Mastern Investment Management Prioritizes Restoring Investor Trust... Launches RM Division and Strengthens Conflict of Interest Management

CEO Park Hyungseok's New Year's Address

Mastern Investment Management, an asset management firm specializing in alternative investments, has defined 2026 as a "year to focus on the fundamentals and execute," highlighting the restoration of investor trust and organizational innovation as its core tasks in its New Year's address.

On January 2, CEO Park Hyungseok stated in the New Year's message, "The more uncertain the times, the more important it is not to run blindly, but to discern what must be protected and what to focus on, and then to have the courage and sense of responsibility to put that into action."

He further emphasized, "We will make 2026 not simply a year of recovery, but a year to clarify what we must set right and where we must focus."

Mastern Investment Management has presented four key priorities for this year: restoring trust with investors and market participants; completing the implementation of 'One Mastern'; discovering new investors and rebuilding networks; and clarifying investment strategies for each investment operation division.

To restore trust, the company will overhaul its company-wide portfolio allocation management system and strengthen proactive risk management for sectors expected to face oversupply or deemed unsuitable for investment, based on a thorough analysis of market cycles. An independent Conflict of Interest Management Committee has been established to review all conflict of interest issues. The newly established Risk Management (RM) division will further enhance the company’s overall risk management capabilities.

On the organizational side, under the 'One Mastern' initiative, a recent restructuring has clarified roles and responsibilities (R&R) between departments, and reorganized the structure so that support and investment operation teams work together as one team.

CEO Park, drawing an analogy to jazz, explained that the company aims to be "an organization where each division takes responsibility and demonstrates expertise, while also understanding the flow of other divisions and working together seamlessly."

The company has separated domestic investment and management divisions to strengthen new investment capabilities, and established a dedicated Fund Management Headquarters to focus on asset management. The marketing division has also been newly created under the direct supervision of the CEO to strengthen company-wide investor marketing and fundraising capabilities.

In terms of investor sourcing, the management team will take the lead in strengthening networks with domestic and international limited partners (LPs), general partners (GPs), and strategic investors, as well as spearheading investor communications and IR activities. CEO Park declared, "Capital clearly identifies organizations with structure, expertise, and execution capabilities," adding, "As a hands-on CEO, I will personally lead investor marketing."

For investment strategies, the company will pursue differentiated approaches by sector and strengthen mid- to long-term portfolio competitiveness through a two-track strategy for both new growth and traditional assets. In the IDC (data center) sector, the company will secure specialized talent and collaborate with global and local operators to establish a partnership-based platform approach for a differentiated position. For rental housing, a dedicated team will combine operational expertise and product design capabilities to gradually build a differentiated residential investment platform. For traditional assets such as offices and logistics centers, the company will continue to pursue differentiated approaches by identifying investment opportunities with foresight and securing strategic investors and users.

Overseas investments will focus on expanding re-investment strategies in high-quality funds in advanced markets such as the United States and Europe, and strengthening strategic collaboration with overseas subsidiaries. In the REITs sector, the top priority will be restoring market trust through listed REITs rebalancing, while the company will also respond swiftly to prepared opportunities in project REITs to lay the foundation for mid- to long-term growth.

CEO Park Hyungseok stated, "The funds we manage are the social safety net that supports the daily lives and retirement of the public, such as pension funds, mutual aid associations, and insurance," adding, "We will always keep the weight and value of this responsibility in mind and move forward without wavering."