Neuberger Berman Launches New Japanese Equity Team With Focus on ESG Engagement

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(Americas) Alex Samuelson, 212 476 5392, Alexander.Samuelson@nb.com
(Europe) Fiona Kehily, +44 (20) 3214 9087, Fiona.Kehily@nb.com
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(Japan & Korea) Kiyoko Yamaguchi, 8135218196, Kiyoko.Yamaguchi@nb.com

Tokyo and New York, November 13, 2019 – Neuberger Berman announced its first Japan-based equities team, to be led by Keita Kubota, who joins as a Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager. The team will manage a “Japan Equity Engagement Strategy” seeking attractive returns through active engagement and constructive dialog with Japanese small/mid-cap companies in which the team invests. The strategy will be offered to both institutional and high-net-worth clients.

Mr. Kubota joins from Aberdeen Standard Investments, where he started his career over 13 years ago and most recently served as Deputy Head of Japan Equities. He was the investment director on Aberdeen Standard Investments’ Japan large cap strategy and small cap strategy, both of which were managed with an engagement strategy and offered to large institutional clients across Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Two analysts, one of whom will specialize in ESG investing, will support Mr. Kubota. The other, Naoto Saito, joined Neuberger Berman in September as a Senior Research Analyst and has a generalist focus. Mr. Saito previously served in research roles and covered a broad range of companies across the Japanese equity market at Balyasny Asset Management, CLSA Securities and T. Rowe Price. With diverse experience as well as deep knowledge in ESG engagement, the team will seek to generate additional value by offering insights and knowledge sharing on ESG investing with portfolio companies.

“We look forward to the further expansion of ESG investing in Japan as companies have increased their awareness of corporate governance and other material factors. We think encouraging Japanese companies to improve their ESG factors through our active engagement can generate superior returns. Mr. Kubota and his team are bottom-up stock pickers with a focus on in-depth proprietary research,” said Ryo Ohira, Head of Neuberger Berman East Asia. “They are active, long-term investors who engage deeply and frequently with company management. Most importantly, Mr. Kubota has helped deliver long-term performance for his clients – which is our firm’s mission.”

Neuberger Berman has been in Japan for 15 years and currently manages over $53 billion in client assets locally having grown from $13 billion in 2015. For largely an institutional client base, the firm manages fixed income, alternatives and equity portfolios. Neuberger Berman is recognized in Japan as a leader in the ESG investing space, reflected in the firm winning the first ever Tokyo Financial Award for ESG Investing.

“We’re happy to welcome Mr. Kubota and team and know they are a fit our firm’s culture and core strengths. The group expands our global platform, bringing another long-term market perspective with a focus on active/ESG engagement in Japan, the third largest equity market in the world. We look forward to their capabilities helping client globally,” said Joseph Amato, President and Chief Investment Officer, Neuberger Berman.

About Neuberger Berman

Neuberger Berman, founded in 1939, is a private, independent, employee-owned investment manager. The firm manages a range of strategies—including equity, fixed income, quantitative and multi-asset class, private equity and hedge funds—on behalf of institutions, advisors and individual investors globally. With offices in 23 countries, Neuberger Berman’s team is more than 2,100 professionals. For five consecutive years, the company has been named first or second in Pensions & Investments Best Places to Work in Money Management survey (among those with 1,000 employees or more). Tenured, stable and long-term in focus, the firm has built a diverse team of individuals united in their commitment to delivering compelling investment results for our clients over the long term. That commitment includes active consideration of environmental, social and governance factors. The firm manages $339 billion in client assets as of September 30, 2019. For more information, please visit our website at www.nb.com.