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.

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.

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$50bn in capital. He is a co-head of the Private Equity strategy where he leads the non-China Investment Team and the Operations team and is a member of the Investment Review Committee.  He is also a member of the PAG Group Management Committee.

Lincoln has led work for many of PAG’s overseas investments, including Patties and Vesco, Cordina Foods, Unispace, Edelweiss Financial Group, Rex Airways, Acme Formulation, Gamot API, Craveable Brands, Joyson Safety Systems, Cushman & Wakefield, Lexmark International, Home Credit China, 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 (ASX: REX) where he sits on the Audit Committee.

Prior to joining PAG, Lincoln was Regional CEO, Greater China for Willis Towers Watson. He previously worked with Advantage Partners, the 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. He has previously qualified to practice law in the State of New York.

Frank Feng Managing Director BPEA EQT

Frank Feng is a Managing Director with BPEA EQT focused on the firm’s Cross Border investment strategy. Frank is responsible for BPEA EQT’s APAC sector coverage in corporate and compliance technology and services, and has led the firm’s investments including Vistra, Tricor, and SAI360.

Prior to joining BPEA EQT, Frank was a Vice President at H.I.G. Capital based in Boston, focused on buyout investments in Business Services and Enterprise Software. Frank previously was an Associate at Advent International and began his career at Lazard in New York.

Frank holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Business Administration from Georgetown University

Amit Gupta Partner TPG NEWQUEST

Amit Gupta is a founding Partner of TPG NewQuest based in Singapore and oversees the India and Southeast Asia businesses. Amit has more than 20 years of industry experience. 

Prior to co-founding TPG NewQuest, he was a Director at Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s (BAML) Asia Private Equity group where he led the India business and oversaw investments in the energy and financial services sectors across the Asia Pacific region. Amit has also served in other roles in BAML, including Corporate Principal Investments based in Hong Kong and Investment Banking based in Mumbai. 

Prior to working at BAML, Amit was a software engineer based in Mumbai and the United States. Amit has an MBA from Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Bangalore, where he was placed on the Director’s Merit List for his performance, and an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from REC Kurukshetra, where he received the University gold medal. Amit is fluent in English and Hindi.

Anurag Poddar Head of Financial Sponsors Group, Asia Pacific NATIXIS CIB

Anurag Poddar was appointed the Head of Financial Sponsor Coverage, Asia Pacific, for Natixis CIB in July 2023, based in Singapore. Anurag is responsible for leading the coverage of financial sponsor clients across the region and works with the broader Natixis CIB banking team and affiliates to deliver ESG and M&A advisory, and capital markets and risk solutions to financial sponsor clients. 

Prior to this, Anurag was based for seven years with Natixis CIB in New York as a Managing Director, where he was responsible for Natixis CIB’s coverage of key global financial sponsor firms. Anurag has more than 20 years of experience, having worked with and advised some of the largest financial sponsor clients globally across a variety of mandates, including: Mergers and Acquisitions, Infra, Debt and Equity financings, Risk Solutions and Global Markets offerings. 

Prior to Natixis CIB, Anurag worked in the Global Financial Sponsors Coverage team at Nomura, and the FIG M&A team at Oppenheimer & Co. in New York. He also held roles at ICICI Bank, as well as practicing as a Chartered Accountant in Mumbai, India. Anurag holds an MBA from New York University Stern School of Business and is a qualified Chartered Accountant in India.