Our Team – Kensho Capital Management
Dr. Leonard Meyer zu Brickwedde
Chairman, Kensho Capital ManagementThe founder, president and CEO of Kensho Investment Corporation has been at home in Japan for three decades. As head of the Japan branch of Hypovereinsbank, he got into real estate finance when the market for institutional investors was developing from 2000 onwards. From 2004, Dr. Leonard Meyer zu Brickwedde opened the Japan branch of Hypo Real Estate, turning the company into the largest non-Japanese real estate lender in the country. In 2008, Dr. Meyer founded the Kenzo Capital Corporation and made a name for himself as a consultant and fund and asset manager for Japanese real estate. Kenzo launched the first German fund for Japanese residential real estate. After selling the Kenzo fund business, Dr. Meyer started Kensho. The name signals how its business model evolved: the consultant, fund and asset manager Kenzo – the Japanese syllables mean building and creating – is followed by Kensho (building and flying). Under Dr. Meyer’s leadership, Kensho invests in Japanese real estate and accompanies Japanese investors to Germany and Europe.
Ryuichi Shinohara
President & CEO, Kensho Capital ManagementThe President & CEO of Kensho Capital Management has more than 30 years of experience in the Global Markets business in Tokyo, London, and New York and has been in charge of institutional investor management since 2005. Ryuichi Shinohara commenced his career at the Industrial Bank of Japan in 1988 (now Mizuho), where he eventually acted as the head of the bank’s US fixed income portfolio. He joined the Board of Directors of Bank of America as Managing Director and Executive Vice President, supervising the global markets business. After Bank of America acquired Merrill Lynch, he spearheaded the US Fixed Income Sales. Afterwards, he worked for Credit Agricole as the Head of Fixed Income Sales, leading the expansion of the securities lending and social impact bond businesses. In 2022, he joined Kensho Capital Management as a senior advisor and director, where he was instrumental in building an institutional sales and relationship management team focused on sustainable infrastructure and real estate investment opportunities in Europe. In 2024, he was appointed President and CEO.
Ken Nagao
Member of the Board of Directors, Kensho Capital ManagementThe Chief Investment Officer of Kensho Capital Management Corporation has been committed to developing the Japanese real estate market since 2008. Ken Nagao acquired his expertise in real estate development, as well as asset and property management, as a partner in an urban developer in Seattle (USA). After that he was responsible for the growth of a family office for seven years. He then built up a team of advisors for Asian family offices and institutional investors looking to enter the Japanese market. His team convinced clients with their deep understanding of real estate and market analyses from both the macro and micro perspectives, and of the homogeneous integration of real estate in their environment. Within the Kensho Group, Mr. Nagao develops optimal investment strategies alongside investors, and implements those strategies transparently.
Miki Kodama
Officer, Corporate Sales Dept., Kensho Capital ManagementAfter graduating from Keio University, Miki Kodama spent more than 20 years in the finance department of the Japanese subsidiary of the world’s largest diversified chemical manufacturer. Mainly based in Germany, he also worked as a treasury consultant at the company’s North American financial headquarters. His further career includes significant positions with one of the largest portal site management companies in Japan, head of finance of a company that handles the rental business, bookstores and the database marketing business, and financial director of the strategic subsidiary managing the MVNO business. After acquiring his CFP license, he also worked at a real estate financial company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Standard market as general manager of business administration. In his role as Relationship officer at Kensho he uses these experiences to serve as a bridge for Japanese and German investors.
Mitsutaka Ikeda
Head of Compliance Department, Kensho Capital ManagementAfter graduating from university, Ikeda joined Mitsubishi Corporation, where he was mainly engaged in trade operations, investment planning, and secondment to an affiliated company. During secondment to an affiliated company (an ammonia manufacturing and sales company in Indonesia), he gained experience in company management and organizational operations as a member of the management team, while also accumulating knowledge about next-generation energy. After registering as a lawyer, he has been primarily involved in corporate legal affairs, including legal support for financial instruments business, proposing schemes for inbound and outbound investments, and providing tax advice. At our company, he is committed to establishing and developing the business by implementing a global standard risk management system. Lawyer (member of the Dai-ni Tokyo Bar Association), Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant, graduate of the University of Tokyo Faculty of Law, and IMD Strategy Execution Program graduate.
Yuuki Shouji
Head of General Affairs, Kensho Capital ManagementThe Head of General Affairs, Yuuki Shouji, has spent most of his young ages and his career in the United States. After graduating from university, he has been involved in a wide range of food-related operations and international business for more than 20 years. Upon returning to Japan, he shifted his focus to more marketing-oriented activities, based on his study in social sciences and through practical experiences in business area. In 2023, he joined Kensho Capital Management, an organization with the mission of bridging Japan and Europe, and engaged in human resources, general affairs, accounting, and system management. In 2024, he was appointed as General Manager of the General Affairs Department.