Appoints Takajiro "Tak" Ishikawa as President of KPS Asia and Will Establish Tokyo Presence in 2027

NEW YORK and TOKYO, June 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- KPS Capital Partners, LP ("KPS"), a leading global investor in manufacturing and industrial companies, today announced the launch of KPS Asia, a significant expansion of the firm's global investment platform. As part of the initiative, KPS has appointed Takajiro "Tak" Ishikawa as President of KPS Asia and will establish a Tokyo office to lead investment activities across the region.

The launch marks a major milestone in KPS' long-term global growth strategy and reflects the firm's conviction that Japan and the broader Asian market represent one of the most compelling opportunities for industrial investment and transformation in the world today.

For more than two decades, KPS has maintained deep relationships throughout Asia, including with institutional investors that have committed more than $4.0 billion across KPS funds since 2004. The firm has also built longstanding ties with many of the region's leading industrial companies through investments, partnerships and strategic transactions.

"Asia, and Japan in particular, represents a tremendous opportunity for KPS," said Michael Psaros, Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner of KPS. "The combination of world-class industrial companies, technological leadership, and an increasing willingness among corporations to pursue transformational transactions creates a highly attractive environment for our investment strategy. We believe the time is right to establish a permanent presence in the region and make a long-term commitment to investing alongside management teams to build stronger, more competitive businesses."

Psaros added: "Tak is the perfect leader for this effort. We have worked closely with Tak for nearly three decades, and it is exciting to formally welcome him to KPS, as he has long felt like an extension of our team. He understands our culture, our investment philosophy and our operational approach, while bringing unparalleled credibility and relationships across Japan's industrial sector. Additionally, Tak was among the first Japanese executives to recognize the potential of KPS' investment strategy and played an important role in introducing our firm to the Japanese institutional investment community."

Mr. Ishikawa joins KPS following a distinguished 43-year career at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries ("MHI") and Mitsubishi Corporation ("MC"), where he held senior leadership positions overseeing global industrial operations and transformation initiatives, including serving as Executive Vice President of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and President & Chief Executive Officer of MHI North America. Throughout his career, he invested as both a strategic and financial investor in industrial businesses across Japan, North America, Latin America and Europe, with experience spanning sectors including mining, steel, aviation, automotive components, power generation and industrial infrastructure.

Earlier in his tenure at MC, Mr. Ishikawa helped build the firm's financial services business as its Senior Vice President and Division Chief Operating Officer into a multi-asset-class asset management platform with more than $24 billion in assets under management, making it one of the largest investment platforms owned by a non-financial institution. He later launched MHI's Investment & Business Development Group, which invested in defense, low-carbon power generation and climate change technologies.

"KPS is uniquely positioned to succeed in Japan and across Asia," said Mr. Ishikawa. "The firm's approach to investing in industrial businesses — focusing on operational improvement, long-term growth and partnership with management teams — aligns closely with the priorities of Japanese companies. KPS has successfully demonstrated this model repeatedly around the world, including in Europe, where it built one of the region's leading industrial investment platforms. I believe that experience provides a compelling blueprint for what can be achieved in Japan."

The launch of KPS Asia follows KPS' successful expansion into Europe, where the firm established its Frankfurt office in 2010 and has since become one of the most active investors in manufacturing and industrial companies across the region. KPS believes many of the same dynamics that created attractive opportunities in Europe are increasingly present in Japan today, including corporate carve-outs, portfolio rationalizations and transformational public-to-private transactions.

Psaros added, "Our experience helping industrial companies navigate change, unlock growth and strengthen competitiveness is highly relevant in today's Japanese market. We are committed to building a significant presence in Asia and becoming a trusted partner to companies, employees and stakeholders across the region."

Founded more than 35 years ago, KPS is one of the world's leading private equity firms focused exclusively on manufacturing and industrial companies, with approximately $18.6 billion in assets under management. Approximately 70% of KPS investments have involved acquiring non-core businesses from global corporations. Many sellers have retained minority ownership interests alongside KPS, reflecting confidence in the firm's operationally focused approach to value creation.

KPS has a successful history of executing transactions with leading manufacturing and industrial businesses across Japan and the broader Asia-Pacific region. Over the years, KPS has completed strategic transactions involving companies including Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Metals, Ltd., Nagano Keiki, Sumitomo Electric and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, among others, further strengthening the firm's relationships throughout the region.

In addition to the launch of KPS Asia, KPS maintains offices in New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, London, Frankfurt and Amsterdam.

About KPS Capital Partners, LP

KPS, through its affiliated management entities, is the manager of the KPS Special Situations Funds, a family of investment funds with approximately $18.6 billion of assets under management (as of March 31, 2026).  For over three decades, the Partners of KPS have worked exclusively to realize significant capital appreciation by making controlling equity investments in manufacturing and industrial companies across a diverse array of industries, including basic materials, branded consumer, healthcare and luxury products, automotive parts, capital equipment and general manufacturing.  KPS creates value for its investors by working constructively with talented management teams to make businesses better, and generates investment returns by structurally improving the strategic position, competitiveness and profitability of its portfolio companies, rather than primarily relying on financial leverage.  The KPS Funds' portfolio companies currently generate aggregate annual revenues of approximately $25.5 billion, operate 277 manufacturing facilities in 22 countries, and have approximately 62,000 employees, directly and through joint ventures worldwide (as of March 31, 2026).  The KPS investment strategy and portfolio companies are described in detail at www.kpsfund.com.

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Der Bundesrat verschärft im Streit um das Frühfranzösisch den Ton und greift zu einem bundesrechtlichen Instrument. Alle Primarschülerinnen und Primarschüler in der Schweiz sollen künftig zwingend eine zweite Landessprache lernen. Um dieses Ziel durchzusetzen, hat die Landesregierung eine Revision des Sprachengesetzes in die Vernehmlassung geschickt. Sie reagiert damit auf Vorstösse in mehreren deutschsprachigen Kantonen, Französisch aus den Stundenplänen der Primarschule zu streichen.

Im Zentrum steht die Frage, welche Rolle die Landessprachen im obligatorischen Unterricht spielen sollen. Für den Bundesrat ist dies eine «Frage von nationaler Bedeutung». Die Bundesverfassung verpflichte Bund und Kantone gemeinsam, die Landessprachen zu erhalten, die Verständigung zwischen den Sprachgemeinschaften zu stärken und nationale Minderheiten zu schützen, hält die Regierung fest. Der Bund sehe sich damit in der Verantwortung, den Zusammenhalt zwischen den Sprachregionen und den Respekt vor der sprachlichen Vielfalt zu sichern, während die Kantone ihr Schulwesen so zu harmonisieren hätten, dass Qualität und Durchlässigkeit des Bildungsraums Schweiz gewahrt bleiben.

Der Konflikt entzündet sich an der 2004 beschlossenen Sprachenstrategie der Kantone, die 2009 im HarmoS-Konkordat verankert wurde. Diese sieht vor, dass Kinder in der Primarschule zwei Fremdsprachen erlernen – darunter eine zweite Landessprache. In einzelnen Kantonen gibt es inzwischen Bestrebungen, den Unterricht einer Landessprache als Fremdsprache auf der Primarstufe zu streichen. Das widerspreche der gemeinsamen Strategie, schreibt der Bundesrat und zeigt sich über diese Entwicklung «beunruhigt».

Um gegenzusteuern, legt die Regierung zwei Varianten für eine Gesetzesänderung vor. Die erste folgt dem HarmoS-Modell: In der Primarschule sollen obligatorisch zwei Fremdsprachen unterrichtet werden, eine Landessprache und Englisch. Damit würde die heutige Praxis in den 15 HarmoS-Kantonen bundesrechtlich abgesichert und für alle gelten, sollte es nötig werden. Die zweite Variante lässt den Kantonen mehr Spielraum: Sie verpflichtet lediglich dazu, dass eine zweite Landessprache spätestens ab der Primarschule und durchgehend bis zum Ende der obligatorischen Schulzeit unterrichtet wird, ohne Englisch explizit als zweite Fremdsprache vorzuschreiben.

Mit der Revision will der Bundesrat den Rahmen abstecken für den Fall, dass die Kantone ihre Sprachenstrategie ganz oder teilweise aufgeben. Konkrete Entscheide sind noch offen: Zunächst läuft bis zum 5. Oktober 2026 eine Vernehmlassung, in der Kantone, Parteien und weitere Akteure Stellung beziehen können. Erst danach wird sich zeigen, ob sich das strengere HarmoS-Modell oder die flexibelere Lösung durchsetzt – und wie viel Gewicht der Bund seiner sprachpolitischen Rolle im Schulbereich tatsächlich geben will.