio University, where he majored in Political Science.

vCardHisako Takada

Hisako Takada has been engaged in wide range of corporate finance activities in Japan and the US for more than 10 years. She has in-depth experience in various types of M&A and financing transactions, including cross-border transactions, carve-outs, private placements, IPOs and structured bond offerings. She has been responsible for transactions from origination through execution. She has advised clients on transactions as well as acted as principal in connection with the management of business portfolio and group companies including the development and implementation of capital policy, corporate governance policy and incentive compensation plans.

Her major advisory roles in GCA include representing Ricoh in its acquisition of IBM’s Printing Systems Division and representing Nikko Cordial in its capital alliance with Citigroup. Prior to joining GCA, Hisako Takada worked for UBS Securities Japan, focusing on companies in technology, machinery and chemicals industries. She also worked in Sony’s corporate strategy and business development department. She began her career with Goldman Sachs Japan. 

Hisako Takada completed her Masters in Business Administration degree at London Business School, University of London. She is a graduate of the University of Tokyo where she majored in Mathematical Engineering and Information Physics.

vCardHiroaki Tamura

Hiroaki Tamura has been engaged in the M&A advisory business since 1997. He has significant experience in executing M&A transactions in manufacturing industries such as heavy industry, automotive parts, general machinery, electric machinery, semiconductor, precision instrument machinery and others.

Before joining GCA Savvian, Hiroaki Tamura worked in the Strategic Advisory Department of Daiwa Securities SMBC. Prior to joining to Daiwa, he worked in the M&A Group at Sakura Bank (currently Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation).

His advisory deals include the merger of Minolta and Konica, the 100% consolidation of JIDECO by Mitsuba, the sale of the car electronics business of NEC to HONDA, the MBO of an automotive parts maker, the sale of Kiriu to Sumitomo Corporation, the 100% consolidation transactions by Sumitomo Heavy Industries and Fuji Heavy Industries, the sale of Sanyo Electric Credit, the acquisition of a shipbuilding business of Niigata Engineering, the business transfer of Okura Shoji and the consolidation through TOB of People (currently Konami Sports) by KONAMI.

Hiroaki Tamura received a B.A in Commerce from WASEDA University.

vCardDaisuke Toyoda

Since 1994, Daisuke Toyoda has been advising mainly public Japanese companies on M&A transactions. His notable transactions so far covers industries such as heavy machinery, general machinery, electric machinery, precision instrument machinery, nonferrous metals manufacturing, beverages, gaming software and others, in which he has advised strategic alliances, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, tender offer bids, group restructurings and as the head of project teams.

Before joining GCA, Daisuke Toyoda focused upon his M&A career when he joined Nomura Wasserstein Perella (currently part of Nomura Securities’ investment banking division) / Nomura Securities where he gained considerable experience as the head of deal teams. He also gained significant experience at Mitsubishi Securities (currently Mitsubishi UFJ Securities) which he subsequently joined. He also has previous experience specializing in financing for automobile manufacturers at the Nippon Credit Bank.

Public key transactions that Daisuke Toyoda has headed are notably the merger of Hitachi, Tokiko and Hitachi Unisia Automotive, the business consolidation between Minebea and Matsushita Electric Industrial’s information motor business, the 100% consolidation of Ando Electric by Yokogawa Electric Corporation, the acquisition of Jusphoto by Fujifilm Corporation, the 100% consolidation of Nippi Corporation by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, the merger between ENIX Corporation and SQUARE, the 100% consolidation of CIS by Sony, the merger between Toshiba Plant Kensetsu and Toshiba Engineering Corporation, the 100% consolidation of Tokai Konetsu Kogyo by Tokai Carbon, the 100% consolidation through TOB of Kirin Beverage Corporation by Kirin Brewery and the consolidation of Mitsubishi Shindoh by Mitsubishi Materials Corporation. 

Daisuke Toyoda received a B.A. in Economics from Keio University.

vCardRo Umeda

Ro Umeda has been involved in financial advisory and corporate finance for over 10 years. He has significant expertise in cross-border M&A transactions between Japanese corporate and Asian corporate. He has firm knowledge and experiences about the industry and regulation in Asian countries.

Prior to joining GCA, he worked in the cross-border M&A Advisory department at Daiwa Securities SMBC. He also has experience with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), where he worked in corporate financing for various size of client. While at SMBC, he was stationed in Bangkok for supporting newly investment and expansion of Japanese corporate.

Advisory deals include the TOB in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand by Japanese corporate, equity participation to family business in Thailand by several Japanese corporate, the sale of Embassy Suites in LA, the TOB by Korean PE to Japanese listed firm, the sale of Thai subsidiary of a Japanese electric manufacturer. 

Ro Umeda received a BA in Business and Commerce from Keio University.

vCardTaishi Yoshioka

Taishi Yoshioka has been involved in financial advisory and investment management for over 10 years. He has significant expertise with cross-border transactions between Japanese companies and other Asian companies. He has in-depth experience in providing M&A advisory services. He also has specialized expertise in valuation and has provided fairness opinions for significant transactions.

Prior to joining GCA, he worked in the M&A Advisory group at Deloitte. He also has experience with Prudential Life Insurance, where he worked in fund management of domestic/foreign bonds and equities. While at Prudential, he was stationed in Manila and played a key role in the establishment of local operations. He began his career with JP Morgan Securities.

His major M&A advisory experience covers a wide range of industries of both public and private, healthy and distressed companies. He has advised on transactions such as the merger of two Japanese domestic regional banks, the acquisition of a Japanese transportation firm by its competitor, the sale of a transportation business owned by a foreign company to a domestic pier, the sale of three separate non-core subsidiaries owned by a Japanese manufacturing company under Civil Rehabilitation Law and a joint venture between a Japanese foreign semiconductor manufacturer. In Asia he has advised on the sale of an Indonesian subsidiary of Japanese manufacturer, the sale of a five star hotel in Manila and the acquisition of a Southeast Asian firm by a Japanese competitor.

His transaction related valuation advisory services has included the equity valuation of Nippon Broadcasting System on behalf of Fuji Television, the equity valuation of World Co. on behalf of company management, and the calculation of the merger ratio for several high-profile transactions. Most recently with GCA, he provided advisory services for Shinko Securities related to the merger with Mizuho Securities and Nikko Cordial Group related to the tender offer by CitiGroup.

Taishi Yoshioka graduated from Hitotsubashi University, where he specialized in law. He holds the following certifications: Certified Member of Analyst (CMA) and Certified International Investment Analyst (CIIA).