In a new mChats, Kazutoshi Okubo, Chairman of Millennium APAC and CEO of Millennium Japan, shares why APAC is a priority for Millennium—and how local expertise, global infrastructure and a growing regional presence support the firm’s continued growth.
What drew you to Millennium?
When I joined as CEO of Millennium Japan in 2014, the business was small, with less than ten people and a handful of portfolio managers. Given the size and depth of Japan’s equity and fixed income markets, its sophisticated investor base, and the strength of its talent pool, I saw significant potential to grow.
Today I serve as Chairman of Millennium APAC and CEO of Millennium Japan. Each step has been about expanding what we can do across the region. What started as building out our capabilities in Japan has grown into something much broader — developing new strategies, entering new markets across APAC and connecting top talent throughout the region to Millennium’s global platform. That progression, from a small Japan office to a growing APAC presence, is what drew me here and what continues to drive the work.
APAC is a priority for Millennium. What makes the region important to the firm, and where do you see opportunities?
The breadth of APAC’s markets and the depth of its investment talent make the region a clear priority.
We continue to build relationships across the region to access a broader talent base and strengthen our global platform. Each market has its own characteristics, making local knowledge and an understanding of regional nuances essential.
By combining that expertise with Millennium’s global infrastructure, technology and resources, we can continue to build our capabilities across APAC.
Millennium has continued to build its presence in Japan. What have you observed about the firm’s development in the Japanese market, and how has your experience there shaped your approach to leading across APAC?
When I started, Millennium Japan focused primarily on relative value fundamental equity and event-driven strategies. Over the past decade, we’ve significantly broadened our investment capabilities.
Today we cover fundamental equity, event-driven, index rebalancing, equity arbitrage, equity volatilities and Japan rate strategies, and we are expanding into commodity strategies as well. Japan’s position as one of the world’s largest economies, combined with its deep and liquid capital markets, gives me confidence in the significant opportunity still ahead. More recently, we’ve expanded our Japanese equity and fixed income investment reach into Hong Kong and Singapore, where we’ve identified strong talent.
Across the broader region, the approach has been similar: broaden our investment strategies and expand into new locations. That combination of strategic depth and geographic reach is what drives our growth.
What leadership lesson has stayed with you throughout your career, and what advice would you share with others?
Build deep expertise and leverage it to grow your business — that foundation matters. But equally important is having a global mindset. To be successful at a firm like Millennium, you need to think beyond your own market and understand how your work connects to the broader platform. And always look for growth opportunities; they’re often closer than you think.
