Shintaro Isono

I had worked at Goldman Sachs for a relatively long time, so I was ready for something new. 

I like to be in an organization where every activity and every conversation is dynamic and new. When I first joined Goldman in 2001, I was constantly learning. After the financial crisis, financial organizations became more regulated — rightfully so. But as a result, banks were more hesitant to do new things, and my learning curve wasn’t steep enough.

That’s why I moved from Tokyo to London within Goldman. And that’s why I joined SBIA — because it offers a chance to do exciting work on a very large scale with companies that are changing the world. 

I’m a partner in global debt capital markets, so my job is to help raise debt financing for ourselves as well as support debt-raising activity for our portfolio companies. SoftBank is unique, and every discussion I have is different. But we have an experienced and talented team and are leveraging our deep connections and relationships with the major market participants.

Beyond debt financing, I also play a core role in our SPAC activity. SPACs are another investment vehicle that enables us to partner with innovative companies that are looking to enter the public markets.

SoftBank’s brand has a massive gravity that pulls in information, so we can source a lot of investments.

We also have a broad ecosystem — including my part, but also the entire firm, and our connection with portfolio companies. So we have a very unique brand, and there is a tailwind we can capture. I personally feel like we are in the right place at the right time to do this business.

What qualities do people at SBIA share?

I think people are very motivated. They think outside the box and are willing to take an extra step. Because this industry and this business are rapidly changing, people shouldn't put themselves into a defined area of the market. That’s what my colleagues do better than just about anyone else.

What’s one lesson that you learned over the years that has stuck with you?

Get out of your comfort zone, and don't be shy about taking risks. I’ve learned that your career is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. And if you’re in the same place for too long, you won’t make progress. Yes, if you keep doing the same thing, you might get a little better at what you do, but you should also take some risks and be exposed to other things. In the short term, it might be a little challenging. But in the longer term, you’ll become a more experienced person. You’ll enjoy life more, and eventually, you’ll also become a more successful businessperson.

I’m very interested in education. I'm Japanese, so I’d like to give something back to Japanese society. To me, education is thinking about the future. So I’d want to find a way to be helpful to Japanese children and give them the opportunity to see the world outside of Japan.