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M&A

Working on a wide range of cross-border M&A projects from Tokyo. Worked with NTT Communication’s global M&A team on their investment and acquisition strategy for all of Europe and 17 industry sectors verticals. Assisted a French pharmaceutical multinational acquire a pharmaceutical factory near Tokyo.

Cross-border acquisitions combined with Board Director work, making partnerships work

When a US or European company acquires or invests in a Japanese company and vice-versa when a Japanese company invests in or acquires a European company, a multitude of communication and management issues need to be managed, creating a need for managing the corporate relationships via Board Director work between the companies

Gerhard’s views on Japan’s corporate governance and management reforms at the Foreign Correspondents Club FCCJ: https://youtu.be/6AbYAjnStsI

Due diligence for investments and M&A

For investment funds and acquiring companies we worked on a wide range of due diligence projects, e.g. to the European acquirer we delivered the regulatory and environmental due diligence on a Japanese pharmaceutical factory, and assisted with the acquisition negotiations.

Strategy and growth

Worked with the CEO and top executive management Board of the world’s largest toy company, a number of Silicon Valley based SaaS (Software as a Service) companies on accelerating growth in Japan, determining the reasons holding the companies back in Japan, developing go-to-market and growth strategies based on thorough analysis of Japan’s relevant markets, competitive advantage, and implementation.

Japan market entry and market research

Worked with a large number of European and US companies on their Japan market entry preparations. For a silicon valley digital marketing company we worked on Japan market entry preparations and strategy choices.

Worked on a large range of market research projects in the internet, mobile internet, pharma and other technology sectors. Market research projects – usually part of market-entry and growth acceleration projects – include Japan’s SaaS, omni-channel, customer experience management (CMX, CX), Japan’s mobile base station market, precision timing equipment market, digital money and many more markets.

Japan business turn-round

We have worked on Japan turn-round – restart – and growth. For a silicon valley SaaS group we worked on their “third market” entry, identified the factors holding back their growth in Japan, and created strategy and go-to-market plan. For one of the largest global consumer goods companies we worked on “what is holding us back in Japan” including a workshop with their 35 top executives including CEO, CFO, CTO, CMO etc.

Pharmaceutical industry

Japan is one of the world’s largest and most interesting pharmaceutical markets with about US$ 120 billion size, and undergoing fundamental transformations. Working with large pharmaceutical multinationals, eg we helped with acquisition of a Japanese pharma factory, worked with cell therapy ventures, with medical device companies. Currently projects in preparation with ventures developing antibody therapies for cancer, cell therapy venture developing immune system therapies, and several others.

more: https://www.eurotechnology.com/japan-pharmaceutical-industry/

Medical devices

Japan is one of the largest medical device markets globally, and with a large import market share.

We work with European and US medical device companies on building their business in Japan, building distribution partnerships.

Financial industry

For about 100 portfolio managers at major investment funds we performed analyst-type research work mainly on Japan originating global paradigm shifts, eg in mobile internet, mobile payment and digital money. Recently we additionally worked for the Board of the Japan fund of a global investment bank on their strategy to invest in Japan’s venture sector.

SaaS and cloud

Japan is one of the world’s most important SaaS markets, and for most US west coast SaaS companies Japan is the first foreign market to enter.

We have worked with a number of Silicon Vally based SaaS companies on Japan market entry preparations, turn-round/restart in Japan.

Gerhard Fasol as as Board Director plus member of the Supervisory & Audit Committee of the stock market listed Japanese SaaS group GMO GlobalSign Holdings KK Group [TYO:3788] contributed to change and growth, and M&A decision making.

Semiconductors and electronics

We worked with a number of US and European electronics precision device companies, electronics instruments and precision instruments companies on acquisitions in Japan, growth and business expansion in Japan. Based on Gerhard Fasol’s long years of semiconductor electronics research.

Industrials

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Cambridge University

Gerhard Fasol worked three years for his PhD at the Cavendish Laboratory (Physics Dept) of Cambridge University, building time-resolved luminescence equipment and found a new type of singlet/triplet impurity states in amorphous phosphorus. After five years as Trinity College Fellow and Staff Scientist at the Max-Planck-Institute in Stuttgart, Gerhard was appointed Lecturer at the Cavendish Laboratory and built a research group with PhD students and post-docs investigating electronic and ultra-fast processes in semiconductor microstructures. Based on his work, Gerhard was appointed to a tenured (permanent) University faculty position.

Trinity College (Cambridge University)

Trinity College is Cambridge University’s largest College with 34 Nobel Prize winners, with large global impact and a global alumni community. Gerhard was PhD student at Trinity College, won a Trinity research Fellowship in the annual Fellowship competition, and later was appointed as Trinity Teaching Fellow and Director of Studies in Natural Sciences. In 2014 Gerhard founded Trinity in Japan, and is building the Trinity Japan alumni community, linking with the global Trinity alumni community.

Trinity Japan

Gerhard founded Trinity Japan in 2014, is building Trinity in Japan as Trinity CollegeCambridge’s Japan alumni organizing and linking with the global Trinity alumni community. This work has led to numerous cooperations and exchanges, created by monthly meetings and other events. see: https://trinityjapan.org/ Since 2020 Gerhard organizes global Trinity Japan video discussions with Trinity’s Nobel Prize winners and outstanding alumni, recordings are published on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/TrinityJapan/videos

Ludwig Boltzmann Forum

Gerhard founded and builds the Ludwig Boltzmann Forum https://www.boltzmann.com/forum/ as a global leadership forum in honor of his great-grandfather, Ludwig Boltzmann. In addition to in-person Ludwig Boltzmann conferences, Gerhard builds series of global Ludwig Boltzmann video conferences: https://www.youtube.com/@Ludwig-Boltzmann/videos

Tokyo University and Japan’s Science Technology Agency (Sakigake Project)

From Cambridge University and Trinity College, Gerhard was head-hunted by Hitachi to manage one of Hitachi’s R&D laboratories, then became Associate Professor at Tokyo University’s Electronic Engineering Department, where he built the “Fasol Lab” research group at the Institute of Industrial Science: https://www.fasol.com/gerhard-fasol/tokyo-university-fasol-lab/ In parallel, Gerhard’s spin electronics proposal won a highly competitive “Sakigake” (=Pioneer) research project of Japan’s science and technology agency – the first foreigner to complete a “Sakigake” project.

Kyushu University

As Guest Professor of Kyushu University, Gerhard proposed four projects to contribute to growth in Kyushu. His work included a lecture on the future of engineering education in Kyushu: https://www.fasol.com/2017/07/21/future-engineering-education-kyushu/