AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum
Asia's premier private equity & venture event for the last 36 years
LIVE Broadcast & In Person
Four Seasons Hotel, Hong Kong & Online
13
Nov
ESG Outlook: The latest trends in private markets
Despite growing resistance from some quarters, and a rapidly changing investment landscape affected by geopolitical instability, rising interest rates and cost of living and energy security, ESG-related assets under management are rising and growing in importance. Although there is tighter ESG scrutiny, private market stakeholders acknowledge the significance of embedding ESG considerations into their investment decision making and LP scrutiny continues unabated. This shift in momentum, as well as how to address the key challenges for the private markets community in the region, will be discussed by our panel of industry leaders.
- What are the key ESG trends emerging in 2023/24?
- Have we seen increased ESG implementation in the region?
- What are the expectations on harmonisation of regulatory and reporting standards?
- How to address the risks surrounding transparency and accountability?
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SpeakersBen Ridley Partner ERM
Lane Zhao Founder & Chief Executive Officer INNOVISION CAPITAL
Dr. Virginia Alzina Managing Director & Head of Sustainability EMERGEVEST
Michael Octoman Senior Partner NAVIS CAPITAL PARTNERS
Evan Greenfield Managing Director of ESG, Private Equity NYC BCI
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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.
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 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.
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.
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.