Despite winning an activist battle in Japan last year—a rare feat, indeed—hedge fund Steel Partners can’t seem to keep anyone at the helm in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Mark O’Friel, who became the New York activist shop’s top man in the country last July, left the firm last month, Reuters reports. O’Friel had joined the firm last year to replace Yusuke Nishi, who co-founded the Japanese arm, and will in turn be replaced by Katsuyoshi Tanaka, who has been promoted from within the firm.
Last May, Steel defeated wigmaker Aderans Holdings in a proxy battle, ousting most of its board and installing one of its own managing partners on its board of directors.