StepStone Group Inc. (stepstonegroup.com), a leading global private markets investment firm, has announced that Yoshitaka Todoroki has joined the firm as Vice Chairman, with a mandate focused on strategic initiatives in Japan and the broader Asia region. The firm provides customized investment solutions and advisory services across private equity, infrastructure, private debt and real estate for institutional clients worldwide.

Todoroki joins StepStone after a career in private markets investing spanning more than 30 years. Most recently, he served as Executive Director of the Private Market Investment Department at Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF). GPIF, which manages reserve assets for Japan's public pension system, is widely regarded as the world's largest pension fund, giving the program Todoroki helped build visibility among institutional investors well beyond Japan. Over a decade-long tenure at GPIF, he led the development of the pension fund's private markets investment program across private equity, infrastructure and real estate. In that role, he established the fund's investment strategy and frameworks, its risk monitoring and management procedures, and its relationships with general partners and other institutional investors globally.

Scott Hart, StepStone's Chief Executive Officer, said: “Yoshitaka Todoroki brings tremendous experience and perspective from more than three decades investing across private markets, including helping to build and lead the private markets program for one of the world's largest institutional investors. His firsthand perspective as an asset-owner and understanding of how investments across private asset classes fit within a broader portfolio will be highly valuable to our clients. We are delighted to welcome him to StepStone as we continue to grow our platform across Asia and beyond.”

Todoroki also commented on his appointment: “Having spent much of my career investing in private markets as an institutional investor, I have long appreciated the importance of strong partnerships, informed judgment and a holistic approach to portfolio construction. StepStone's deep investment expertise, global perspective and data-driven insights create a powerful platform for serving institutional investors. I am pleased to join the firm and look forward to working with Scott and the broader team to support StepStone's clients and continued growth in the region.”

Prior to joining GPIF in 2016, Todoroki served as Head of the Alternative Investment Group at Sumitomo Mitsui Asset Management. Earlier in his career, he held investment roles at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, MassMutual Life Insurance Japan and The Sumitomo Trust and Banking Co.

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Hitotsubashi University and completed the Investment Management Programme at London Business School.

With both Hart and Todoroki framing the appointment around StepStone's continued growth in the region, the direction of the firm's Japan-focused strategic initiatives under Todoroki's vice-chairman mandate will be the angle to watch going forward.

Source: Globalfintseries