SANG-HO SOHN (Chief Executive Officer)

Sang-Ho Sohn most recently spent 10 years at Shinsei Bank, Ltd., a leading Japanese commercial and investment bank. At Shinsei Bank, Mr. Sohn was the Senior Managing Executive Officer responsible for running the Institutional Banking Group, one of the two pillars of the bank, from 2007 to 2010. Prior to that role, he was the Head of Principal Transactions Group, in which capacity he oversaw Shinsei’s Private Equity, International Principal Finance, Real Estate Principal Investment, Credit Trading, Corporate Revitalization, and Specialty Finance Divisions.

Prior to joining Shinsei Bank, Mr. Sohn spent four years in the Principal Transactions Group of Lehman Brothers in Asia. He worked on several transactions throughout Asia, focusing primarily on principal investment activities in Korea. His major accomplishments include setting up and running the first-ever joint venture restructuring fund with KAMCO. He also played a key role in advising Newbridge Capital in their acquisition of a 51% stake in Korea First Bank.

Mr. Sohn started his career at Yasuda Trust and Banking Company, where he worked in Tokyo, New York, and Seoul branches for over 12 years. His experience at Yasuda includes originating and syndicating various types of credit and non-credit products as well as workout loans for U.S., Japanese and Asian clients.
Mr. Sohn holds a B.A. in Economics from Beloit College in Wisconsin. He speaks fluent Japanese and Korean, in addition to English.

DEMIR SADIKOGLU (Managing Director)

Demir Sadikoglu started his career as an M&A banker in the Financial Institutions Group of Credit Suisse First Boston in New York in July 1998. He moved to CSFB’s Tokyo office in 2000, where he was instrumental in building the Tokyo FIG effort through sourcing and executing landmark M&A and leveraged financing transactions such as Sanyo Shinpan’s acquisition of Mycal Card.

Mr. Sadikoglu joined Shinsei Bank, Ltd. in February 2002, with the responsibility for leading the Bank’s global acquisitive growth aspirations. With that mission, Mr. Sadikoglu invested over US$7 BN in transactions including investments into Jih Sun FHC, NIBC, Sicom, Aplus, Showa Lease, and Duff & Phelps among others. During his time at Shinsei,
Mr. Sadikoglu lead-managed the tax, accounting, legal due diligences and negotiations for over 30 acquisition processes in a variety of jurisdictions, including Japan, Taiwan, Korea, China, Vietnam, India, Singapore, Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, and the US.

From 2005 to 2011, he also led Shinsei Bank’s acquisition/ LBO financing team as Co-Head of Specialty Finance Division together with Osamu Utsunomiya. In this role, he underwrote key financing transactions, including several multi-tranche leveraged finance loans backed by financial institution shares. He played a pivotal role in the complex restructuring of the largest foreclosure on bank share collateral in Japan.

Mr. Sadikoglu holds a B.S., Tau Beta Pi, in Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management from Stanford University.

OSAMU UTSUNOMIYA (Managing Director)

After working for GE Capital and Credit Suisse First Boston, Osamu Utsunomiya joined Shinsei Bank in November 2003. He was involved in a number of transactions including strategic acquisitions of non-banks/ banks and private equity transactions. From May 2005 to January 2011, he led the bank’s acquisition / LBO financing team as Co-Head of Specialty Finance Division.

He worked on M&A advisory transactions, including Paloma’s acquisition of the water heater business from Southcorp in Australia and Sanyo Shinpan Finance’s acquisition of Mycal Card. Also, he led a number of acquisition financing transactions for corporate and private equity purchasers in a broad range of industries, including IT, electronics, media, retail, manufacturing, chemicals, hospitality, and pharmaceuticals. He most recently led the formulation of the corporate and capital restructuring of Japan’s largest hotel LBO.

Mr. Utsunomiya received his B.S. in Finance and International Business from the University of Virginia.

JIHYE YOO (Vice President)

JiHye Yoo started her career in July 2005 as an analyst in SB Advisors, Shinsei Bank’s Seoul office, specializing in NPL investments. She transferred to Shinsei Bank’s acquisition/ LBO financing team in Tokyo, Specialty Finance Division in October 2006, where she was involved in a number of Japanese and global transactions including strategic acquisitions, LBO and share-backed financings until August 2011. As part of her role in the Specialty Finance Division, she constructed corporate and asset level financial valuation models and valuations utilizing DCF models, IRR analyses and comparable companies and transactions analysis and analyzed accounting, capital and tax implications of strategic acquisitions to Shinsei Bank. With regard to leverage and share-backed financings, she conducted credit facilities analyses and built debt schedules based on various financial structures.

Prior to joining Reimei in May 2013, Ms. Yoo spent 21 months in Cosmo Asset Management, SPARX Group’s Korean entity with US$3+ billion in AUM, where she participated in new business development projects (including private equity fund, Korean hedge fund, and real estate fund) and created strategic plans for fundraising from overseas and domestic investors.

Ms. Yoo received her B.S. in Business and Administration from the Ewha Womans University.

THIERRY PORTÉ (Senior Advisor)

Thierry Porté is a Managing Director of J.C. Flowers & Co. LLC, a private equity firm focused exclusively on financial services. In this capacity, he currently serves as Executive Chairman of NPG Wealth Management, a Luxembourg-based insurance group, non-Executive Chairman of Fidea, an Antwerp-based insurance company, non-Executive Chairman of Equita, a Milan-based investment bank, Director of Compagnie Européenne de Prévoyance (CEP), a Nantes-based insurance brokerage firm, and a Board observer of Sicom, a Mumbai-based non-bank financial services company. Mr. Porté worked previously at Shinsei Bank, Ltd., Tokyo, where he served as Vice Chairman (2003-2005) and President and CEO (2005-2008). From 1982 to 2003, he served in various capacities at Morgan Stanley in New York, London and Tokyo, including as President and Branch Manager of Morgan Stanley Japan (1995-2003).

Mr. Porté holds an A.B., magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, in Economics from Harvard College and an MBA with high honors from Harvard Business School. He has held leadership roles in a number of Harvard related activities, including serving as President of the Harvard Club of Japan (1995-2008) and currently as a member of the Board of Dean’s Advisors of Harvard Business School. He is Chairman of the Japan-US Friendship Commission and the US-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange, appointments designated by the President of the United States.

KOICHIRO YASUDA (Senior Advisor)

Koichiro Yasuda most recently spent 5 years at Deutsche Securities Inc. in several roles, including Managing Director, Co-Head of M&A, Head of Investment Banking Coverage, Head of Global Banking and Vice Chairman (in the order of title history). Prior to joining Deutsche Securities, he held senior positions at several bulge bracket investment banks in Japan, including Managing Director and Head of Advisory Group at Merrill Lynch Japan, Managing Director and Co-Head of Advisory Group at Nikko Citigroup, and Managing Director, Head of M&A at UBS Warburg (Japan). Mr. Yasuda started his career in 1981 at Long Term Credit Bank of Japan, with his last title as Head of M&A. Mr. Yasuda has a wealth of experience in Japanese M&A advisory with over 60 deals closed across a multitude of industries throughout his career.

Notable transactions he worked on include the following:

(i) Restructuring Advisory: Advisor to Industrial Revitalization Corporation of Japan (IRCJ) regarding the restructurings of Misawa Homes Co. Ltd. and The Daiei, Inc., advisor to The Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corporation of Japan (ETIC-J) regarding the restructuring of Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. under the Corporate Rehabilitation Law.

(ii) Financial Institutions M&A Advisory: Advisor to Legal Trustee of Chiyoda Life under corporate rehabilitation process of its sales to AIG, advisor to Ripplewood Holdings LLC in its acquisition of Long Term, Credit Bank of Japan (currently Shinsei Bank, Ltd.)

(iii) General M&A Advisory: Acquisition of Rohne Poulenc Film by TORAY, merger of Calpis Co., Ltd. with Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

Mr. Yasuda has also been serving as Vice Chairman and Managing Director of BDA Partners since February 2015.

Mr. Yasuda holds a B.A. in Economics from Keio University, MPA from Harvard Kennedy School, and M.A. in Economics from Yale University.