Connecting clients, portfolio companies is next for Japan’s MUFG in Asia-Pacific

[SINGAPORE] The appointment of Nobuya Kawasaki as chief executive for the Asia-Pacific at MUFG is a homecoming of sorts, with him having spent seven years – from 2013 to 2020 – in Singapore leading the investments team at the Japanese financial services group.

Notable startups that MUFG took stakes in during his tenure include Grab, Indonesia-based digital lender Akulaku and Netherlands-based lender Home Credit, which also has operations in the Philippines and Indonesia.

“Since this April, I am also responsible for MUFG’s global corporate (clients) and Japanese corporate (clients). I am now trying to connect our traditional customer base and our new customer base, as there is a lot of potential to grow in this area,” Kawasaki told The Business Times.