[New member] Ryosuke Muto, formerly of Yamada Consulting Group, joins as M&A Director

After Nippon Life Insurance Company, Muto joined Yamada Consulting Group Co., Ltd. Specialising in lodging and real estate, he has worked on management support and M&A advisory for major corporations, domestic and overseas investment funds, and local governments. He has supported some 100 transactions to date, taking part in a wide range of projects regardless of company size or region — due diligence for the acquisition of a major domestic hotel chain, turnarounds of hotels and ryokan, investment feasibility studies, management improvement and asset management.

He also lectures and writes on M&A strategy and management improvement in the hotel and ryokan industry, including training for financial institutions through bodies such as the Regional Banks Association of Japan and the Second Association of Regional Banks, and brings advanced expertise and extensive practical experience in lodging real estate.

His role at ARK& and what comes next

With Muto joining, we will build a more advanced and comprehensive support structure, combining the hands-on know-how we have built in planning, developing and operating lodging properties with specialist knowledge of management, finance, investment and asset management.

In particular, for owners considering the sale or succession of a lodging property, for companies and investors looking at hotels and ryokan, and for operators in need of management improvement or turnaround, we will provide end-to-end support from strategy through to execution — covering M&A and investment advisory, post-acquisition asset management, management improvement and enhancing asset value.

Working together with INVESTEL, the M&A and investment platform dedicated to lodging that ARK& operates and one of the largest of its kind in Japan, we will also drive business succession and the creation of new investment opportunities for lodging properties nationwide, and contribute to the sustained growth in value of lodging assets.

Ryosuke Muto — profile

Graduated from the Department of Accounting and Finance, College of Economics, Rikkyo University. Joined Nippon Life Insurance Company in 2012. Joined Yamada Consulting Group Co., Ltd. in 2016, working in lodging real estate centred on hotels and ryokan across management consulting, M&A advisory, business turnaround, investment feasibility studies and asset management. Has supported a wide range of clients including major corporations, domestic and overseas investment funds, financial institutions and local governments, taking part in some 100 projects. Became CEO of avant1 LLC in 2026, and joined ArkAnd LLC. as M&A Director in the same year.

Main areas of expertise · M&A, business succession and sale advisory for hotels and ryokan · Management strategy and medium-term planning, turnaround and management improvement · Financial and business due diligence, investment feasibility studies · Asset management and value enhancement for hotel real estate · Development and renovation of lodging properties, financing support

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Company: ArkAnd LLC. Representative: Shohei Nakamura Website: https://arkand.jp/ INVESTEL: https://investel.jp/ ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––