Tim Burroughs Managing Editor ASIAN VENTURE CAPITAL JOURNAL

Tim Burroughs is managing editor of Asian Venture Capital Journal, having joined the publication in May 2011. He is responsible for all editorial content put out under the AVCJ brand, including Asian Venture Capital Journal, AVCJtv, AVCJ Awards and AVCJ.com. Tim previously spent five years at China Economic Review, serving as editor-in-chief and then editorial director. Located in Greater China since 2003, during which time he has lived in Beijing, Qingdao and Hong Kong, Tim has been a China-based contributor for publications including The Sunday Times, Sunday Telegraph, BBC and China Daily. Prior to moving to China, he trained and worked as a journalist in the UK. He was honored at the Society of Publishers in Asia awards in 2007, 2008 and 2010, and at the State Street Institutional Press Awards - Asia in 2012.

Ben Ridley Partner ERM

Ben Ridley is an accomplished sustainability and ESG practitioner with a blend of 30 years’ expertise across environmental consulting, corporate ESG advisory and sustainable finance. He is a Partner at ERM focussed on supporting clients in the financial sector. Ben was Asia Pacific lead for ESG financing and advisory at Credit Suisse with roles in first and second lines from 2008-2023, and Board Director and East Asia environmental consulting leader at BMT group up to 2008. He has academic and professional qualifications in ecology, environmental management, and finance. Ben remains involved with impact finance as advisor to two funds. He lives in Hong Kong with his wife and their three grown children.

Lane Zhao Founder & Chief Executive Officer INNOVISION CAPITAL

Mr. Zhao founded InnoVision Capital (known as the “Firm”), in 2016. Mr. Zhao sits on the investment committee of the Firm and is responsible for sourcing proprietary investment opportunities and overseeing execution of new investments and exits as well as the Firm itself. 

Mr. Zhao also acts as the primary partner where he serves as the head of portfolio companies’ management committees, in addition to serving on their boards, and leads the close monitoring of their operational and financial performance.

Prior to Founding InnoVision Capital, Mr. Zhao was a Director at KKR Asia where he spent over 10 years, responsible for investments in the consumer, service and technology sector in Greater China. Mr. Zhao started his career at Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia.

 Mr. Zhao earned a B.A. in Mathematics and Physics from Tsinghua University.

Dr. Virginia Alzina Managing Director & Head of Sustainability EMERGEVEST

Dr. Virginia Alzina is a Managing Director of EmergeVest, where she is Head of Sustainability and is responsible for leading our ESG strategies. She is also the Chief Sustainability Officer of EV Cargo, an EmergeVest company with more than $1 billion of annual revenues and global operations.

Dr. Alzina has over 25 years of global experience across Environmental and Social Governance matters with a particular focus on sustainability, resource efficiency, climate change, sustainable production and pollution control. During her 12 years in Hong Kong and Myanmar, she successfully developed sustainability strategies and applied resource efficiency to improve company performance. Prior to EmergeVest, Dr. Alzina was Group Head of Sustainability at Yoma Strategic Holdings, Managing Director of Environ Myanmar, Managing Director of the UN Regional Centre for Sustainable Consumption and Production of Mediterranean countries, and Senior Environmental Specialist at the InterAmerican Development Bank.

Dr. Alzina has a Ph.D. in Engineering Management and Systems Engineering from George Washington University, a M.Sc. in Environmental Sciences and Policy from Johns Hopkins University and a Licenciatura in Sociology and Political Sciences from Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca.

Michael Octoman Senior Partner NAVIS CAPITAL PARTNERS

Mr. Octoman is a Senior Partner at Navis and an Investment Committee member.

Mr. Octoman joined Navis in 2000. His primary responsibility is to manage the Navis Asia Credit Fund, as a senior member of the team, and to ensure that synergies with Navis’ Private Equity platform are optimized. He also oversees the ESG Portfolio Operations team and drives the strategic focus of ESG at Navis. He has extensive private equity investment experience across multiple Navis funds investing in the ASEAN region and was previously the Chief Operating Officer of Navis, overseeing the Navis Private Equity Funds’ Investment Committee decision-making process, the Portfolio Operations group, human capital, and Navis’ strategic banking relationships. 

Prior to joining Navis, Mr. Octoman worked with Price Waterhouse Coopers with a focus on capital market transactions and financial due diligence in emerging markets. Mr. Octoman also worked for KPMG in Australia and Canada in Business Advisory services.

A lifetime resident of Australasia, having been raised and educated in Australia. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accountancy from the University of South Australia and is an Australian qualified Chartered Accountant. He is also a member of the UNPRI PEAC committee.

Evan Greenfield Managing Director of ESG, Private Equity NYC BCI

Joining BCI in 2022 and based out of New York City, Evan leads the ESG program for the Private Equity asset class. BCI’s ESG strategy focuses on improving the sustainability and integrity of global capital markets, while creating favorable economic conditions and long-term value for our clients and the communities we invest in.

Prior to joining BCI, Evan was the Senior Managing Director & Global Head of ESG at S&P Global, where he led the implementation of their ESG Strategy, and oversaw M&A transactions and operations. Evan’s efforts at S&P Global significantly contributed to establishing S&P Global as a preeminent provider of ESG and climate solutions to corporates and capital market participants.

Prior to joining S&P Global, Evan contributed to the development of the ESG and Impact Investing Platform for Deutsche Bank’s Asset and Wealth Management vertical in the America’s and was responsible for the continuous oversight of the program. Evan brings over 20 years of Private Equity investing with focus on ESG, alternative markets, financial services, and M&A across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Evan graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics & Markets and completed his MBA at Harvard Business School.

BCI’s Private Equity program has grown to $24.8 billion in privately held companies and funds with long-term growth potential. The program includes a talented team of over 60 investment and operational professionals with specialized in-house asset management expertise, contributing to the growth of the total fund exposure, increasing direct and co-sponsor deals, and extending the portfolio global reach. BCI’s Private Equity program is a significant contributor to the corporation’s $211.1 billion in assets under management, making BCI one of the largest institutional investors in Canada.

Kelly Pu Partner BAIN & COMPANY

Kelly Pu is a Partner in our Private Equity practice and serves as the APAC co-head of our technology and cloud services businesses for financial investors. Based in Hong Kong, Kelly is also an expert in our digital capability, ESG, and retail practices.

With over 10 years of consulting experience, Kelly has supported global and regional asset managers in sector scans and commercial due diligences across industries such as technology and cloud services, business services, and retail. Furthermore, Kelly leads extensive work with private equity portfolio companies and Bain’s corporate clients, focusing on strategy, digital transformation, ESG, and overseas expansion opportunities.

Before joining Bain, Kelly held a position at Anheuser-Busch InBev’s APAC regional team. Kelly is an alumna of Tsinghua University, where she majored in Chemical Engineering.

Robin Ganguly Global Executive Editor Infralogic

Robin oversees global editorial and research coverage for Infralogic. A 24-year news veteran, with 16 of them spent editing financial news, Robin has worked for some of the world's leading news outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones Newswires and Bloomberg. He has been a regular on live television, commenting mainly on Chinese government and central bank policy. At Infralogic, he is responsible for daily news coverage and analysis written by a team of journalists spread across the globe, including the Americas, EMEA and the Asia-Pacific region.

Stefano Ghezzi Director, Infrastructure & Natural Resources Asia Pacific ONTARIO TEACHERS' PENSION PLAN

Stefano Ghezzi joined OTPP in 2017 and is member of the Infrastructure and Natural Resources team based in Singapore covering the infrastructure and renewable sectors across Asia Pacific. During his time at OTPP Stefano has been involved in investments globally including the recent acquisitions of Caruna Networks, SGI and IDEAL, amongst others. Prior to joining Ontario Teachers', Stefano worked in the infrastructure and energy group at Citigroup and in derivatives trading at Commerzbank in London.

Stefano holds a M.Sc. in Finance from Warwick Business School and a B.Sc. in Economics from Universita' Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan.

James Tam Partner BAIN CAPITAL

Mr. James Tam has over 25 years of experience in investments and corporate finance. He joined Bain Capital in 2019, and is currently a Partner in the Private Equity team focusing on Greater China. Prior to joining Bain Capital, Mr. Tam was the Head of Asia Pacific Mergers & Acquisitions at Morgan Stanley.

Mr. Tam is now responsible for leading and managing Bain Capital Private Equity's investments in the industrials and new energy sectors, and he is currently a board director at EcoCeres Inc. and Vitalink Technology. He also has extensive experience in advising on multiple landmark cross-border M&A transactions over the past decade.

Mr. Tam graduated from the University of Chicago with B.A. in Economics and M.A. in International Relations in 1998

Maggie Ye Director NIO CAPITAL

Ms. Ye is Director of NIO Capital, leading the firm’s USD investor relations, ESG strategy, as well as horizontal portfolio management.  Since joining the firm in 2017, Ms. Ye played an instrumental role in setting up the USD fund series of NIO Capital.  She also takes charge of the firm’s initiatives on ESG practice as a member on the ESG committee.  Meanwhile, Ms. Ye oversees the fund’s investments in Inceptio, Aulton and Dida as the deal leader, and spearheads topics such as research and exit strategy across the whole portfolio.

Prior to NIO Capital, Ms. Ye worked for Hony Capital, a Chinese leading private equity firm.  Ms. Ye holds Bachelor’s degree from Fudan University with a major in International Finance and pursued her Master’s degree in Mathematical Finance at Boston University.

Sharon Yang Director, Climate KKR

Sharon Yang (Hong Kong) joined KKR in 2009. She is currently focusing on the Climate strategy in Asia Pacific as part of the Infrastructure business. Previously, she was a member of the Global Impact investment team, and has been actively involved with the Firm's investments in GreenCollar, EQuest Education and Five Star Finance. She has also been involved in the Firm's capital raising and capital markets teams as a product specialist leading Asia private equity, growth equity and real estate, and held responsibilities across various portfolio, strategy and operating roles within KKR Asia. Prior to joining KKR, Ms. Yang was with J.P. Morgan in New York. She holds a B.A. in Economics and Mathematics from Columbia College, Columbia University.

Marcia Ellis Global Co-Chair, Private Equity Group MORRISON FOERSTER

Marcia Ellis is the Global Co-Chair of the firm’s Private Equity Group, a member of our global board of directors, and a member of our global Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Steering Committee. Her practice focuses on private equity transactions and complex mergers and acquisitions involving companies, real estate, and other assets located in Asia. Marcia also assists PE clients in integrating ESG considerations throughout their entire investment cycle, including deal selection, pre-investment diligence, investment documents, and portfolio management.

Having practiced in Asia for more than a quarter of a century, Marcia is one of the most experienced M&A lawyers active in the Asian market. In the past three years, she has advised clients on deals with a total aggregate value well in excess of US$265billion.

Marcia has extensive experience advising leading investors on M&A transactions, , including SoftBank Vision Fund, Alibaba, GLP, Bain Capital Credit, BlackRock, Farallon Capital, Ascendent Capital Partners, Silver Crest Acquisition Corp., Macquarie Asset Management, Hillhouse, Hony Capital, and Celadon Partners. In addition, she is experienced in representing U.S., UK and Asia based institutional investors in the acquisition, financing and disposition of real estate in China, Hong Kong and elsewhere in Asia, including numerous logistics and internet data center projects, and investment in and acquisition of real estate developers.

From 2008–2011, she was the Chief Legal Officer for Asia of D. E. Shaw, where she assisted various group entities in making, restructuring, and exiting investments in various countries in Asia, including a number of significant and highly structured investments in China and India.

Marcia has recently been awarded by the Financial Times as the Most Innovative Legal Practitioner in the Asia-Pacific region at the FT Asia-Pacific Innovative Lawyers 2023 Awards. She has been named to Law360’s 2022 and 2023 Private Equity Editorial Board and elected as the Co-Chair of AmCham Hong Kong’s Women of Influence Committee. Clients consider her as “a lawyer whose judgement you trust and who knows how far they can push the boundaries” and a “super skilled technical lawyer” who offers “incredible problem-solving skills on all aspects of matters, both legal and commercial.”

Amy Fong Managing Director FOUNTAINVEST PARTNERS ASIA

Amy is Managing Director as well as the Chair of ESG Committee at FountainVest Partners (Asia) Limited. FountainVest Partners was founded in 2007 and is a leading Asian private equity fund with offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing. Prior to joining FountainVest in late 2019, Amy worked for 4 years as the CEO of Save the Children Hong Kong.

Before Save the Children, Amy spent nearly two decades in financial services with institutions including JP Morgan, Credit Suisse, and Merrill Lynch, working in the US and Asia, having worked as an investment banker, head of strategy, COO and Head of Regulatory Change Management. Amy is a Board Member of Langdi Pharmaceutical and serves on the ESG Committee of Amer Sports, and the Board of Rädda Barnen Service AB, a Swedish social enterprise focusing on Child Rights in business. She is a graduate of Georgetown University and has an MBA from Columbia University and she was also a Certified Public Accountant qualified in the District of Columbia, USA. Amy is a Hong Kong native and has a 21-year old daughter and a 16-year old son. She is a spiritual practitioner and teaches meditation as a volunteer on a regular basis.

Frankie Fang Founding Managing Partner STARQUEST CAPITAL

Mr. Fang is the founding managing partner of Starquest Capital, a China based private equity and fund of funds firm with investment strategy focused on consumer, healthcare and technology sector. Mr. Fang oversees the FoF investment, ESG integration, business development and various activities. Starquest Capital is the first Asian recipient of the UNPRI Awards 2019 Emerging Markets Initiative of the Year.

Prior to founding Starquest Capital in 2018, Mr. Fang served as the Head of LGT Capital Partners in China for 12 years. Before joining LGT Capital Partners in early 2007, Mr. Fang worked for AXA Private Equity Group in Singapore focusing on fund of funds and direct investment in Pan-Asia region. Mr. Fang has a total of 20 years' experience in the finance industry.

Mr. Fang has invested over USD 1.5 billion in Chinese private equity market, including long-established GPs such as CDH Investments, CITIC Capital, Sequoia Capital and Legend Capital, as well as VC 2.0 GPs such as Primavera Capital, Source Code Capital and Gaorong Capital. Mr. Fang is the member of Advisory Committees for over 20 funds in China and a member of the China Insurance Regulatory Commission Expert Committee. He is also invited to be expert judge of Forbes China 2020 "30 Under 30" List.

Mr. Fang holds a Bachelor degree in Accounting from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, MBA from INSEAD Business School and EMBA from People’s Bank of China School of Finance of Tsinghua University. Mr. Fang also holds the Chinese certified public accountant qualification. He is the member of Future Forum Youth Council. His native language is Mandarin. He is also fluent in English, French, Cantonese and can use conversational German and Japanese.

Queenie Ho Partner AFFINITY EQUITY PARTNERS

Queenie Ho joined Affinity Equity Partners in 2004. She currently manages investor relations at Affinity and is a senior member of the China deal team. Prior to Affinity, she worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company working in their Greater China, Southeast Asia, Korea and London offices, focusing on financial institutions, retail, manufacturing and media sectors. Ms. Ho received a BS in Economics with First Class Honours from London School of Economics, a Masters in Finance (Distinction) from Cambridge University, UK, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Lincoln Pan Partner and Co-Head of Private Equity PAG

Lincoln Pan is a Partner of PAG, a leading Asia-based alternative investment fund managing over US$40bn in capital, and the co-head of the Private Equity business. 

Lincoln has led work for many of PAG’s overseas investments, including Unispace, Edelweiss Wealth Management, Gamot API, Craveable Brands, Joyson Safety Systems, Cushman & Wakefield, Lexmark International, Fenix Technologies, Food Union Group, The Cheesecake Shop and Young Toys. He is on the public board of Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) where he chairs the Nomination & Governance Committee and is a member of the Compensation Committee, and Regional Express Limited (ASX: REX) where he is a member of the Audit Committee.

Prior to joining PAG, Lincoln was Regional CEO, Greater China for Willis Towers Watson. He previously worked with Advantage Partners, a leading private equity firm in Japan, GE Capital, McKinsey & Company and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. Lincoln holds a JD from Harvard Law School and a BA from Williams College.

Dr. Mark Watson Senior Managing Director & Head of ESG Advisory Asia Pacific TENEO

Mark Watson heads Teneo's Asia Pacific ESG practice, advising the most senior corporate, financial and public sector clients on ESG matters across the region and globally, focusing particularly on ESG strategy, performance, communications, governance, climate and reputational risk and sustainable finance.  

Prior to joining Teneo in 2022, Mark spent 16 years with the diverse conglomerate the Swire Group, as Global Head of Sustainability for John Swire & Sons Ltd, its holding company centred on Greater China but with operations around the globe spanning aviation, shipping, real estate, industrials and cleantech businesses.  He was also Head of Environmental Affairs for Cathay Pacific Airways, part of the Swire Group, and was heavily involved in driving the airline's decarbonisation efforts and groundbreaking sustainability strategy.  Mark played a leading role in the global aviation industry’s efforts to develop the landmark CORSIA scheme under the UN ICAO to address global emissions from international aviation.  

In total, Mark has spent 26 years working in the ESG and sustainability arena, advising governments, corporates and international aid donors on a wide range of ESG issues in a diverse range of sectors and geographies, including leading a major UK government-funded environmentally-linked poverty reduction in the People’s Republic of China.  Mark authored the book “Housing in Barbados: evolution or revolution?” in 1996, based on his environment and poverty focused Doctoral thesis.

Doug Coulter Partner, Head of Private Equity, Asia-Pacific LGT CAPITAL PARTNERS

Doug Coulter joined LGT Capital Partners in 2007 to lead its Asian private equity investment activities. Prior to LGT, Doug was a Senior Investment Officer at the IFC, responsible for direct investments in the TMT, retail & consumer and healthcare sectors. He previously worked at Nomura Securities in Hong Kong and as a lawyer at Fasken in Toronto. He holds an MBA from INSEAD, a M.Sc. from the LSE, a law degree from the University of Western Ontario and a B.A. from Queen’s University in Canada.

LGT Capital Partners is a leading alternative investment specialist with over USD 80 billion in assets under management and over 230 private equity professionals worldwide. Headquartered in Pfaeffikon, Switzerland, the firm has offices in New York, Dublin, London, Paris, Frankurt, Vaduz, Dubai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Sydney. LGT Capital Partners was selected as Alternatives Manager of the Year in Asia in 2016 and 2017 and Alternatives Fund House of the Year in 2018 by AsianInvestor, was named Alternatives House of the Year in 2020 and 2021 by Asia Asset Management and was named Fund of funds of the year in Asia in 2018 and 2019 by Private Equity International.

Jennifer Buckley Founder and Managing Director SWEEF Capital

Ms. Buckley founded and leads Sweef Capital, a Singapore-headquartered independent impact investment firm dedicated to improving the lives of women, men, their families and communities in underserved markets by focusing on investing in high growth entrepreneurs building inclusive businesses. Sweef Capital’s investment practice is very much relationship centred and value creation oriented which instils confidence in investee companies and leverages established channels to drive strong deal flow. 

Ms. Buckley comes with over 20 years in private equity leadership roles focused on growing mid-sized businesses across Europe and Asia as Head of GE Capital’s EMEA private equity business and as CIO of its Asian operations. 

Prior Ms. Buckley was on the Global Investment Committee and led the Asian and women’s economic empowerment investment programs for a US-headquartered emerging market impact investment firm before spinning out the team to form Sweef Capital. 

During her career, she has worked at Goldman Sachs International and Private Advisors in London and at Fletcher Challenge in Auckland. 

Ms. Buckley received her MSc in International Accounting & Finance from the London School of Economics. She also holds a LLM (Hons) and LLB (Hons) from the University of Canterbury

Katherine Koh Global Climate Lead for Infrastructure & Energy IFC

Over the past 20 years, Katherine has built her career across the worlds of investment, social impact, and sustainability with a strong focus on emerging markets.

As the Global Climate Lead for IFC Infrastructure, Katherine drives IFC Infrastructure’s climate business across sectors, regions and products in a cross-cutting manner through strategic integration, thematic engagement, business innovation, knowledge management, and organizational leadership.  She also represents IFC Infrastructure vis-à-vis various internal and external counterparts in the climate space.  Over the past two years, she has played a key role in steering IFC Infrastructure to markedly ramp up its Climate Finance, boost its climate investment and advisory service offerings, and align its operation with Paris Agreement goals.

Prior to her current role, she led investment teams at IFC and originated, structured, and managed various climate and sustainability investments in energy, transport, utilities and technology sectors across Asia & the Pacific, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia.   During 2017-18, she joined a one-year program with IFC’s Credit and Investment Risks Department, in which she supported investment committees on decision-making and coached deal teams on risk assessment and structuring of equity and debt investments in manufacturing, agriculture, retail, and financial services sectors in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. 

Prior to joining IFC, she worked with Merrill Lynch’s Global M&A Team in Hong Kong, and with McKinsey & Company in Asia and the US.  During her time at McKinsey, she advised financial institutions and corporations on their corporate, organization and financial strategies; and also served as a Nonprofit Practice Fellow to advise leading foundations and social sector organizations in the US on their strategy and organizational designs.  She has additional experience through her work at UNDP, IDG Ventures Vietnam and Ashoka Mexico during her graduate study. 

Katherine holds an MBA from Harvard Business School; an MPA in International Development (MPA/ID) from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government; and Bachelor’s degrees from Yonsei University in South Korea.  

Tang Zongzhong Head of Sustainability BPEA EQT

Tang Zongzhong is the Head of Sustainability for BPEA EQT. He is responsible for the overall sustainability strategy, and works with portfolio companies across multiple industries on sustainability risk mitigation and value creation. He is also currently serving on the ESG Committees at several global portfolio companies. Prior to joining BPEA, Mr. Tang was at Partners Group, where he was the regional head for ESG integration and impact investing in Asia Pacific. Before that, he was an Associate Director at Blackpeak in Singapore, where he oversaw fraud, bribery and corruption assignments, focused on Southeast Asia and Greater China. Mr. Tang holds an MA Global Affairs from Yale University and a BSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Steven Okun Senior Advisor GLOBAL PRIVATE CAPITAL ASSOCIATION

Steve Okun has served as GPCA’s Southeast Asia Senior Advisor since 2017. Steve is Founder and CEO of Singapore-based APAC Advisors and is a seasoned private equity professional. Steve supports member relations and expanding GPCA’s industry stakeholder network in the region. He is also responsible for establishing GPCA’s Singapore and regional presence as well as training the local team. As KKR’s former Director of Asia Public Affairs, Steve also advises GPCA on public affairs and industry advocacy in Southeast Asia.

Edan Lee Managing Director OLYMPUS CAPITAL ASIA

Edan Lee is a Managing Director of Olympus Capital Asia and joined the Firm in 1998. The Firm is an independent private investment manager that has been successfully investing in middle market companies across Asia for over 20 years. Since its founding in 1997, Olympus Capital Asia has invested more than $2.6 billion of equity capital on behalf of its funds and co-investors in over 65 portfolio companies throughout Asia. The Firm’s private equity strategies center on elevating Sustainable Development objectives including investments in Sustainable Energy/Water, Sustainable Cities, and Sustainable Financial Services.

Prior to joining Olympus Capital Asia, Mr. Lee served as Project Director in China for The AES Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, in the mid-1990s, where he developed and financed some of the most significant foreign invested power projects at the time. Previously, Mr. Lee was a management consultant at McKinsey & Co. in the US and in Australia. Mr. Lee holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and BS (Mechanical Engineering) and BA (Economics) degrees from Rice University. Mr. Lee is a member of the Rice School of Engineering Advisory Board and a member of the Executive Committee, Stanford GSB Chapter of Hong Kong.

Shivani Sahai Head of Impact & ESG QUADRIA CAPITAL

Shivani Sahai is the Head of Impact and ESG at Quadria Capital, Asia’s largest healthcare private equity firm with AUM exceeding US$3.5 Billion. She has over 12 years of work experience in sustainability and impact practices across sectors. 

At Quadria, Shivani leads the firm's approach to sustainability, ESG, and impact, working closely with investment colleagues and company management to build sustainable businesses that deliver measurable benefits to society and the planet. She is also responsible for articulating the impact thesis and implementing the Impact Management Framework across the investment process. 

Shivani joined Quadria in January 2022. Prior to this, she worked in the sustainability and ESG practice at KPMG and briefly at PwC.

Archana Kotecha Founder & CEO THE REMEDY PROJECT

Archana Kotecha is recognized as a regional expert on human trafficking and forced labour issues across APAC. A UK-qualified barrister and former corporate lawyer, Archana has over 15 years of experience advising international organizations (including the UN International Organization for Migration, UN International Labour Organization, US-AID), ASEAN bodies, governments and human rights practitioners on human trafficking and forced labour. 

Archana is widely published and regularly engaged as a subject matter expert by NGOs, governments and the private sector. In 2017, Archana was named one of the top ten innovative lawyers in Asia Pacific by the Financial Times and she is also an alumnus of the prestigious International Visitor Leadership Program run by the US Department of State. She is regularly named as an influential changemaker and was most recently named one of Asia’s most inspiring social entrepreneurs by APAC Entrepreneur. Archana is also serves as a Steering Committee member to the RBA's Responsible Labour Initiative.

Nana Li Head of Sustainability & Stewardship, Asia-Pacific IMPAX ASSET MANAGEMENT

Nana joined Impax in 2022 and is responsible for leading Impax’s sustainability, stewardship and policy advocacies in Asia-Pacific. Nana researches, prioritizes and organizes ESG engagements with Impax’s investee companies and regulators, manages external sustainability and ESG-related inquiries, and assists in the ongoing development of the Impax proprietary ESG-analysis and methodologies.

Prior to joining Impax, Nana worked as the Research and Project Director at the Asian Corporate Governance Association (ACGA). At ACGA, Nana published five significant reports relating to corporate governance research in Asia. Whilst there, she also presented to the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges and the Shenzhen Asset Management Association. Since 2018, Nana has been the Chair of ACGA’s China working group, a role she continues to fill today. Upon joining Impax, Nana remains a Specialist Consultant to ACGA. 

Nana has spoken at international conferences hosted by a number of financial institutions and international organisations including the OECD, EMIA, GRI, CLSA, HSBC, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley, Macquarie, ACGA, ICGN, IEEFA, RI Japan, Forbes, AmCham Shanghai, BritCham Shanghai and the CFA Institute.Nana also sits on the Financial Capital Committee of the International Corporate Governance Network, the ESG Committee of the Women in Finance Asia and the Caixin China ESG30 Forum.Nana has an MBA from the University of Chicago (Honors), a Master of Finance from the University of Hong Kong (Dean’s List), and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of New South Wales (Distinction). She is a CFA charterholder and has finished the HKICPA Qualification Program

Eimund Loo Partner, Digital Advisory ERM

Eimund is a Partner with ERM based in Hong Kong and leads the Digital Advisory team. With over 20 years of experience in the Professional Services and Information Technology sectors across four continents, Eimund has a proven track record of creating and delivering sustainable, innovative, and impactful business value for Fortune 500 clients, government departments and small-to-medium enterprises. Focused on the intersection between sustainability, technology and people, Eimund helps his clients to understand, create, implement and iterate ESG-related digital solutions that solve real-world business challenges, particularly around data collection, analytics and visualization to communicate effectively.

Erika Rodriguez Head of Sustainability APAC KKR

Erika Rodriguez (Hong Kong) joined KKR in 2021 to help implement the Firm’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) work across its investment portfolio, particularly for KKR’s portfolio’s in APAC. Prior to joining KKR, she was the Group ESG Director at FWD Group, a Pan-Asian insurance company based in Hong Kong, where she led development of their ESG programs. Erika has a diverse set of ESG and sustainability-focused experience, including at ERM, Patagonia Inc., International Flavors & Fragrances Inc., PVH Corp., and Eileen Fisher Inc. Erika also brings strong exposure to relevant NGOs and standard setting bodies such as Carbonfund.org, Wildlife Conservation Society, and the US Green Building Council. Erika holds a Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy (MPA ESP) from Columbia University. Born and raised in the Philippines, Erika has lived and worked for multinational companies headquartered in Washington, D.C., New York, California, London, Manila, Tokyo, and Hong Kong

Bence Szegedi Senior Director-ESG Portfolio Operations NAVIS CAPITAL PARTNERS

Bence is a Senior Director at Navis Capital, responsible for driving ESG across portfolio companies and new investments. He brings 15 years of decarbonization related M&A and investment experience to Navis. Prior to joining Navis, Bence was a Director at SUSI Partners Asia for 4 years, where he was instrumental in raising the SUSI Asia Energy Transition Fund and executing its initial investments across Asia. He has extensive experience in Sustainability and Energy Transition, Corporate Equity, Mezzanine and Asset Level Equity. 

Prior to SUSI Partners, he was a Director at Sunseap Group, responsible for the company’s international arm, acquiring, financing and executing over 400MW of solar PV projects. Prior to Sunseap, Bence worked for SEPCOIII Electric Power Construction Corporation in Beijing, PR China, and KPMG Corporate Finance in Europe and Singapore. Bence holds a BSc. in International Business Management from Avans Hogeschool, BA in Business from Oxford Brooks University and is an accredited director by the Singapore Institute of Directors.

Aditya Vikram Head of Private Equity PRI

Aditya Vikram is the Head of Private Equity at the PRI. He leads the PRI’s efforts on thought leadership and guidance across private equity, venture capital and private debt. Previously Aditya has worked at Partners Group where he was a Senior Vice President in the European team. Aditya brings c.16 years of experience of investing in private markets across UK, Europe and Asia. Prior to Partners Group, he has held investment positions at Quadreal, Värde Partners and Clearwater Capital Partners investing across special situations/credit/opportunistic, core/core+ and value-add investing strategies. Aditya graduated from IIT Kharagpur and received an MBA from London Business School.  

Donald Chan Managing Director-Asia Pacific CDP

Donald joins CDP with over twenty years of work experience including seven years as a co-founder of two successful companies. He joined from Temasek where he established the internal capabilities to setup and operationalise new ventures and businesses. Prior to this, he was the Chief Operating Officer of Clifford Capital, a project and structured finance company, and also, led the international business for Circles.Life, Asia’s leading digital telecommunications company including its successful launch into Indonesia and Taiwan, China markets. He brings his entrepreneurship to grow CDP as well as his investment experience in Singapore, Australia, Japan and Hong Kong. In addition to his private sector experience, Donald has also worked with the governments of Australia and Singapore to develop and execute strategies to achieve national objectives and economic outcomes.

Donald holds a Masters of Business Administration from Macquarie University as well as Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Sydney.

Rashmi Kumar M&A Editor, Asia Pacific MERGERMARKET

Rashmi Kumar is an experienced financial journalist with over 12 years of reporting, writing and editing experience. She spent a decade at media and publishing house Delinian, previously called Euromoney Institutional Investor, last as Asia Editor of GlobalCapital and Editor of Asiamoney until the end of 2022. Her expertise spans fundraising, capital markets, investment banking, private banking and wealth management, and sustainability.

Alison Ewings General Manager ESG QIC

Alison Ewings is a respected ESG leader in Australia with more than 15 years’ sustainability experience, including in senior roles in the investment and banking industries. Before joining QIC in 2023, Alison served as Head of Engagement at Regnan, now part of the Pendal Group, where she oversaw the early implementation of systems engagement. Prior to this, Alison worked in several sustainability roles at Westpac Group, including as Head of Sustainability where she oversaw the development of ESG strategy, frameworks, policy and disclosure.  

Alison has recently been appointed to the Responsible Investment Association Australasia’s Policy and Advocacy Technical Expert Group. Previously, Alison has been a director of the UN Global Compact’s Australian Network and a member of the technical working groups for the AA1000 Stakeholder Engagement Standard and the Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative.  

Martin Yung Principal HARBOURVEST PARTNERS (ASIA) LIMITED

Martin Yung joined HarbourVest in 2014 and focuses on secondary investments. This includes analyzing, structuring, and monitoring a wide range of secondary transactions.

Martin was previously at Pomona Capital where he was responsible for sourcing and executing secondary investments and monitoring its primary fund of funds program in the Asia Pacific region. Prior to that, he held a number of roles at Paul Capital and Lloyds Banking Group in London and Hong Kong.

Poman Lo Vice Chairman CENTURY CITY INTERNATIONAL

Ms. Poman Lo is the Vice Chairman of Century City International Holdings and Regal Hotels Group, one of the largest hotel operators in Hong Kong. She is also the Founding Managing Partner of AlphaTrio Capital, an Asia-focused sustainable technology fund.

Poman serves as an Adjunct Professor teaching impact investing and sustainable business management at The University of Hong Kong and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She established Bodhi Love Foundation to offer mindfulness training to educators and parents.

Poman holds several official roles across governmental and non-profit sectors. She has been officially appointed as a Member of the Hong Kong Chief Executive's Policy Unit Expert Group and the Green Technology and Finance Development Committee. Poman also serves as Council Member of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Honorary President of Hong Kong Federation of Women.

As a global champion of sustainable development, Poman takes an active leadership role at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). She was appointed Chair of the ESBN and serves as Chair of the Asia Pacific Business Forum Organizing Committee and Chair of the Asia Pacific Green Deal for Business Committee.

Graduating summa cum laude from Duke University at 19, Poman is also the only person in Hong Kong to receive both the "Outstanding Young Person of the World Award" and the "Hong Kong Outstanding Students Award". She received the "Oslo Business for Peace Award" from the Business for Peace Foundation in Norway.

Toby Belsom Director of Guidance PRI

Toby Belsom has spent 30 years in fund management, ESG and investment research at Aviva Investors, Henderson Investors, UN Principles for Responsible Investment and ShareAction. His first financial sector role in 1996 was as an analyst on one of the leading ESG teams in Europe. He worked with the same team for over 10 years before moving to a listed equity portfolio management role for a further 10 years. Over the last 5 years he has managed a 12 strong team at UN Principles of Responsible Investment which develops market guidance to support signatories across asset classes and strategies in their response to regulation such as SFDR and commitments such as net zero. Recent publications have covered responsible investment in venture capital & private debt and human rights & private markets. His team is also develops content for PRI’s annual reporting framework.

Lydia Hao Managing Director HARBOURVEST PARTNERS

Lydia Hao joined HarbourVest’s primary partnership team in 2021 as a Managing Director based in Hong Kong and focuses on Asia-Pacific investments.

She was previously a Principal in Neuberger Berman’s private equity team, where she led the firm’s primary funds, co-investments, and secondary investments in the Greater China region. Prior to joining Neuberger Berman in 2017, Lydia spent seven years at CPP Investment Board in Hong Kong as one of the founding members of the Private Equity Asia team, building its direct investment portfolio across the Asia-Pacific region. Previously, she was based in New York where she worked at Apax Partners focused on US private equity buyouts in the consumer and TMT sectors, and worked at UBS Investment Bank in the Mergers and Acquisitions group advising clients across various industries.

Lydia received a Bachelor of Science (summa cum laude) in Hotel Administration, from Cornell University. She speaks fluent Mandarin.

Yan Jiao Partner BPEA EQT

Yan Jiao is a Partner in the BPEA EQT team. She currently leads the Healthcare sector for APAC. Yan worked for BPEA from 2005 until 2022, when the company joined forces with EQT and was renamed BPEA EQT.

Prior to joining BPEA, Yan was an Associate at Borden Capital, an affiliate of KKR. Before that, Ms. Jiao was an Analyst at Credit Suisse First Boston in New York.

Yan holds undergraduate degrees in Economics and Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Michael Octoman Senior Partner NAVIS CAPITAL PARTNERS

Mr. Octoman is a Senior Partner at Navis and an Investment Committee member.

Mr. Octoman joined Navis in 2000. His primary responsibility is to manage the Navis Asia Credit Fund, as a senior member of the team, and to ensure that synergies with Navis’ Private Equity platform are optimized. He also oversees the ESG Portfolio Operations team and drives the strategic focus of ESG at Navis. He has extensive private equity investment experience across multiple Navis funds investing in the ASEAN region and was previously the Chief Operating Officer of Navis, overseeing the Navis Private Equity Funds’ Investment Committee decision-making process, the Portfolio Operations group, human capital, and Navis’ strategic banking relationships. 

Prior to joining Navis, Mr. Octoman worked with Price Waterhouse Coopers with a focus on capital market transactions and financial due diligence in emerging markets. Mr. Octoman also worked for KPMG in Australia and Canada in Business Advisory services.

A lifetime resident of Australasia, having been raised and educated in Australia. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accountancy from the University of South Australia and is an Australian qualified Chartered Accountant. He is also a member of the UNPRI PEAC committee.

Pamela Fung Managing Director MORGAN STANLEY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT

Pamela is a partner and investment committee member for the Morgan Stanley Private Equity Solutions Team and has 18 years of industry experience. Prior to joining the firm, Pamela was a management consultant with McKinsey & Company's corporate finance practice in Hong Kong, responsible for investment opportunity identification, deal advisory, merger management and strategy development. Previously, she was a management consultant with Monitor Group, specializing in marketing strategy for clients across Asia, and a member of the corporate finance team with Lehman Brothers in Hong Kong. Pamela has a Law degree (first class honors) from the University of Hong Kong and an M.B.A. with honors in finance and management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Kate Kui Partner HARVEST CAPITAL

Kate Kui is a partner of Harvest Capital. Based in Hong Kong, Kate Kui has extensive experiences in technology and consumer retail industries. Her previous investments include Meituan, Airbnb, Farfetch and Flexport. Before joining Harvest Capital, Kate Kui was a senior vice president of JD.com and head of China tech of Merrill Lynch investment banking in Hong Kong. Kate Kui is a China fellow of Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Yiqing Wang Managing Editor, M&A and ECM, APAC MERGERMARKET

Yiqing Wang is Managing Editor of Mergermarket’s Asia-Pacific M&A and ECM editorial team, which specializes in breaking news on private and public M&A transactions and delivering forward-looking intelligence on corporate strategy. Yiqing spearheads the editorial strategy and oversees day-to-day operations, to deliver timely, actionable insights and analysis to help clients make better deal-making and investment decisions. Additionally, she frequently moderates panels and chairs conferences at ION Analytics events, bringing industry insights to the forefront.

She has been an investigative M&A reporter and editor since 2009, writing news ranging from healthcare, renewable energy and financial service, etc.

Yiqing achieved her master's degree of multilingual multicultural studies from New York University.

Field Pickering Managing Partner VULPES VENTURES

Field launched Vulpes Ventures within Vulpes Investment Management in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic to take advantage of a lack of liquidity in venture markets across Southeast Asia and Australia-NZ. Since early 2020, Field has lead investments into 44 portfolio companies across 2 funds. For its 3^rd fund, Vulpes Ventures is going all in on backing female founders and gender diverse leadership teams. Field is also on the Board of Directors of Orvel Early Stage Fund, Patamar Fund 2 and Beacon Fund. Prior to Vulpes Ventures, Field was the long standing Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of Vulpes Investment Management, the Singapore based alternative investment manager.

Scarlett Chen Managing Partner VERGE HEALTHTECH FUND

Ms Scarlett Chen is Managing Partner at Verge HealthTech Fund, a VC fund manager focused exclusively on impactful HealthTech startups at a global scale and at the early stage. The team has invested in 50 HealthTech startups from 20 countries, impacting 57 million lives.

Previously as Managing Director at Prudential Corporation Asia, Ms Chen was responsible for Strategic Investments. Before Prudential, Ms. Chen worked at Anbang Capital as Global Head of Financial Institutions Group where she led a number of outbound investments in Europe and Asia.

Before joining the buy-side, Ms. Chen was an investment banker for over a decade, having worked at Merrill Lynch in the US and Barclays in Hong Kong, where she executed more than US$30 billion in capital markets and advisory transactions.

Cindy Zhang Executive Director GOBI PARTNERS

Cindy is an Executive Director at Gobi Partners Greater Bay Area and joined Gobi 2020. Prior to joining Gobi, Cindy held positions in the investment banking division of Guggenheim Securities in New York. Cindy received her Bachelor's and Master’s Degree from the University of Waterloo in Canada.

Huiting Koh Founding Managing Partner BLUEPRINT VENTURES

Huiting is the Founding Managing Partner of Blueprint Ventures, a new regional Southeast Asian seed stage venture firm. The fund invests in consumer and consumer tech businesses for the new Southeast Asian consumer. Blueprint's mission is to help founders unlock Brand Value to outpace and outlast the competition, to drive outsized returns.

Huiting has almost 15 yrs of experience in building and investing in consumer-first businesses. She spent ~8 yrs working with and operating large global consumer businesses and 5 years as a Partner at an early stage venture fund in Southeast Asia investing into Consumer and Fintech companies such as Tonik, Stashfin, StaffInc and SATURDAYS.

Huiting started her career in Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs and moved into Brand Management after business school. She has experienced how gender diversity plays a critical role in organizational behaviour and overall employee motivation and is passionate about encouraging diversity throughout all levels of a team.

Adrian Li Founder & Managing Partner AC VENTURES

Adrian Li is an entrepreneur and veteran investor in the Indonesian and Southeast Asian tech industry. As Founder and Managing Partner of AC Ventures, he has invested in over 80 businesses in the past decade, including category leaders such as Stockbit, Shipper, Xendit, Koinworks, Julo, Carsome, and others.

With co-founding experience in both China and Indonesia, Adrian brings a unique perspective and valuable insights to any business. His first startup became the largest live online English training service in China before being acquired in 2010. Adrian then joined Rocket Internet as a Managing Director, building ventures in China and Southeast Asia. In 2014, he launched Convergence Ventures, which later became AC Ventures in 2019.

Adrian graduated from Cambridge University with a BA and MA in Economics and was elected a Hawk in recognition of his contributions to university and national-level judo. He obtained his MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

He is a business mentor at Endeavor, The Founders Institute, and Antler, and is a member of YPO. Adrian is also an endurance race enthusiast having completed over 15 70.3 events and as well as a Full Ironman.

Ann Ng Partner, Maples Group and Member 100 WOMEN IN FINANCE

Ann Ng – Partner, Head of the Asia Funds & Investment Management Team, Maples Group, Hong Kong

Ann Ng heads Maples' Asia Funds & investment Management teams in Hong Kong and Singapore, and also co-head the Hong Kong office. She has nearly 25 years of experience in the international investment funds industry, forming, structuring and restructuring all types of open and closed end funds, including hedge funds, private equity and venture capital, real estate and infrastructure funds. Her clients include the largest and most high-profile wealth manager in China and an enviable book of other international and boutique investment managers and sponsors. Her recent experience includes assisting with the structuring of different types of investment funds in support of ESG initiatives/impact investments. Her practice also involves advising several international family offices on their strategic investments. She sits on the Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA), Hong Kong Regulatory Committee and the Asian Association for Investors in Non-Listed Real Estate Vehicles (ANREV), Regulatory & Tax Committee. She is a member of 100 Women in Finance.

Her experience spans across Melbourne in Australia, London and most recently Hong Kond where she has been based for over 15 years. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Melbourne and speaks Chinese.

Yuka Hata Senior Managing Director, Head of Fund Investments JAPAN INVESTMENT CORPORATION

Yuka Hata is a Senior Managing Director and heads Fund Investment Team at Japan Investment Corporation (“JIC”).

Ms. Hata joined JIC in July 2020 in order to build and support Japan’ private equity / venture capital ecosystem as well as to provide the risk capital with the investment funds which bring Japan’s industry to the next stage. Prior to joining JIC, as a co-head of private equity, Ms. Hata worked for Nissay Asset Management where she was mainly responsible for European small-mid buyout, GP stake investments, secondary and Japan’s VC funds. She also worked for Nomura Asset Management (or Nomura Private Equity Capital) and managed fund of funds focused on Asia market as a member of Investment Committee.

Ms. Hata is a Chartered Member of the Security Analysts Association of Japan., and received a B.A. in Environmental Information from Keio University and an M.B.A. from Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales-HEC in Paris.

Mary Sullivan Senior Managing Director & Chief Talent Officer CPP INVESTMENTS

Mary CPP Investments global Human Resources team. A seasoned executive with over 25 years of Human Resources experience, she joined CPP Investments in 2015 and is responsible for talent acquisition, organizational development, international mobility, compensation and benefits, facilities and office services, and inclusion and diversity.

Prior to joining CPP Investments, Mary was Senior Vice President at Holt, Renfrew & Co. where she was responsible for their Human Resources function. Prior to that she was Senior Vice President, Corporate Human Resources at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. She also spent seven years as the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at IMAX Corporation. Mary holds a BA in Administrative and Commercial Studies from the University of Western Ontario and an MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

Shannon Chow Managing Director, Head of Greater China Client Solutions HAMILTON LANE

Shannon is a Managing Director in Hamilton Lane’s Client Solutions Group, based in the firm’s Hong Kong office, where she is responsible for private equity business development and client relations in the Greater China Region. In this capacity, she works closely with clients such as sovereign wealth funds, insurance company, pension funds and private wealth platform and investment teams in portfolio construction and business opportunities.

Prior to joining Hamilton Lane, Shannon was a Vice President in BMO Global Asset Management, where she was responsible for the distribution of investment products. Previously, she was a Vice President lead Relationship Manager in Northern Trust for institutional clients. Shannon also worked in HSBC and Invesco Asset Management, where she was a Business Development Manager for alternative funds services and Relationship Manager for institutional pension clients, respectively in the Asia Pacific region.

Shannon received a B.A. from The University of Hong Kong. She obtained a qualification of Certified Financial Planner and is a member of the Institute of Financial Planners of Hong Kong. She is a cohort of Kellogg-HKUST EMBA (Class of 2025).

Brooke Zhou Partner LGT CAPITAL PARTNERS

Brooke Zhou is Partner of LGT Capital Partners, she leads LGT CP’s secondary investment activities in Asia. LGT Capital Partners is a leading institutional alternative asset and fund of funds manager, currently managing over USD 100 billion AuM on a global basis and over 600 private equity professionals worldwide. The firm is headquartered in Pfäffikon, Switzerland (near Zurich) and has offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Tokyo, Sydney, New York, Raleigh, Dublin, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Vaduz and Dubai.

Prior to joining LGT Capital Partners in 2010, Ms. Zhou was with CDH Investments, a leading Chinese private equity manager, based in Beijing. Prior to CDH Investments, Ms. Zhou spent her career at Bain & Company in Shanghai, as well as Oracle Corporation in Redwood Shores, California.

Ms. Zhou earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Ms. Zhou grew up in Shanghai and is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

Tim Burroughs Managing Editor ASIAN VENTURE CAPITAL JOURNAL

Tim Burroughs is managing editor of Asian Venture Capital Journal, having joined the publication in May 2011. He is responsible for all editorial content put out under the AVCJ brand, including Asian Venture Capital Journal, AVCJtv, AVCJ Awards and AVCJ.com. Tim previously spent five years at China Economic Review, serving as editor-in-chief and then editorial director. Located in Greater China since 2003, during which time he has lived in Beijing, Qingdao and Hong Kong, Tim has been a China-based contributor for publications including The Sunday Times, Sunday Telegraph, BBC and China Daily. Prior to moving to China, he trained and worked as a journalist in the UK. He was honored at the Society of Publishers in Asia awards in 2007, 2008 and 2010, and at the State Street Institutional Press Awards - Asia in 2012.

Darryl Chan, JP Deputy Chief Executive HONG KONG MONETARY AUTHORITY (HKMA)

Mr Darryl Chan was appointed as Deputy Chief Executive from 1 November 2022, and is responsible for overseeing the work of External, Monetary Management and Research departments.  Mr Chan joined the HKMA as Executive Director (Corporate Services) in February 2013 and took up the post of Executive Director (External) in August 2019.  Before joining the HKMA, Mr Chan was an Administrative Officer in the Hong Kong SAR Government and had worked in different policy bureaux and departments on policy formulation and administration.

Luca Molinari Executive Director – Head of Asia, Direct Investments MUBADALA

Luca Molinari is an Executive Director who is responsible for global investments in Financial Services as well as investment activities in Asia as part of Mubadala’s Direct Investments platform. Prior to joining Mubadala, Luca was a Partner and Managing Director at Warburg Pincus, where he worked in Europe and in Latin America, leading transactions across a broad range of sectors and geographies. Prior to that, he worked at the Merchant Banking Division and the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs in London.

At Mubadala, Luca has overseen several significant transactions, including an investment in Truist Insurance Holdings, the three-way merger of Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Union National Bank and Al Hilal Bank and the sale of a 40% interest in Tabreed to Engie.  

Luca holds a degree in Economics and Business Administration from Bocconi University in Milan, and is fluent in English, Italian and Portuguese. He serves on the Board of Directors of Unicredit Spa.

Hans Wang Managing Partner CVC CAPITAL PARTNERS

Managing Partner, joined in 2006. Hans is based in Hong Kong and is the head of our Greater China business and the Regional team.

Prior to joining CVC, Hans was head of M&A (Asia Pacific) at InBev SA.

Hans holds a BSc degree from Columbia University, an MSc from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School, US.

Heath Zarin Founder, Chair & CEO EMERGEVEST

Heath Zarin is the Founder, Chair and CEO of EmergeVest, a global investment firm that seeks to build great businesses, provide innovative capital solutions and generate sustainable value for all stakeholders.  Mr. Zarin is also the Founder, Chair and CEO of EV Cargo, an EmergeVest company with more than $1.5 billion of annual revenues and global operations.

Mr. Zarin began his career as a corporate lawyer with Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP in New York, where he formed and advised hedge funds and private equity funds.  In 2000, he joined DLJ Merchant Banking, which was subsequently acquired by Credit Suisse.  At DLJ / Credit Suisse, which had more than $100 billion in assets under management during his tenure, Mr. Zarin had broad experience across LBOs, mezzanine, growth capital and other investment strategies.  Mr. Zarin relocated to Hong Kong in 2006 to form Credit Suisse’s Asian private equity business, where growth equity investments spanned China, India and Southeast Asia, and included several successful IPOs.  In 2008, Mr. Zarin left Credit Suisse to form Emergent Investment Group, a Hong Kong-based private investment firm, where he completed private equity investments and advised on special situations.  In 2010, Mr. Zarin joined HSBC in Hong Kong as a Managing Director and Head of Principal Investments, Asia-Pacific, with responsibility for all Asian proprietary private investment activities.  In 2013, Mr. Zarin formed EmergeVest, with a vision of building a new style of global investment firm.

Mr. Zarin’s current and previous board service includes companies across Asia, Europe and North America, in diverse manufacturing and service industries. 

Mr. Zarin received his JD from the Fordham University School of Law in 1998 and his BA from the State University of New York at Binghamton in 1995.  He has been admitted to practice law in the State of New York.  Mr. Zarin is also a CFA, CMT and CAIA charterholder, and has completed Certificate programs from Harvard Business School (Investment Management, Strategy).  Mr. Zarin has served as an Executive Committee Member of CAIA Hong Kong, as well as on the board of several non-profit organizations.

EmergeVest, through its Hong Kong-based subsidiary, is a licensed asset manager, regulated by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (HK SFC).  Mr. Zarin is also licensed and regulated by the HK SFC as a responsible officer of EmergeVest.  Certain EmergeVest investment funds are regulated by the United States Securities Exchange Commission and other regulatory authorities.

Simon Pillar Founder PACIFIC EQUITY PARTNERS

Simon is a founder of Pacific Equity Partners and chairs the firm's Operating Committee. Prior to founding PEP, Simon was a Partner with Bain & Company and worked as a strategy consultant in the US, Singapore and Sydney. He started his working life as an engineer with The Royal Dutch/Shell Group in The Netherlands. Simon received a first class degree (BSc (Eng) in Civil Engineering) from the University of Bristol where he received the Institution of Civil Engineers Award, and an MBA from the Wharton School where he was a Thouron Scholar.

Scott Chen Managing Partner L CATTERTON

Mr. Chen is a managing partner at L Catterton, where he oversees the firm's Asia and RMB fund strategies.

Prior to joining L Catterton in 2020, Mr. Chen spent nearly 20 years at TPG investing across the broad consumer and healthcare landscape throughout Asia Pacific, most recently serving as a partner and managing director. During his second decade at TPG, he also led the firm’s investments in Greater China and drove the expansion of its China franchise. Before joining TPG, Mr. Chen worked in the Technology Mergers & Acquisitions Group of Lehman Brothers in New York.

Mr. Chen received a BS in Business Administration with honors from the University of Colorado.

John Y.S. Lee Partner LEXINGTON PARTNERS

John Lee is a Partner responsible for the Asia business of Lexington Partners. Based in Hong Kong, he is primarily engaged in the origination and evaluation of secondary purchases of private equity investments in Asia.

Prior to joining Lexington in 2014, Mr. Lee was a member of the Mergers and Acquisitions team at Morgan Stanley.

Mr. Lee graduated from Princeton University with an A.B. in Economics.

Nicholas Bloy Co-Founder & Managing Partner NAVIS CAPITAL PARTNERS

Nicholas Bloy, Managing Partner – is one of the three founders of Navis Capital Partners. Navis currently manages USD 5 billion in private and public equity funds.

Mr. Bloy leads investment teams in making, monitoring and exiting investments, sits on Investment Committee and sits on the boards and/or executive committees of several Navis portfolio companies, and is responsible for fundraising.  He also sits on the International Advisory Council of CIMB, one of the Southeast Asia’s largest banking groups.  

Prior to co-founding Navis, Mr. Bloy worked at The Boston Consulting Group in Asia from 1989 to 1999 after spending 3 years with Bain & Co. In London.

He holds a BA Hons degree from University College, London and an MBA from INSEAD, France.

Simon Pearson Managing Director EMERGEVEST

Simon Pearson is a Managing Director of EmergeVest, where he has led the development of the EmergeVest Operating System (EVOS).  He is also the Chief Strategy Officer of EV Cargo, an EmergeVest company with more than $1.5 billion of annual revenues and global operations.

Mr. Pearson has more than 30 years of logistics industry experience as an international supply chain executive, consultant and investor, operating at every stage of the global retail value chain across product categories and multiple geographies.  Starting at a mid-size UK transport business in 1990, Mr. Pearson then joined NFT Distribution, a leading UK temperature-controlled logistics provider, where he rose through the organization to a board position.  He then spent 10 years in senior supply chain leadership roles at ASDA Stores (Walmart UK), with a remit spanning global inbound logistics, freight procurement, outbound transport and DC operations, network optimization, and supply chain planning and strategy, while also working on global leverage projects across the international Walmart business. In 2012, Mr. Pearson relocated to Shanghai to join Cargo Services, a global logistics business, as Group Strategy and Development Director.  He also founded a boutique supply chain consulting business, Simon Pearson & Associates, advising many leading fashion brands and retailers on optimization of their international supply chain operations. 

Mr. Pearson joined EmergeVest in 2013, initially as an Operating Partner and then as a Managing Director based in Hong Kong.

Mr. Pearson’s current and previous board service includes logistics and technology companies across Asia and Europe.  Mr. Pearson received his Honours degree in Business Management from Coventry University.

Andrew Thompson Asia Pacific, Head of Deal Advisory, Head of Private Equity KPMG

Background

Andrew has 23 years of experience with KPMG principally focused on major IPO and corporate M&A transaction deal execution and project management in multiple major locations including London, New York, Sydney and Singapore.

His principal sector experience is on transactions in the Private Equity and Services sectors.

Andrew has acted as Lead Partner for KPMG on more than 350 significant transactions with an aggregate deal value of more than $150 billion. He has led many of the more complex and demanding projects KPMG has been involved with in Asia over the last ten years.

Professional and industry experience

Private Equity: As Head of Private Equity, Andrew has led projects with most leading financial sponsors including KKR, Blackstone, CVC, Carlyle, TPG, Northstar, CHAMP, CHAMP Ventures, L Capital, Catalyst, TA Associates, Goldman Sachs PIA, TH Lee, and Macquarie Bank Principal Investments.

Complex transactions: Andrew has led the project management and due diligence for many landmark public and private transactions including KKR’s acquisition of Goodpack (SGX), the Seven / Westrac Merger, KKRs acquisition of GenesisCare, the CPPIB acquisition of Macquarie Communications Infrastructure Group, Macquarie Media Group IPO, DUET’s IPO, AUSTAR’s refinancing, the global consortium acquisition and listing of Dyno Nobel, the global consortium acquisition of Boart Longyear, the consortium acquisition of the DBNGP, the acquisition by AGL of both Southern Hydro and Powerdirect.

Direct / co-investments: Andrew has assisted SWF, major pension funds and fund of funds on direct or co-investments including CPPIB, Temasek, GIC, Ontario Teachers, CalPERS, CalSTRS and HarbourVest.

Location experience: His major location experience include: London (5 Years), Sydney (13 Years) , New York (2 Years) and Singapore. In addition he has led transaction teams in across South East Asia, China, Japan, India, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and Hong Kong.

Brian Lau Managing Director SHAWKWEI & PARTNERS

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.  

Giovanni Amodeo Chief Influencers Officer ION ANALYTICS

Giovanni sits on the executive committee of ION Analytics and is responsible for engaging with Influencers in the capital market globally and across asset classes. He organizes fireside chats and exclusive closed-door events to facilitate connectivity and knowledge among the influencers. Giovanni joined the company in 2001 where it held various roles in Italy, Germany, London including managing a global team of journalists and data analysts.

Alexis Maskell Partner, Global Head of Investor Relations BC PARTNERS

Alexis joined BC Partners in 2021. He is responsible for the fundraising and business development efforts for the firm across strategies. Previously, Alexis worked at Citigroup, where he was a Managing Director and Head of the Financial Sponsors Group. Alexis brings over two decades of investment banking experience having spent the first decade of his career as an M&A practitioner advising across a broad range of industries & geographies and latterly advising private equity firms, sovereign-wealth funds, pension funds and family office clients across a broad range of M&A and capital markets transactions. Prior to Citigroup, Alexis held leadership positions at HSBC, where he was Global Head of the Financial Sponsors Group, and Deutsche Bank. Alexis holds a BEng in Mechanical Engineering and is a qualified Chartered Accountant by the ICAEW.

Saurabh Chatterjee Managing Director CHRYSCAPITAL ADVISORS

Saurabh Chatterjee is a Managing Director at ChrysCapital where he leads the Fundraising function, and is also a voting member of the firm’s investment committee. Prior to joining ChrysCapital in 2016, he was with Providence Equity Partners’ investment team, where he covered the TMT sectors. Before Providence, he worked at the Boston Consulting Group and CIVC Partners, a Chicago-based middle market private equity firm. Saurabh received an MBA from Kellogg School of Management and a BA in Economics from Carleton College.

John White Partner NEXT CAPITAL

John White has more than 15 years’ experience in private equity, is a highly regarded director with expertise across multiple sectors and has transaction experience spanning Australia and New York.

Mr. White was a founding partner of Next Capital following the successful spin-out from Macquarie Bank in 2005, where he was a principal of Macquarie Bank’s private equity arm, Macquarie Direct Investment.

Since establishing Next Capital, he has executed multiple new investments and exit transactions, and has had deep involvement in the ongoing management of portfolio companies across a multitude of sectors. These include Vitaco, Onsite Rental Group, Discovery Holiday Parks, GoBus and Infinite Care.  Next Capital’s focus is on expansion capital and small to mid-market buyouts in Australia and New Zealand, where the Partners see considerable investment opportunity.

Mr. White is currently a non-executive director of portfolio companies Noisette, Forest Buses and Fun-Lab.

Prior to the establishment of Next Capital, Mr. White held a number of senior roles at Deutsche Bank (including Head of the Australasian Telecommunications and Media Advisory Group), as well as Ferrier Hodgson, where he focused on corporate reconstructions and the sale of distressed assets in Australia and New York. Mr. White also served as Chairman of the Australian Venture Capital Association Limited (AVCAL) for a number of years.

Mr. White holds degrees in Commerce and Law from the University of NSW and is a fellow of FINSIA.

Kaiser Jasrai Managing Director, Head of Investor Relations & Fundraising GULF CAPITAL

Mr. Jasrai joined Gulf Capital in 2020 as a Managing Director, where he leads the Investor Relations and Fundraising function. Prior to Gulf Capital, Mr. Jasrai worked at Eaton Partners, where he spent seven years as Managing Director covering global investors and where he was celebrated as a top performing distribution professional in the firm’s EMEA operations.

During his career, Mr. Jasrai has personally raised well over $1 billion in institutional capital from Limited Partners including pension funds, endowments, family offices and sovereign wealth funds across Europe and the Middle East for private markets strategies.

Throughout his career, which saw him work for UBS Investment Bank in London and Standard Chartered Bank in the Middle East, Mr. Jasrai has worked across a broad spectrum of alternative investments strategies including buyout, growth capital, venture capital, credit and real estate with top-tier managers in Asia, Europe and the United States of America.

Mr. Jasrai holds degrees from Oxford University (BA Hons.), and the London School of Economics (MSc.).

Hongwei Chen Partner and Managing Director FOREBRIGHT CAPITAL

Mr Chen is a Partner and Managing Director at Forebright Capital, one of the leading enterprise technology investors in Asia. Mr Chen has over 14 years of PE investment experience based in Asia. He started as a generalist investing in private equity at the GIC and the Carlyle Group. Later on Mr Chen gradually specialized in technology and managed investments into Internet platforms, enterprise and deep tech around the globe at Tencent. Mr Chen supported Forebright since its formation days and witnessed the platform's evolution to specialize in software and technology.

Mr Chen received BE from Fudan University, MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and EMBA from Tsinghua University.

Yana Morris Chief Content Officer ION Analytics

With over 20 years of experience in the financial media and information industry, Yana Morris a passionate and innovative leader who thrives on creating and delivering high-quality content and solutions to global clients. As the Chief Content Officer she is responsible for the content strategies, distribution and compliance of ION Analytics core service brands: Debtwire, Dealogic, Mergermarket and Infralogic. 

Bonnie Chan Co-Chief Operating Officer HONG KONG EXCHANGES AND CLEARING LIMITED(HKEX)

Bonnie Y Chan is Co-Chief Operating Officer of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) and a member of its Management Committee.

Bonnie has 30 years of experience in legal and financial services. She began her career in private legal practice, has worked in a number of investment banks and was a partner at Davis Polk & Wardwell. Prior to assuming her current role, Bonnie was Head of IPO of the Listing Division between 2007 and 2010 and Head of Listing between 2019 and 2022 at HKEX.

Bonnie has served on various public service boards, including the Financial Services Development Council, the Inland Revenue Board, the Standing Committee of Company Law Reform and the Disciplinary Panel of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

She graduated from the University of Hong Kong and Harvard Law School. She is admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and an attorney at law in New York State.

Hao Zhou Partner BAIN & COMPANY

Hao Zhou is the head of our Greater China Private Equity and Merger & Acquisition practice, and a core member of our Consumer Products, Digital and Retail practices, based in Hong Kong.

During his tenure at Bain, Hao has led numerous commercial due diligence and post investment work for Private Equity and corporate clients, with his expertise and on-hand experiences across many industries and sectors in China.

Hao is the co-author of Bain's annual "China Private Equity Report," "China M&A Report," and 2024 Chinese Enterprises Overseas Expansion Study.” His insights and byline articles are extensively quoted by international and domestic mainstream media, including Reuters, Bloomberg Businessweek, Caijing Magazine, China Daily, and more.

He has also served both regional and global clients in the consumer goods, apparel, retail, telecom, industrials and advanced manufacturing & services spheres. His core capabilities across such industries include merger integration, transformation, digital, e-commerce, route-to-market and strategy.

Prior to joining Bain in 2010, Hao held positions at Morgan Stanley, Robert Bosch GmbH and another top consulting firm.

He holds an MBA from INSEAD and master’s degree from ETH Zurich.

Xuong Liu Managing Director, Asia Transaction Advisory Leader ALVAREZ & MARSAL

Xuong specializes in working on private equity sponsored transactions in Asia, providing financial due diligence, technical accounting, negotiation support and other transactions-related advice.  He also provides buy-side financial due diligence support to leading multinational companies seeking to make investments in China and the Asia Pacific region. 

Xuong has accumulated significant knowledge of the issues facing inbound investments into Asia and has worked with a number of PE and multinational clients including BPEA EQT, Platinum Equity, Affinity Equity Partners, Morgan Stanley Private Equity, The Longreach Group, Cornell Capital, CVC, Blackstone, KKR, GIC, Hertz, QVC and Lotte.  He has also worked on a number of cross-border transactions, including in the US, UK, France, Korea and Taiwan.  Xuong’s project experience encompasses a broad range of sectors spanning retail, consumer products, industrial markets, healthcare, TMT and real estate. 

Prior to joining A&M, Xuong was a Transaction Services partner at a Big 4 accounting firm, totaling a period of approximately 9 years.

Xuong earned a bachelors of science degree in Economics and Accounting from the University of Bristol. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.  Xuong has been based in China since 2004.

Richard Blair Senior Managing Director BLACKSTONE

Richard Blair is a Senior Managing Director and the firm’s General Counsel Asia Pacific. He sits on a number of boards including for The Blackstone Group (HK) Limited and Blackstone Singapore Pte. Ltd.

Before joining Blackstone, Mr. Blair was an M&A partner at the law firm of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and worked in London, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Mr. Blair received a Bachelor of Laws with European Legal Studies from King’s College London and a Diploma in European Legal Studies from Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg.

Alvin Lam Operating Partner CVC CAPITAL PARTNERS

Mr. Alvin Lam is a Operating Partner with CVC Capital Partners. Alvin joined CVC in 2005 and is a member of the CVC’s Asia Operations Team, based in Hong Kong. Prior to joining CVC, Alvin was a Principal with the Boston Consulting Group’s Greater China practice and worked for Philip Morris International in a regional business development role. Alvin holds a BSc Degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an MBA from the Wharton School and an MA in International Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.

Jay Kim Partner ORCHESTRA PRIVATE EQUITY

27 years of professional experience. 13 years of experience in Asia regional buyout funds and 12 years of experience in global management consulting firms.

Partner of The Riverside Company and Managing Director of AIG/PineBridge Investments. To date, including transactions at Orchestra, Jay closed 8 buyout deals and made 7 add-on acquisitions in Korea, Japan, and China. He also was a management consultant at Bain & Company and The Boston Consulting Group in Seoul, Tokyo, Boston, and Toronto offices.

Jay brings over 20 years of operational experience as Country President and Regional Director with various multinational corporations. Leveraging his background in executive positions, he is participating in operation of all Orchestra portfolio companies as majority-shareholder.

Liam Woods Head of Business Development, Asia Pacific APEX GROUP

Liam leads Apex’s sales team in Asia Pacific, he is also the regional team lead for Apex’s ESG Solutions in APAC. He has worked in fund services for over a decade,  in Europe, the US and now Asia. He has previously held sales leadership positions with SS&C and Apex Group having started his career with SunGard  (now FIS). He is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) and holds a Masters Degree in Engineering.

Bonnie Lo Partner & COO TPG NEWQUEST

Bonnie Lo is a founding Partner and COO of TPG NewQuest based in Hong Kong. Bonnie oversees the finance, investor relations, operations, and administrative functions of TPG NewQuest. Bonnie has more than 20 years of experience in finance and investing. Prior to taking on the COO role, Bonnie was co-head of TPG NewQuest’s China investment business. Prior to co-founding TPG NewQuest, Bonnie was a Director at Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s (BAML) Asia Private Equity group focusing on investments in Greater China.

Bonnie has also held other positions within BAML including in the Corporate Principal Investments and Investment Banking groups. She also previously worked at 3i Group plc focusing on growth capital investments in Greater China. Bonnie has an Executive MBA from EMBA-Global Asia, a joint program between Columbia Business School, University of Hong Kong Business School and London Business School. She received her undergraduate degree in Economics and East Asian Studies, magna cum laude, from Brown University in Providence, RI.

Bonnie also serves on the Board of the Hong Kong Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (HKVCA) and is the Chairwoman of the Technical Committee of the HKVCA. Bonnie is fluent in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin.

Oscar Wang Director of APAC Business Development ONTRA

Oscar is the Director of APAC Business Development at Ontra, leading the company’s growth and market entry in the region. Prior to Ontra, Oscar was a corporate lawyer at Ropes & Gray LLP, focusing on technology M&A and intellectual property transactions. Earlier, Oscar worked as a Google Public Policy Fellow in Washington, DC. Oscar holds a J.D. from the USC Gould School of Law and an M.Sc. from the London School of Economics. He is admitted to the State Bar of California.

Grace Lee Partner & Group COO QIMING VENTURE PARTNERS

Grace Lee is a Partner and Group COO of Qiming Venture Partners. She has extensive experience in the venture capital industry covering investment, portfolio management, fund operation and fund raising. Prior to joining Qiming in 2009, Grace was the Deputy CFO and Compliance Officer of C.V. Starr Asia. Previously, Grace was an investment professional dealing with private equities and listed securities when she worked at PAI Partners and JAFCO Asia. Grace was an auditor in the early part of her career life.

Grace was named the Top 10 Most Influential CFO in the China VC/PE Industry in 2017 by China Venture, and the Top 10 China VC/PE CFO in 2022 by Frost & Sullivan and Lead Leo Technology & Innovation Network.

She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of London. She is a fellow member of HKICPA and a CFA charter holder. Grace is a co-founder of Hong Kong Private Equity Finance Association, and a director of China Venture Capital Finance Organization.

Founded in 2006, Qiming Venture Partners is a leading China venture capital firm with offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Suzhou, Hong Kong and Singapore. Currently, Qiming Venture Partners manages eleven US Dollar funds and seven RMB funds with $9.4 billion in capital raised. Since its establishment, the firm has invested in outstanding companies in the Technology and Consumer (T&C) and Healthcare industries at the early and growth stages.

Brian Lee General Counsel FOUNTAINVEST PARTNERS

Brian Lee is the general counsel of FountainVest, a leading Asia-based private equity firm with offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Frankfurt, Shanghai and Singapore. FountainVest’s investments are long-term oriented and target high-growth industry leaders both in China and in businesses having a strong China nexus. Its core focus is to invest in the consumer, healthcare, industrial and business services sectors. FountainVest works closely with management teams to create value in the areas of strategy, operations, human resource management, finance, industry consolidation and governance.

Prior to joining FountainVest, Brian was working in the Hong Kong office of a well-known offshore law firm. His legal experience includes (i) corporate finance and corporate restructuring matters such as fundraising transactions for venture and private equity investments, mezzanine and pre-IPO financing, IPOs on global stock exchanges such as Hong Kong, Nasdaq, NYSE, China A-share, Singapore and London, note and bond issuances of listed and unlisted entities, mergers and acquisitions, takeovers and privatisations, backdoor listings and company reorganisations; and (ii) fund-related matters such as the structuring and establishment of offshore private equity and venture investment funds. He had also previously worked in the investment banking and legal fields in Singapore and as a venture capitalist in Shanghai focused on China-related investments. He received a Bachelor of Laws (honours) degree from the University of Bristol.

Benjamin Masson Executive Director – Global Structured Credit & Solutions, Asia Pacific NATIXIS CIB

Benjamin Masson joined the Global Structured Credit & Solutions (GSCS) Asia Pacific team in September 2017 to support the development of Natixis’ structured credit franchise in the region.

Benjamin has over 15 years’ experience in asset and structured finance. He started his career in New York in 2005 as a structurer of project finance transactions (bond and loan), first with CACIB and then with Natixis from 2008. During the summer of 2011, he moved to Paris and joined the newly formed GSCS team where he focused primarily on structuring capital call facilities for infrastructure PE funds but also gained exposure to asset backed securitization. In 2013, Benjamin joined the syndicate team in Paris, where he worked on project, infrastructure and export financings for the EMEA region.

Benjamin is a graduate of EPF, a French engineering school, and of Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal in Canada. He also holds a Master’s from Paris Dauphine University.

Emma Wang Deputy General Manager of HK Branch EAST WEST BANK

Emma is the Deputy General Manager at East West Bank Hong Kong Branch, overseeing all corporate and commercial banking businesses in APAC. She is the founder of East West Bank’s Private Equity Group (Fund Finance) Asia, where she specialises in crafting creative and bespoke liquidity solutions to PE/VC firms in both US and Aisa. Previously, Emma was a Managing Partner and Head of Private Credit Solutions at TR Capital, leading the firm’s strategies to provide NAV solutions to both GPs and LPs. Emma started her Fund Finance career at Comerica Bank Equity Fund Services Group, where she was responsible for developing PE/VC relationships in the US. Emma sits on the APAC Executive Committee of the Fund Finance Association. She holds a Master’s in Finance from Brandeis International Business School, and a B.A. from Osaka Prefecture University. Emma is trilingual, speaking Chinese, Japanese and English.

Fi Dinh Managing Director, Head of Fund Finance APAC MUFG INVESTOR SERVICES

Fi Dinh is Managing Director, Head of Fund Finance APAC at MUFG Investor Services where she leads the expansion of the firm’s fund financing business across Asia Pacific, as well as supporting the growth of the asset servicing and fund administration business globally to assist private capital funds with their liquidity and operational needs. She is member of the APAC Senior Management Committee and Singapore Location Committee.

Formerly Director, Fund Finance APAC at Citi, Fi was responsible for the North Asia fund finance business, including originating, structuring and managing the then Asia’s largest fund finance portfolio in terms of AUM. She was also the ESG lead for the fund finance product globally.

Fi previously worked at ING Bank where she started and built out the fund and insurance finance businesses in Asia Pacific. She also worked at Barclays in London and Dubai, where she was Director in the Financial Institutions Group and helped build a successful Private Equity coverage franchise supporting financial sponsors and alternative asset managers in EMEA and the US. Her earlier banking career spans across credit analysis, operational risk and project management in the investment banking and corporate banking divisions.

She serves on the APAC Executive Committee of the Fund Finance Association, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) Financial Centre Advisory Panel (FCAP) – Green Finance working group for the fund management industry; and is also co-chair of the Women in Fund Finance APAC.

Sally Little Head of Financial Institutions Lending APAC ING

Sally is a fund finance specialist, who has contributed to the industry for close to two decades. She is based in Singapore, and is a Managing Director at ING Bank where she leads the Financial Institutions Lending business for APAC, being responsible for Fund Finance, as well as loans and credit limits to Banks, Insurers and NBFIs. Previously Sally was has worked in London and New York, originating and structuring fund finance products. ING are pioneers in the sustainable finance space, and Sally has initiated a number of sustainable capital call financings both in Europe and APAC. 

Sally is a member of the Fund Finance Association’s Executive Committee for APAC.

Christophe Cerisier Managing Director – Co-Head of Loans & Specialized Finance Asia-Pacific BNP PARIBAS

Based in Hong Kong, Christophe is Managing Director, Co-Head of Loans & Specialized Finance Asia-Pacific.

Christophe has over 25 years of experience in financing in Asia Pacific across multiple business lines including leveraged finance, fund financing, corporate acquisitions, corporate loans, syndications, debt advisory, fixed assets financing, asset based lending, project finance, leasing, supply chain finance.

Christophe joined BNP in 2014 and is currently Co-Head of Loans & Specialized Finance APAC, overseeing most financings for BNP in APAC, serving private equity, corporates and promoters across situations, industries and the capital structure. This includes leveraged finance in control or minority and hybrid situations and various fund-level financing solutions including subscription lines and NAV financings.

Before joining BNP, Christophe spent 8 years with GE Capital and 11 years with CACIB in Singapore and Hong Kong, in project and infrastructure finance and as head of their leveraged finance practices in Asia.

Nisa Leung Managing Partner QIMING VENTURE PARTNERS

Nisa Leung is a Managing Partner of Qiming Venture Partners and leading its health care investments. Qiming Venture Partners is a leading investment firm in China which currently manages over USD 5.6 billion in assets and investment in over 370 companies.

Prior to joining Qiming, she was co-founder of Biomedic Holdings with operations and investments in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and health care services in China including Novamed Pharmaceuticals (acquired by SciClone NASDAQ:SCLN) and U-Systems (acquired by GE Healthcare). Nisa was Venture Partner of PacRim Ventures in Menlo Park, and was previously with Softbank/Mobius Venture Capital.

She currently sits on the board of Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals (SSE:603087), Zai Lab (NASDAQ:ZLAB; HKSE:9688), Venus MedTech (HKSE:2500), Nurotron, dMed, CanSino Biologics (SSE:688185; HKSE:6185), New Horizon Bio, Berry Oncology, Broncus, Insilico Medicine among others. Her other investments include Aeonmed Medical, Berry Genomics (SZSE:000710), CITIC Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Shanghai Pharmaceutical HKSE: 2607), Crown Bioscience (acquired by JSR Life Sciences), Kira Pharmaceutical, LIH, Novast Pharmaceuticals, Origene Technologies (acquired by VCAN Bio SSE:600645), Richen, VR Medical, Wuxi Leiming, Chain Medical Labs, MEDx, Cure Genetics, SinoCell Tech (SSE:688520), Apollomics, Sino United, Schrödinger (NASDAQ:SDGR) and Jacobio among others.

Nisa has been recognized by the Forbes Global 100 VC Midas List in 2019 and 2020, named Top 3 Best Female Venture Capitalist in China by Forbes in 2018 and won Venture Capital Professional of the Year by Asian Venture Capital Journal in 2017.

Nisa earned her MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a BS from Cornell University. She is currently visiting lecturer at Harvard Law School, member of Stanford Graduate School of Business Advisory Council, board member of the Hong Kong Airport Authority and Hong Kong Palace Museum.

Pamela Fung Managing Director MORGAN STANLEY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT

Pamela is a partner and investment committee member for the Morgan Stanley Private Equity Solutions Team and has 18 years of industry experience. Prior to joining the firm, Pamela was a management consultant with McKinsey & Company's corporate finance practice in Hong Kong, responsible for investment opportunity identification, deal advisory, merger management and strategy development. Previously, she was a management consultant with Monitor Group, specializing in marketing strategy for clients across Asia, and a member of the corporate finance team with Lehman Brothers in Hong Kong. Pamela has a Law degree (first class honors) from the University of Hong Kong and an M.B.A. with honors in finance and management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Jeffrey Paine Co-founder and Managing Partner GOLDEN GATE VENTURES

Jeffrey Paine is a Co-founder and Managing Partner of Golden Gate Ventures, an early stage technology venture capital fund based in Singapore investing in Southeast Asia with over US$175 million under management investing in over 45 companies since 2012.

Jeff started and manages the Founder Institute in Singapore where he is currently overseeing its expansion in Southeast Asia, and Japan. Since 2010 the Founder Institute in Singapore has graduated over 100 companies. He is a recipient of the Founder Institute Director Award 2012 for “Greatest Ecosystem Impact” Worldwide (Singapore).

He is a Singapore native and graduated with a Bachelors of Business Administration (Information Systems) from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

Jussi Salovaara Co-Founder and Managing Partner ANTLER

Jussi is Co-Founder and Managing Partner Asia for Antler, a global early-stage VC building the defining technology companies of tomorrow with the world’s most exceptional founders. Jussi leads Antler’s strategy and operations in the region. He is passionate about helping founders build their businesses from scratch and has a hands-on approach to guide them through the startup and fundraising process. Antler has over 800 companies in the portfolio globally and is headquartered in Singapore. 

Jussi has over a decade of experience in areas of investment and strategy across different industries, including engineering and IoT. Before Antler, he was the Vice President at Nokia’s headquarters in Helsinki, running Product, Strategy, Sales and Commercial functions. He has also had his experiences built across working with companies such as McKinsey, Deloitte and Morgan Stanley.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jsalovaara/

Edwin Chan Managing Director, Head of Client Solutions, Asia iCAPITAL

Edwin Chan joined iCapital in 2021 as Head of Asia and Head of Client Solutions APAC. He has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, including a strong track record in private markets in the Asia Pacific region.

Before joining iCapital, Edwin successfully founded and spent a decade building the Probitas Partners business in Asia. He has worked with many private market firms across different alternative investment strategies as well as with institutional and family office investors in the Asia Pacific region. Previously, Edwin worked with AIG Global Investments, Citi, and HSBC based out of Hong Kong in various regional roles covering clients across the broad Asian geography.

He holds a MBA and a BA from the University of South Australia and is a Certified Practicing Accountant of CPA Australia.

Rebecca Xu Co-Founder and Managing Director ASIA ALTERNATIVES

Rebecca Xu is a Co-Founder and Managing Director of Asia Alternatives.  Ms. Xu splits her time between Asia Alternatives’ Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong offices. Ms. Xu is on the Firm’s Investment Committee and co[1]leads Asia Alternatives’ investments in growth and venture capital funds, focusing most of her time on Asia Alternatives’ China investments.

Prior to starting Asia Alternatives, Ms. Xu was a Senior Investment Officer at the Funds Group of the International Finance Corporation (“IFC”), the private sector investment arm of the World Bank Group. There, she had the primary responsibility of leading IFC’s fund investing and portfolio supervision in Asia for over six years. Previously, Ms. Xu also worked at McKinsey & Co, Inc. (Washington D.C.) and HSBC (Hong Kong).

Ms. Xu received an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the Foreign Affairs College in Beijing, China. Ms. Xu is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

Ms. Xu currently serves on the Advisory Boards for a number of Asia Alternatives’ China and India private equity funds. In addition, she serves as the Chairwoman of the Hong Kong Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (HKVCA) and on the Board of the Chun Hui Bo’ai Children’s Foundation.

Geoff Lee Executive Director, Head, Private Markets and Head, Technology KHAZANAH NASIONAL

Geoff joined Khazanah in September 2021 after spending over 30 years in various roles in the finance and investments industries in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. He was previously a partner at Hendale Capital, Head of Principal Investments at Korea Development Bank Asia, Head of Asian Investments at HSBC Alternative Proprietary Investments and Managing Director and co-founder of Myo Capital Special Situations Fund.

Prior to moving to the buy-side, he spent nearly a decade in investment banking, latterly as a Director of Telecommunication, Media and Technology and founding member of the Mergers & Acquisitions team at HSBC Investment Bank Asia.

Geoff is a UK Fellow Chartered Accountant and a graduate of the University of Manchester.

Wataru Kano Executive Director, Head of Asia Investments JAPAN POST BANK

Head of Asia Investments for Japan Post Bank’s private equity investment program. Previously covered the US private equity investment program as well. He was heavily involved in the establishment of Japan Post Investment Corporation, a joint venture between Japan Post Bank and Japan Post Insurance and has been instrumental in promoting its Asian co-investment program leveraging Japan Post Bank’s broad LP relationships. Prior to joining Japan Post Bank in October 2017, worked at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, where he was engaged in private equity fund investments, LBO loan financing, loan syndications and investments in asset-backed securities. During that time, he was seconded to the Japan Bank for International Cooperation to support its global policy-based private equity investments.

He has a Bachelor of Law degree from the Waseda University.

Tim Burroughs Managing Editor Global Private Funds, and Managing Editor, AVCJ MERGERMARKET

Tim Burroughs is managing editor of Asian Venture Capital Journal, having joined the publication in May 2011. He is responsible for all editorial content put out under the AVCJ brand, including Asian Venture Capital Journal, AVCJtv, AVCJ Awards and AVCJ.com. Tim previously spent five years at China Economic Review, serving as editor-in-chief and then editorial director. Located in Greater China since 2003, during which time he has lived in Beijing, Qingdao and Hong Kong, Tim has been a China-based contributor for publications including The Sunday Times, Sunday Telegraph, BBC and China Daily. Prior to moving to China, he trained and worked as a journalist in the UK. He was honored at the Society of Publishers in Asia awards in 2007, 2008 and 2010, and at the State Street Institutional Press Awards - Asia in 2012.

Darryl Chan, JP Deputy Chief Executive HONG KONG MONETARY AUTHORITY (HKMA)

Mr Darryl Chan was appointed as Deputy Chief Executive from 1 November 2022, and is responsible for overseeing the work of External, Monetary Management and Research departments.  Mr Chan joined the HKMA as Executive Director (Corporate Services) in February 2013 and took up the post of Executive Director (External) in August 2019.  Before joining the HKMA, Mr Chan was an Administrative Officer in the Hong Kong SAR Government and had worked in different policy bureaux and departments on policy formulation and administration.

Luca Molinari Executive Director – Head of Asia, Direct Investments MUBADALA

Luca Molinari is an Executive Director who is responsible for global investments in Financial Services as well as investment activities in Asia as part of Mubadala’s Direct Investments platform. Prior to joining Mubadala, Luca was a Partner and Managing Director at Warburg Pincus, where he worked in Europe and in Latin America, leading transactions across a broad range of sectors and geographies. Prior to that, he worked at the Merchant Banking Division and the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs in London.

At Mubadala, Luca has overseen several significant transactions, including an investment in Truist Insurance Holdings, the three-way merger of Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Union National Bank and Al Hilal Bank and the sale of a 40% interest in Tabreed to Engie.  

Luca holds a degree in Economics and Business Administration from Bocconi University in Milan, and is fluent in English, Italian and Portuguese. He serves on the Board of Directors of Unicredit Spa.

Hans Wang Managing Partner CVC CAPITAL PARTNERS

Managing Partner, joined in 2006. Hans is based in Hong Kong and is the head of our Greater China business and the Regional team.

Prior to joining CVC, Hans was head of M&A (Asia Pacific) at InBev SA.

Hans holds a BSc degree from Columbia University, an MSc from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School, US.

Heath Zarin Founder, Chair & CEO EMERGEVEST

Heath Zarin is the Founder, Chair and CEO of EmergeVest, a global investment firm that seeks to build great businesses, provide innovative capital solutions and generate sustainable value for all stakeholders.  Mr. Zarin is also the Founder, Chair and CEO of EV Cargo, an EmergeVest company with more than $1.5 billion of annual revenues and global operations.

Mr. Zarin began his career as a corporate lawyer with Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP in New York, where he formed and advised hedge funds and private equity funds.  In 2000, he joined DLJ Merchant Banking, which was subsequently acquired by Credit Suisse.  At DLJ / Credit Suisse, which had more than $100 billion in assets under management during his tenure, Mr. Zarin had broad experience across LBOs, mezzanine, growth capital and other investment strategies.  Mr. Zarin relocated to Hong Kong in 2006 to form Credit Suisse’s Asian private equity business, where growth equity investments spanned China, India and Southeast Asia, and included several successful IPOs.  In 2008, Mr. Zarin left Credit Suisse to form Emergent Investment Group, a Hong Kong-based private investment firm, where he completed private equity investments and advised on special situations.  In 2010, Mr. Zarin joined HSBC in Hong Kong as a Managing Director and Head of Principal Investments, Asia-Pacific, with responsibility for all Asian proprietary private investment activities.  In 2013, Mr. Zarin formed EmergeVest, with a vision of building a new style of global investment firm.

Mr. Zarin’s current and previous board service includes companies across Asia, Europe and North America, in diverse manufacturing and service industries. 

Mr. Zarin received his JD from the Fordham University School of Law in 1998 and his BA from the State University of New York at Binghamton in 1995.  He has been admitted to practice law in the State of New York.  Mr. Zarin is also a CFA, CMT and CAIA charterholder, and has completed Certificate programs from Harvard Business School (Investment Management, Strategy).  Mr. Zarin has served as an Executive Committee Member of CAIA Hong Kong, as well as on the board of several non-profit organizations.

EmergeVest, through its Hong Kong-based subsidiary, is a licensed asset manager, regulated by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (HK SFC).  Mr. Zarin is also licensed and regulated by the HK SFC as a responsible officer of EmergeVest.  Certain EmergeVest investment funds are regulated by the United States Securities Exchange Commission and other regulatory authorities.

Simon Pillar Founder PACIFIC EQUITY PARTNERS

Simon is a founder of Pacific Equity Partners and chairs the firm's Operating Committee. Prior to founding PEP, Simon was a Partner with Bain & Company and worked as a strategy consultant in the US, Singapore and Sydney. He started his working life as an engineer with The Royal Dutch/Shell Group in The Netherlands. Simon received a first class degree (BSc (Eng) in Civil Engineering) from the University of Bristol where he received the Institution of Civil Engineers Award, and an MBA from the Wharton School where he was a Thouron Scholar.