An error occurred trying to play the stream. Please reload the page and try again.
Close
Jim Pittman joined BCI as Senior Vice President of Private Equity in April 2016. He leads the team, focusing on growing Private Equity’s total fund exposure while extending the program’s global reach and building out networks for deal flow to increase the number of direct investments. With $171.3 billion in managed assets and $16.4 billion in private equity AUM, BCI is one of Canada's largest institutional investors within the global capital markets.
Prior to joining BCI, Jim spent over 10 years as managing director at the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSPIB). During this time, he co-led the implementation of the firm’s private equity strategy. Prior to PSPIB, Jim was the chief financial officer/chief operating officer for PAL Aerospace, Canada. Jim has a background in acquisitions, divestitures, and tax.
Jim holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the Memorial University of Newfoundland, and is a Chartered Professional Accountant.
He currently serves on the board for Refresco Group and Hayfin Capital Management and has been a board member on over ten Private Equity portfolio companies.
Joined Advantage Partners in January 2002. Katsuya has been responsible for Advantage Partners’ investor relations, ESG, and middle/back office administration functions since 2018 and is a member of AP’s investment committee for Japan buyouts. As an investment partner prior to assuming the role of CAO, he was responsible for investments including Polygon Pictures Inc., Nihonkaisui Co., Ltd., and Xacti Corporation. After graduating from university, he joined Bain & Company Japan Inc. and was engaged in various strategic and operational projects for clients across broad industry sectors (financial services, software, auto, electronics, and others). He subsequently transitioned into venture investment and incubation activities for e-commerce and software-related start-ups before joining Advantage Partners. Bachelor of Arts and Sciences, Asian Studies, University of Tokyo; Master of Business Administration (MBA), Harvard Business School.
Adam Black has worked in private equity for over 11 years and been involved in ESG for over 26 years. He has worked in the oil and gas industry, in consultancy and at a buy-out firm as an ESG Operating Partner.
He joined Coller Capital in 2016 and is responsible for embedding ESG into the investment management process.
During his career he has worked in over 50 countries worldwide and instigated ESG value creation and risk mitigation initiatives across most industry sectors, including during his time in private equity.
Mr. Black has a background in occupational health and safety, environmental science and law.
Natasha Buckley joined HarbourVest in 2019 and is responsible for sustaining the Firm’s ESG strategy and partnering with our general partners, limited partners, and the Firm’s employees to embrace sustainable investing.
Natasha joined HarbourVest from Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), where she was responsible for their work in the private equity sector, developing tools and resources for PRI signatories to integrate ESG considerations into their investment processes. During her time at PRI, Natasha co-authored the organization’s guide for general partners, and guidance for LPs and GPs on ESG in fund selection, fund terms and fund monitoring/reporting.
Natasha received a BA in History from University College London, an MSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics, and has completed the University of Oxford Private Equity Programme at the Saïd Business School.
Vivien joined NewQuest in 2018 and is a member of the Investor Relations team, responsible for investor relations, portfolio reporting, marketing and research. Prior to joining NewQuest, Vivien was the Investor Relations manager for Asia at Standard Chartered and an Assistant Vice President in Barclays’ equity research team focusing on the Hong Kong Property sector. She also practiced with Ernst & Young’s assurance group in Toronto, specializing in Financial Services.
Vivien is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a Chartered Professional Accountant. Vivien received her Masters of Accounting and undergraduate degrees from the University of Waterloo, Ontario. Vivien is fluent in English and Cantonese.
Huai Fong is the Regional Lead for the East Asia Pacific PE Funds team of the International Finance Corporation (“IFC”) where she is responsible for leading investments into funds in the region.
Prior to joining IFC, Huai Fong spent five years with Deutsche Investitions-Und Entwicklungsgesellschaft MBH (“DEG”) where she had a primary coverage of Southeast Asia. She led fund investments and co-investments in the region as well as managed a portfolio of funds through her Advisory Committee positions. Before DEG, Huai Fong was with UOB Venture Management where she did direct equity investments into growth stage companies in Southeast Asia and China.
Huai Fong holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and in Economics (Honors and Dean’s list) from the Singapore Management University. She is a CFA charterholder.
Kim heads up the Risk Management Unit of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) from August 2015. He is responsible for all aspects of risk management relating to the investment portfolios of the HKMA. The role extends to compliance aspects of our investment transactions and also at the portfolio level. He is also responsible for performance measurement of the overall investment portfolio. His team is responsible for ESG research and implementation.
Kelly Christodoulou is the ESG & Stewardship Manager at AustralianSuper. AustralianSuper is the largest pension fund in Australia with AUD170bn funds under management. Kelly’s role in to integrate material ESG issues within the investment portfolio. Engaging with corporate Boards on ESG issues is another priority. Kelly is an Alternate Committee Member on the Climate Action 100+. She has a Bachelor of Commerce, Masters of Finance, Graduate Certificate in Social Impact and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
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.
Gerran Ho joined EQT in July 2010. He is a Managing Director based in Hong Kong, focusing on making private equity investments in the Asia Pacific. He also serves as Sustainability Ambassador for the firm in the region. Prior to joining EQT, Gerran was an investment banker at Credit Suisse. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Engineering & Management Science from Northwestern University.
Kevin Lu is a Partner, Chairman of Asia, and Member of the Global Executive Board at Partners Group, a global private equity firm with $83 billion AUM headquartered in Zug, Switzerland. He is also the Head of the firm's Singapore Office with over 250 professionals. Additionally, he chairs the PG LIFE Impact Committee and leads the development of relationships with key strategic clients in Asia. He has been with Partners Group since 2014 and has 21 years of industry experience.
Prior to joining Partners Group, Kevin held various senior management positions at the World Bank Group, based in Washington DC, Hong Kong and Singapore. He served on the Senior Management Team of the Bank Group's Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency for 8 years, as its Chief Financial Officer and Regional Director of Asia. He acted as an adviser to the Bank Group's sovereign wealth fund clients, was responsible for investment portfolios of IDA and trust funds totaling $16 billion, and participated in negotiating complex multilateral funding packages in excess of $25 billion for the Bank Group's concessional finance business. He served on various Bank Group committees, including Emergency Management Team, Business Continuity Management Committee, and Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group. Kevin was previously associated with Credit Suisse First Boston and Global Risk Advisors LLC, both in New York.
Kevin is also a Distinguished Fellow at INSEAD, focusing on infrastructure investments. He is a frequent speaker at international conferences, including the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meetings in Davos, on topics such as emerging markets and infrastructure finance. He co-authored a book Investing with Confidence: Understanding Political Risk Management in the 21st Century (Washington DC, 2009). Kevin serves on a number of advisory committees for global and local organizations, including the Advisory Council for the World Bank's Global Infrastructure Facility and International Finance Corporation's Impact Management Principles, Monetary Authority of Singapore's Financial Centre Advisory Panel, WEF's Global Agenda Council on China and Global Strategic Infrastructure Initiative Advisory Committee, Institute of International Finance's Emerging Markets Advisory Council, the Academy of Global Teacher Award and Nanyang Technology University MBA Business Advisory Council. He was named a Young Global Leader by WEF in 2010, and a Future Leader by the Institute of International Finance in 2014. Kevin has published commentaries in the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, Washington Post, Financial Times and the Straits Times.
Michael Octoman is a Senior Partner and COO of Navis Capital Partners and an Investment Committee member.
Navis was founded in 1998 to make private equity investments in buyouts, recapitalisations and financial restructurings in Asia, particularly on enterprises with a strong presence in Southeast Asia, Australia and China/Hong Kong. The firm manages several private and public equity funds totalling USD 5 billion. Navis acquires control of its portfolio companies, and since its founding in 1998, has made over eighty controlling investments. Navis when it invests has direct strategic involvement alongside an incentivized management teams, focused on growth, margin enhancement, organizational systems/structure/governance strengthening and cash management. Navis is committed to improving the ‘Environmental, Social and Governance’ (“ESG”) practices of its portfolio companies, and has proven ESG to be an important lever for value creation. Navis’ investment model places a low reliance on leverage to drive its equity returns.
Mr. Octoman joined Navis in 2000. He originates transactions, oversees the Navis Portfolio activities and works with companies across Asia with a focus primarily on SE Asia. Mr. Octoman is directly involved with a number of companies including Alliance Cosmetic, B Medical Systems, HGPT and the BIG Group.
Prior to joining Navis, Mr. Octoman worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers with a primary focus on capital market transactions and financial due diligence. Mr. Octoman also worked for KPMG in Australia and Canada in Business Advisory. Mr. Octoman is a lifetime resident of Asia, 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.
The Founder and CEO of APAC Advisors, Steven Okun is a leader in the private equity industry on ESG, sustainability and stakeholder engagement in Asia Pacific, having lived and worked in the region since 2003.
In September 2017, EMPEA appointed Mr. Okun as its ASEAN Representative, where he works with the members to increase private capital deployment and fundraising across Southeast Asia. In addition, he serves as a member of EMPEA’s global ESG and SDG Community.
EMPEA is the global industry association for private capital in emerging markets. An independent, non-profit organization, the association’s membership comprises 300+ firms representing institutional investors, fund managers and industry advisors who together manage more than US$5 trillion in assets across 130 countries.
As global investment firm KKR’s first Director of Asia Public Affairs from 2011-2017, his responsibilities encompassed government affairs, communications, stakeholder engagement, ESG and impact investing and supporting such efforts for its portfolio companies.
His work on ESG initiatives spans due diligence through the investment phase. His expertise includes developing ESG policies, determining critical considerations for specific deals taking into consideration market, sector and level of investment, engaging directly in due diligence, and working with investment teams to document the findings of due diligence and develop reports for a fund’s investors.
Previously, Mr. Okun led UPS Asia’s public affairs practice, and served in the Clinton Administration as Deputy General Counsel at the US Department of Transportation. Often representing and advocating the views of the business community, Mr. Okun often guest hosts on CNBC and frequently appears on the BBC and Channel NewsAsia.
He received his B.A. from the University of Virginia and his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Ana Lei Ortiz is a Managing Director at Hamilton Lane, based in the firm’s London office, where she leads the Relationship Management Team in London and is responsible for all aspects of European client relations including portfolio construction and strategic planning.
Prior to joining Hamilton Lane in 2008, Ana was an Associate Director in the Corporate, Investment Banking & Markets Division of HSBC, covering European Corporate and Institutional clients. Previously, she worked in HSBC’s Reserve Managers Sector in Hong Kong working with Central Banks and Sovereign Wealth Funds.
Ana received a degree from the University of Edinburgh. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of the UK.
Vikram Raju is the Partner responsible for emerging markets and impact investing for AIP Private Markets where he also serves on the Investment Committee and Executive Committee. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, he was a Principal Investment Officer and Climate Funds Lead at the International Finance Corporation, World Bank Group. Previously, was a management consultant with McKinsey & Company and worked with a range of clients including US private equity firms and Indian NGOs. Vikram has also been a portfolio manager with the emerging markets team at Lazard Frères & Co. Vikram received a B.A. in economics from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai and an M.S. in finance from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute, Mumbai. He also received master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. Vikram serves on the Advisory Committees of private equity funds in Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia. He is a member of the MSIM Sustainability Council and the Chair for the Impact Investing Council at the Emerging Markets Private Equity Association.
David Russell heads the Responsible Investment (RI) Team of USS Investment Management, the fund manager for Universities Superannuation Scheme, where he has worked since 2001. USS is one of the largest pension funds in the United Kingdom, with assets in excess of £68 billion and over 350,000 members. USS has a RI team of five and a RI strategy which focuses on integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into its investment processes across asset classes (including private assets), and on engaging with public equities and other assets where these issues pose a risk to the fund’s investments.
David is a former Board member of the PRI Association and is an advisor to the Board of the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC), which USS set up in 2001. He is also on the Board of the International Centre for Pensions Management. David was involved in the establishment of the PRI Private Equity Advisory Committee of which he has twice been a member, and was also an inaugural member of the BVCA RI Advisory Board. David has previously worked as an Environmental Manager for a UK retail company, and was for five years a University lecturer in Environmental Management. He has a Masters Degree in Environmental Impact Assessment.
Komal serves as Chief of Sustainable Finance at AVPN. She leads AVPN’s engagement with family offices, HNWIs, private wealth holders, corporations and financial institutions across Asia. In this capacity, she helps these stakeholders achieve their objectives of investing within a framework of impact and sustainability.
Komal brings over two decades of diverse work experience in Europe and Asia to her role. She began her career as an investigator with the British Civil Service and was focused on the SME sector in London. She subsequently worked for KPMG where she specialized in the fund management industry. Komal has completed numerous assignments at top tier banks and insurance companies in the UK. She has tax expertise in structuring entities and funds and taking companies and funds to listing on the London Stock Exchange.
Over the last decade, Komal has provided support to a number of social enterprises and charities across Asia. She is an angel investor and an LP in early and late stage funds. Many of her investments have focused on generating societal good. Komal has served as a mentor at a number of incubators and accelerators and has worked with startups including at A Star, a Singapore government led accelerator for science and technology companies that are improving lives through innovation and discoveries.
Komal is a Fellow of the Institute of Certified Accountants and Associate of the Institute of Taxation. She has an FT certification as a Non-Executive Independent Director. She has a BA Honors in Economics.
Megan Starr is the Global Head of Impact for The Carlyle Group. She is based in New York. In her role, Ms. Starr works to design and execute Carlyle's cohesive, long-term impact strategy. She also oversees the dedicated ESG team, which leads the firm's investment diligence and portfolio company engagement work on material ESG issues.
Prior to joining Carlyle, Ms. Starr was within Goldman Sachs' Investment Management Division, where she helped build the ESG and impact investing business. Previously, Ms. Starr served in roles at The JPB Foundation, a $3.8B private family foundation based in New York City.
Ms. Starr received an M.B.A. and a Certificate in Public Management and Social Innovation from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, where she was an Arbuckle Leadership Fellow, and an A.B. in Environmental Science and Public Policy from Harvard College, where she graduated magna cum laude with highest honors in field of concentration.
Suzanne Tavill is the global head of responsible investing at the StepStone Group, a global private markets investment firm focused on providing customized investment solutions and advisory and data services to some of the most sophisticated investors in the world. With more than US$296 billion of private markets allocations, including over US$67 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2020, StepStone covers the spectrum of opportunities in private markets across the globe. Ms. Tavill leads StepStone’s Responsible Investment initiative across all businesses and investment strategies. She is also a member of the private equity team.
Prior to StepStone, Ms. Tavill was responsible for AMP Capital’s global alternative investment platform that included private equity, infrastructure and real assets. Before that, she spent five years at Van Eyk Research in Sydney, the last four as head of research. Before moving to Australia, she was an executive director at Goldman Sachs Investment Management, responsible for their UK small-and mid-cap portfolios.
Ms. Tavill received an MSc in finance and economics from the London School of Economics, in addition to a BBS with honors in economics and honors in finance from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
Hannes Valtonen is Compliance Director at Baring Private Equity Asia, one of the largest independent alternative asset management firms in Asia, with a total committed capital of over USD18 billion. Hannes is responsible for regulatory compliance, internal controls, operational risk management and ESG program development. Previously Hannes was head of overseas compliance at a Japanese financial services group developing a global anti-bribery compliance program, and before that head of compliance at a Pan-Asian fund manager, where he helped develop an ESG program covering funds in private equity, hedge fund, distressed assets and real estate. Prior to that he was head of risk and compliance at a leading fund manager in Vietnam with London-listed investment funds.
Hannes has also worked in Japan, Korea and the U.K. in the real estate finance, retail and automotive industries in internal audit and control functions. His qualifications include an MBA, MSc in financial law, certifications in financial analysis, risk management, internal audit, anti-money laundering, ESG and he has also taken securities licensing regulatory exams for Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan. He is active in supporting the Hong Kong CFA/HKSFA in financial regulations advocacy.
Chee-Wei Wong leads the Asian efforts of KKR’s Global Impact Fund. Prior to KKR, he was at EQT in Singapore and New York and subsequently Tailwind Capital, serving as an investor and board member of sustainability-focused technology enterprises and healthcare companies. He started his career as a Justices’ Law Clerk in the Supreme Court of Singapore and was a consultant at Bain & Company.