Catherine Lenson, the first female managing partner at Softbank, has left the corporate venture arm of the Japanese technology conglomerate.
Catherine Lenson has announced her departure from SoftBank Investment Advisers, the corporate venture fund of the Japan-based technology conglomerate.
The exit comes after SoftBank recently announced the cutting of 30% of jobs in its Vision Fund, though the reason for Lenson’s departure is undisclosed.
Lenson worked at SoftBank for more than five years, starting as a partner and global head of HR. She later broke barriers in the firm by becoming its first female managing partner, a position she held for nearly four years.
Prior to this, Lenson worked at the Switzerland-based investment bank UBS for 13 years where she held various positions including senior human resources business partner and head of rewards of the UK and EMEA global investment banking division.
Founded in 2016, SoftBank Investment Advisers invests in various sectors including consumer goods and real estate. The fund has over 300 companies in its portfolio and has participated in around 540 investments.
“With mixed emotions, I’m announcing today that I’ll be leaving SoftBank,” said Lenson in a LinkedIn post. “It’s been an extraordinary five years as part of the team that built the largest technology fund the world has ever seen, but it’s time for me to move on to new adventures. I wish the whole team nothing but success.”
