CLS Group Secures Akira Kato as Head of Client Engagement, Asia Pacific

CLS Group, a leading provider of risk mitigation and settlement services for foreign exchange dealers and institutions, announced that it has appointed Akira Kato as Head of Client Engagement, Asia Pacific.

Based in Tokyo, Akira will be responsible for client management across the region and will also assume the responsibilities of Makoto Miyazaki, General Manager for Japan and Korea, who will be retiring after ten years with CLS.

Akira will join the client engagement leadership team, comprising Glenn McCormack, Head of Client Engagement – Americas and Kat Farina, Head of Client Engagement – Europe, and report to Lisa Danino-Lewis, Chief Growth Officer.

Prior to joining CLS, Akira was Regional Head of Sales & Trading for Asia at MUFG Global Markets and Head of Global Markets Division for Asia and Treasurer at MUFG Bank. His responsibilities included managing a team of over 400 professionals in 14 countries/regions, covering the FX, rates, credit, structured products and Japan equities businesses.

Akira also brings extensive experience working with the regulatory community, having contributed extensively to several regulatory related initiatives during his tenure at MUFG. Previously, he served as an executive board member of the Treasury Market Association in Hong Kong.

Lisa Danino-Lewis, Chief Growth Officer, CLS, commented:"We are delighted to welcome Akira to CLS. He has extensive industry knowledge, management experience and longstanding relationships with regulators and industry participants from across the region. In his role, he will support our efforts to broaden participation in CLSSettlement and expand adoption of our other solutions, and thereby help to provide market participants with access to the highest standard of FX settlement risk mitigation."