International real estate investment manager Savills Investment Management (Savills IM) has appointed Shu (Shusaku) Watanabe as Head of Japan. He will take up the position on September 1. This confirms the company’s long-standing presence and commitment to the Japanese real estate market.
Shu Watanabe has more than 26 years of experience in global real estate investments with a focus on the advisory, equity and debt segments. He has advised on real estate transactions in Japan with an investment volume of more than 20 billion US dollars. He has worked for both Japanese and international companies in the office, residential, logistics and retail sectors and has been responsible for the launch of three real estate funds with an investment focus on Japan over the past 15 years.
Most recently, Shu Watanabe was Managing Director and Head of Japan at Nuveen, where he built the company’s real estate business and successfully implemented and managed various investment strategies and transactions on behalf of clients. Prior to Nuveen, Shu Watanabe held senior investment positions at JP Morgan Asset Management, Macquarie Capital Securities, Morgan Stanley Japan, and Itochu Corporation.
Michael Neal, Global CIO and Interim CEO at Savills IM, said: “Shu Watanabe is a highly respected investment manager in Japan with an impressive track record. We are very excited to bring him on board to run our business in Japan. We see significant growth opportunities in the Japanese market and strong market potential for our customers. Shu Watanabe brings extensive experience and excellent leadership skills, and I am very much looking forward to working with him again.”
Christian Behrend, Managing Director and Head of Client Capital DACH, adds: “Japan is a strategically important market for us and is highly valued by institutional investors. In our view, the residential sector in particular offers attractive fundamentals, a high level of resilience and stable distribution yields. Japan is an important building block for investors looking for long-term real estate strategies with reliable income profiles in Asia.”
Shu Watanabe, Head of Japan at Savills IM, says: “I am very excited and honoured to join Savills Investment Management and to work with a great team. The goal is to further expand the business in Japan. The Japanese market is continuously evolving and opens up attractive investment opportunities for our clients. I am all the more pleased to be part of the Savills Group and to combine global presence with local expertise.
