Societe Generale expands Japan credit business with Santander, UBS hires
Banks in countries from Canada to Spain have been competing for talent in the Asia’s third-largest economy
Published Thu, Feb 26, 2026 · 01:47 PM
[TOKYO] Societe Generale has hired two senior people for its business selling credit products in Japan, as opportunities in the country spur global banks to expand their local presence.
Mihiro Motegi joined the French firm’s investment banking unit in Tokyo from Banco Santander this month as a managing director, according to sources familiar with the matter. He will lead sales of credit investments, including those tied to overseas corporate loans as well as asset-backed securities, to major Japanese financial companies.
Societe Generale Securities Japan also added Takekazu Hiramatsu, a former UBS Group trader of structured credit products, for a senior role that involves tailoring investments tied to interest rates, foreign exchange and credit markets for clients, the sources said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. The unit plans to recruit one more senior salesperson in the coming months, one of the sources said.
Meanwhile, Naoyuki Kumon, who has led sales for regional banks at the Japanese subsidiary since 2021, according to his LinkedIn page, is leaving, one of the sources said.
Societe Generale confirmed the hiring of Motegi and Hiramatsu in an e-mailed statement, while declining to comment on Kumon’s departure. Kumon also declined to comment.
The latest moves bring Societe Generale’s senior hires in Tokyo since late 2024 to at least seven, highlighting Japan’s growing importance to the lender as it steps up efforts to boost fixed-income operations worldwide. Banks in countries from Canada to Spain have been competing for talent in Japan, where a market revival is fuelling demand for financial services.
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Societe Generale Securities Japan has been adding veteran salespeople for interest-rate products, foreign exchange and derivatives. Now it’s focusing on building its so-called solutions business, which includes forming complex products to match specific demand from customers.
Motegi previously served as Santander’s Japan head of financial institution sales, according to his LinkedIn profile. Earlier, he was a managing director leading Barclays’ credit product sales in the Asian nation.
Hiramatsu traded derivatives and credit solution products as an executive director at UBS’s Japan securities unit. BLOOMBERG
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