09
Mar
Asia outlook: Opportunities amid uncertainty
Fundraising by Asia-based private equity managers in on course for its weakest year in nearly a decade. The pace of investment has slowed, IPOs are scarce, and M&A appetite among strategic investors is weak. The region’s role as a global growth engine – and the fundamentals underpinning this – are unchanged, but many LPs are re-evaluating their exposure and how they want to access the market. Our GPs from around Asia explain how they are staying relevant.
- Where are the region’s economic bright spots?
- Does an Asia portfolio without China make sense?
- How are GPs differentiating themselves from peers?
- What steps can be taken to improve exits and liquidity?
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SpeakersChris Leahy Managing Director BLACKPEAK
Shane Chesson Partner OPENSPACE VENTURES
Brian Lau Managing Director SHAWKWEI & PARTNERS
Sam Robinson Managing Partner NORTH-EAST PRIVATE EQUITY ASIA
Steven Ciobo Managing Director STONEPEAK
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A Co-Founder of Blackpeak, Chris has more than 25 years of leadership experience in risk advisory, banking, and finance in the Asia–Pacific region. Based in Singapore, Chris has led risk projects across the region. He has extensive industry knowledge and contacts within the financial and corporate communities in Asia, gained from his various leadership roles in the finance industry.
Chris manages complex due diligence, investigations, business intelligence and dispute cases across Asia Pacific. In addition to client and project work, Chris oversees Blackpeak’s growth and strategic initiatives.
Prior to founding Blackpeak, Chris was the Asia–Pacific head of Kroll, the global risk advisory business, and built the firm’s Southeast Asia practice. He was also the former head of investment banking in Asia for Crosby and, prior to that, was an executive director of BNP Peregrine Capital. Chris is an authority on corporate governance in Asia and has been a member of the secretariat of the Asian Corporate Governance Association since 2004.
Shane Chesson is Founder and Partner of Openspace Ventures (formerly NSI Ventures), a Singapore-headquartered VC focused on Series A and B investments in Southeast Asia-based technology companies. Selected Openspace investments overseen by Mr. Chesson include Go-Jek, Chope, Tradegecko, CXA, Topica, Oway, HaloDoc, Sale Stock and Pathao. Mr. Chesson was previously Managing Director and Co-Head (Technology Investment Banking, of Citigroup Asia-Pacific.
Mr. Chesson has an MBA with distinction from INSEAD Singapore where he was a recipient of the IAA Asian Campus scholarship.
Mr. Lau is a Managing Director and Partner at ShawKwei & Partners. He is involved in all aspects of deal flow & investments and leverages his operating, sales and strategy background to manage portfolio companies at the board level. He is a member of the investment committee of ShawKwei and sits on the boards of portfolio companies Beyonics and ICONS Beauty Group.
Brian has more than 30 years of strategy, sales and operations experience across the industrial supply chain and investment banking industries including with multinational corporations Celestica and Texas Instruments.
Brian received an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, York University and a BA from the University of Waterloo and holds the CPA designation (Chartered Professional Account) from Canada.
Sam Robinson is Managing Partner of North-East Private Equity Asia, which focuses on Asia private equity funds. Mr. Robinson is based in Singapore and has worked in private equity since 1998, initially joining Schroder Ventures in the UK. In 2001, he was one of the founder members of SVG Advisers, a fund of funds business, where he managed the global investment team. SVG Advisers was acquired by Aberdeen Asset Management in 2013, whereupon Mr. Robinson became Head of Asia Private Equity Fund Investment until his departure in 2015.
Steven is a Managing Director with Stonepeak and is Head of Global Affairs and Engagement. Before joining Stonepeak, Steven was Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, and also served in other senior Cabinet and Ministerial roles over nearly two decades in the Australian Parliament. Steven received a Master of Laws (Competition Law) from the Queensland University of Technology and a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) from Bond University. Steven is also a Fellow with the Milken Institute.