Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp has appointed Alex Clavel as chief executive of its SoftBank Group International (SBGI) unit, replacing Michel Combes who leaves after just six months in the role.
SoftBank transformed the tech industry with big bets on late-stage startups but the conglomerate has turned over much of its executive team and has been forced to radically scale back investing activity through its Vision Fund as its portfolio slumps.
Alex Clavel takes charge of assets including chip designer Arm, which SoftBank hopes to list, and stakes in satellite company OneWeb, telecoms operator T-Mobile US and robotics firm Boston Dynamics.
Alex Clavel, who spent 19 years at Morgan Stanley before joining SoftBank in 2015, participated in the restructuring of office space-sharing firm WeWork and the integration of Latin American funds into the Vision Fund following the departure of Chief Operating Officer Marcelo Claure.
