The Tokyo office will be established in early 2014 and will support IFM’s strategy in meeting its investors’ needs through continued global expansion.
IFM CEO Brett Himbury said the expansion into the Asia region was an exciting development for both staff and investors.
“Our investors are increasingly seeking investment opportunities in Asia, and Tokyo provides a strong hub for accessing both Japan and the broader region,” said Mr Himbury.
Mr Himbury said IFM will initially focus on global infrastructure debt assets and then expand on this over time.
“Under Eddy’s leadership, we will hire an initial team and also work closely with Japanese regulators and institutional investors to align our model with market needs and practices,” he said.
IFM intends to hire a senior business development professional to fill Mr Schipper’s sales role with Australian investors.
“We are optimistic that our unique model, alignment with investors and strong focus on investor outcomes will translate well into Asia under Eddy’s leadership,” said Mr Himbury.
The expansion of IFM into Tokyo follows the opening of the Berlin office this year and IFM’s increased capacity in the UK and United States. Twenty-five per cent of IFM staff are now based overseas.
