Kepple Group has appointed Kenya’s Ory Okolloh as an outside director to its board in a move to accelerate its global expansion and its long-term growth strategy.
Kepple Group CEO Takahiro Kanzaki announced the appointment of Ory Okolloh and Kei Tanaka as Outside Directors, and Eric Marcks as Outside Auditor to strengthen its governance team as part of its medium- to long-term global development strategy.
According to Takahiro Kanzaki, CEO of Kepple Group, “We are delighted to welcome three outstanding individuals to our leadership team. Each brings a wealth of experience and global perspective that is vital for Kepple’s next phase of growth. As we look to build bridges between Japan and the global startup and investment community, this new structure enhances not only our governance but also our ability to make more open, diverse, and forward-thinking decisions. We are eager to accelerate our mission of creating new industries worldwide.”
As an Outside Director, Kenyan Ory Okolloh, will bring her international insight and hands-on experience to drive Kepple’s global expansion as it pursues its global growth while deepening its startup support, building a more resilient organization and creating lasting societal value. Ory is currently a Partner at Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures, a pan-African focused venture capital fund backing exceptional founders in and from Africa.
Previously, Ory was the Managing Director, Omidyar Network Africa. She serves on the Board of Directors of several organizations including the East African Breweries Limited, Deloitte Africa, and the Board of Trustees of the Van Leer Group. She was previously the Deputy Chair of the Thomson Reuters Founders Share Company, the Chair of the Stanbic Bank Kenya Foundation and served on the Boards of Stanbic Kenya, Safaricom PLC and the Harvard Africa Advisory Group.
Her expertise has been sought by global giants like Google, where she led Policy and Government Relations for Africa. A celebrated figure, Ory has been recognized by Time 100 and one of the most influential people in the world, and by Forbes Africa as one of the most powerful women in Africa
Ory earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a B.A in political science from the University of Pittsburgh.
“Joining the Kepple Group Inc. board presents an exciting opportunity to work alongside a team that shares my passion for driving meaningful impact through strategic investments and fostering entrepreneurial ecosystems. I am eager to contribute to their mission, and to support their international expansion to Africa and other regions in the world,” Ory said.
Another new Outside Director is Kei Tanaka, born in Yokohama in 1982 and first in his class from the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Sophia University. He has worked for Goldman Sachs and was later appointed its Managing Director and served as Co-Head of the Investment Division in Japan. In 2024, he left Goldman Sachs and now works at a specialist investment firm.
Eric Marcks, an Outside Auditor, is a founding partner of southgate, a boutique law firm based in Tokyo that focuses on cross-border M&A and venture capital transactions.
Eric has been practicing corporate law, with a focus on venture capital and M&A, for 25 years. He began his legal career in 2000 in the San Francisco and Silicon Valley offices of an international firm, representing start-up companies and the VC funds that finance them. Eric grew up in France and in Texas. He is a part-time lecturer at Keio University Law School, where he teaches courses on venture capital and M&A.
Kepple Group comprises Kepple Group, Inc. as a holding company, with Kepple Inc. and Kepple Capital Inc. as its operating subsidiaries. Kepple Group manages the Kepple Liquidity Fund, a direct secondary fund that promotes liquidity in the startup market, while Kepple Capital oversees a business succession fund that fosters a more sustainable society.
Kepple Inc. leads the fund operations support business, providing comprehensive middle- and back-office services including fund accounting and investor reporting. In addition, the company offers extensive open innovation support, utilizing its proprietary startup database to assist in startup sourcing, valuation and due diligence, as well as global collaboration with overseas startups.
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