KAZUKI MORI

As a young man I yearned for more ambitious challenges.

When I joined the working world, I was looking to broaden my experience as much as possible, so I joined a major general trading company that was involved in a diverse mix of businesses. Assigned to the firm’s Finance Department, I handled company-internal funds management. This work was quite absorbing to me, as it enabled me to see how various departments conducted business and how they used money. At a time when I was setting my sights on an overseas posting after one or two years, I happened to have a chat with the man who is now my boss at FMI.
That chance encounter with my future boss was my only reason for joining FMI. At the job interview, I heard how important M&A was to the decision-making of a company, how advisors were key figures in that process and how as an advisor he would share in the joys and sorrows of clients. The discussion was fascinating, and my interviewer continued to talk passionately about the topic even after the time allotted for the interview had expired. Won over by what he was saying and his passion, I realized I wanted to throw myself into the world of M&A, embracing a challenging new career while still a young man. I decided to switch jobs.

The job demands speed and accuracy.

Stakes are high in M&A. Purchase prices can range in the hundreds of billions of yen; the management decisions involved are of the highest importance to the clients. Not surprisingly, the people related to the deal on the client’s side are numerous. The work is difficult, with multiple perspectives to be reconciled, and the project has to be moved forward while striving to reach consensus among many related parties. Each day is spent in constant communication with clients, specialists (lawyers, accountants, etc.) and the other side’s advisors. Reaching an understanding with each and every party and immersing oneself in their various perspectives requires a great deal of strength both physical and mental. But when we succeed in supporting the execution of a merger or acquisition, the sense of fulfillment is phenomenal. When I hear a client thank us for our hard work on their behalf, I’m really glad I chose this line of work.
Pure M&A is not all we do at FMI. I also have opportunities to collaborate on projects with the Consulting Department. When we form a team with members from the Consulting Department, with their high degree of specialized expertise, we stimulate each other, pushing each other to higher levels of accomplishment. That’s an incredibly precious experience that other companies just don’t offer. I work with my teammates and the client in pursuit of a single, optimum goal. It’s exhilarating and fascinating.

Even small teams can get results.

Recently was involved in the sale of the portfolio of a Japanese private equity fund. The team in charge consisted of just three people: the managing director, who was the person responsible; the associate; and me. As the project manager, I was involved in every aspect of the process, from handling due diligence to considering negotiation policy.
With such a broad range of responsibilities, the project was exceptionally tough. But through daily communication with the client and constant reconciliation of goals, we got the job done with singleness of purpose. The bruising difficulty of the work made the sense of accomplishment all the sweeter. The experience of delivering results with a small team in which I had considerable discretion was a great source of personal growth for me. Everything is possible if I get to grips with each problem, never shying away or giving up, to provide clients with the best possible solution.