Takao

Takao is a Vice President in the Real Estate department based in the Japan Office. He is responsible for residential investments in Japan which is one of the tailwind sectors backed by favorable demographic trends in central cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka. He also covers investments for the office and hospitality sector, as well as daily asset management and divestments for residential and hospitality sectors. 

Outside of work, Takao enjoys indulging in value-wine, spending quality time with his family, and traveling to Europe. 

Why did you decide to join GIC?

I believe that GIC offers one of the most exciting workplaces in the real estate investment industry. With its active investment approach and large investment size, GIC is involved in deal flows across all sectors including office, logistics, residential, hotel, data center, retail, and more. GIC can take a wider range of risks, from “core” to “opportunistic,” if there is a high conviction about the respective investment. This creates numerous opportunities to learn and gain experiences at a faster pace. 

What does your typical workday look like?

My day starts with me taking my children to school before heading to the office. Once there, I am occupied with a range of internal and external meetings focused on various on-going projects, including new acquisitions, daily asset management and divestments. While GIC has adopted hybrid working arrangement, but I personally prefer to work in the office as I find it more conducive to efficiency, particularly in my role as a real estate investor where every investment is unique and requires flexible responses and communications.  

In the evenings, my schedule varies. Some days, I would have dinner with our business partners, while on other days, I may grab drinks with colleagues. Regardless of the day’s events, I strive to maintain a healthy work-life balance that allows me to spend quality time with my family and friends. 

What do you like most about working here?

I am fortunate to work in an environment where our investment mandate is flexible, allowing us to pursue unique and interesting deals. One such deal that I had the privilege of working on in 2022 was an acquisition of a portfolio of hospitality assets comprising 26 hotels, golf courses, and ski resorts across Japan. This transaction was one of the largest hotel portfolios deals in Japan over the past decade and involved a hybrid approach that combined real estate and M&A. 

 The deal was a complex undertaking that required the collaboration of many internal colleagues, including those in our Singapore office, as well as external professionals such as lawyers, tax advisors, and consultants. From the initial deal underwriting stage to the completion of execution, the process took about two years. Despite the challenges, the successful completion of this deal was a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved. 

How would you describe the learning & development culture at GIC?

At GIC, we are given the opportunity to develop a wide range of capabilities through our deals. Some examples of these capabilities include underwriting, research, structuring, law, and tax.  We take pride in our rigorous approach to research and analysis, which involves a deep dive into every investment from multiple angles, with a focus on objectivity and numerical analysis. 

The deal process provides us with invaluable experiences that help us enhance our capabilities across diverse types of investments. We are constantly learning and growing, and we are committed to staying at the forefront of our industry by developing new skills and capabilities. 

What you should know before joining GIC

Having some knowledge of economics, finance, and statistics is certainly helpful in the investment industry. However, at GIC, we also place a strong emphasis on personality traits when it comes to hiring. We believe that qualities such as honesty, fairness, respect, and compassion are essential for building a strong and resilient team.