Private Equity Masterclass | Hong Kong

January 16, 2020 | Debevoise and Plimpton Offices
Please note that this private program is open exclusively to fund managers.

EMPEA invites interested fund managers to attend the seventh edition of the Private Equity Masterclass in Hong Kong on Thursday, January 16, 2020. The Masterclass series, a world-wide training program for fund managers, is core to EMPEA’s growing education and professional development platforms.

This Masterclass is hosted with the generous support of Debevoise & Plimpton, and in collaboration with HKVCA. It will follow the Asian Financial Forum on January 13-14, 2020 and the Asia Private Equity Forum on January 15, 2020 in Hong Kong.

EMPEA and HKVCA members receive complimentary registration.

Confirmed panelists include:

Cate Ambrose
Chief Executive Officer
EMPEA

Cate Ambrose is CEO and Board Member of EMPEA, the global industry association for private capital in emerging markets. Members include 300+ fund managers, institutional investors, family offices, sovereign wealth funds, development finance institutions, and industry advisors who manage more than US$5 trillion in assets across 130 countries.

Cate is a Steering Committee Member of the United Nations Institutional Investor Partnership for Sustainable Development (IIPSD) and on the Advisory Board of the Association for Private Capital Investment in Latin America (LAVCA). She is also a member of the Board of Directors of Indian startup Masala Baby and a Board Member for Girls Write Now, a non-profit that mentors underserved young women in New York City.

Prior to joining EMPEA, Cate was President and Executive Director of LAVCA. Cate was also previously the Chief of Advocacy for the Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor, a United Nations initiative where she spearheaded the commission’s work on business regulation and property rights in Africa, MENA, Asia, and Latin America. Until 2005, Cate was Executive Director of Programs for The Economist Group.

Cate speaks and writes regularly on a range of topics related to public policy and private investment in Latin America. She is a commentator on CNN En Español, Bloomberg, and Fox Business and a guest lecturer at The Wharton School. Cate holds an MPA in International Economic Policy from Columbia University and received her BA in Latin American studies from St. Lawrence University and the University of Madrid.

Gavin Anderson
Partner,
Debevoise & Plimpton

Gavin Anderson is based in the Hong Kong office and is a member of the firm’s Investment Funds and Investment Management Group. He has broad experience in advising sponsors and investors on a variety of issues, including fund formation, coinvestment, fund restructurings and carried interest arrangements.

Mr. Anderson earned his B.A. (Hons) from the University of Oxford (Brasenose College) in 2000 and PgDL from the College of Law at Guildford in 2001. He graduated from the Legal Practice Course at the Oxford Institute of Legal Practice in 2002. Prior to joining Debevoise in 2006, he trained and worked as an associate at an international law firm in London.

Vincent Chan
Senior Managing Director and Head of Asia,
Samena Capital

Vincent Chan is a Senior Managing Director and Head of Asia for Samena Capital Hong Kong Limited. Samena Capital is a principal investment group focusing on the Subcontinent, Asia, Middle East and North Africa (collectively, the SAMENA region). The firm has raised more than USD1.5 billion of capital since 2008 and has returned USD700 million to investors from over 45 full and partial exits. The firm currently manages total capital of approximately USD950 million across three primary investment strategies: private equity, direct investments and credit.

Vincent was previously the Founding CEO of Spring Capital, an independent private equity firm that invests exclusively in China. He was also a Member of the Listing Committee of the HKEX (2007-2012). He is currently the Co-President of the HK Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (previously Chairman 05/06) and a member of the Chengdu CPPCC.”

Joe Chang
Principal,
AlpInvest Partners Limited

Joe is a Principal in the Primary Fund Investments team where he is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and executing fund opportunities in Asia. Before joining AlpInvest, he was head of Private Investments – Asia at Lockheed Martin Investment Management Company. Prior to that, Joe was with Mercer Investments as chief representative for its Asia private markets business and previously he held direct investment roles at EQT Partners and Sumitomo Corporation. Joe graduated from University of Michigan with a B.B.A. degree in finance and accounting.

Pamela Fung
Executive Director,
Morgan Stanley Alternative Investment Partners

Pamela Fung is an Executive Director for Morgan Stanley Alternative Investment Partners Private Equity Fund of Funds group, and leads AIP’s Asian investment activities. She has 15 years of industry experience. Prior to AIP, Pamela was a consultant with McKinsey’s corporate finance practice in Hong Kong; she has also worked for Monitor Group and Lehman Brothers. Pamela has a Law degree (first class honors) from the University of Hong Kong and an M.B.A. with honors from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Melissa Guzy
C0-founder and Managing Partner,
Arbor Ventures

Melissa is the Co-founder and Managing Partner of Arbor Ventures and has more than 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur and venture investor in Asia and Silicon Valley.

Prior to founding Arbor Ventures, Melissa was Managing Director and Head of VantagePoint Asia, a $4.5 billion venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley with offices in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. As a thought leader in the global technology community, with experience across Asia and Silicon Valley, Melissa has been recognized as one of the Top 200 Fintech Influencers in Asia in 2018.

Melissa brings with her a unique combination of global experience and perspectives, with deep technological and innovative prowess anchored in an extensive international network. Melissa is a regular speaker on Venture Capital markets, key Fintech trends and the changing global landscape.

Melissa serves on the Board of Directors of the HKVCA and is Co-Chair of the HKVCA Venture Committee. She also serves on the Board of Innovation for the Hong Kong Securities and Commodities Commission. She is a Hopkins Fellow and participated in the Women’s Leadership Program at Harvard University.

Melissa attended Wellesley College and received a Master’s degree in Finance from the University of Florida, and authored the paper “Venture Capital Returns and Public Market Performance.” She has been a speaker at Financial Times Top 50 Women in Asia, Money2020, Asian Financial Forum, RISE and a guest lecturer on the Venture Capital industry at the University of Florida, Hong Kong University, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, in addition to being a Contributing Expert at CFTE, the Centre for Finance, Technology and Entrepreneurship.

Philip Hu
Managing Director,
Primavera Capital

Philip is a founding member of Primavera Capital. He sits on various committees within the firm including the Investment Portfolio Monitoring and Management Committee, the Strategic Partnerships Committee, the Leadership Committee, among others.

Philip previously worked for DEPFA Bank plc focused on originating and executing transactions for sovereign and quasi sovereign issuers in Asia. Selected deal experience includes benchmark global bond offerings for the Korea Development Bank, the Export Import Bank of Korea, among others. Prior to DEPFA, Philip worked at Outrider Management, a hedge fund focused on distressed debt in the emerging markets.

Philip holds a Bachelor of Science with a focus in finance from Cornell University.

David Katz
Director and Head of Public Affairs for Asia Pacific,
KKR

David Katz is Director of Public Affairs for Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) Asia Ltd. based in Singapore. In this role David leads the corporate communications, government relations, corporate citizenship and environmental, social and governance functions for KKR across all markets in the Asia Pacific. David also sits on KKR’s Asia Pacific leadership team.

Previously he was the Deputy Head of Global Government Relations and Head of Asia Pacific Government Relations for PayPal Inc. and sat on PayPal’s Asia Pacific leadership team. Prior to PayPal Inc., he worked at eBay Inc., where he managed Asia Pacific GR for both eBay Marketplace and PayPal – then owned by eBay Inc. Before joining eBay, David worked at Visa Inc. where he served as their first head of GR for the Asia region.

David was also Chief of Party of a USAID program in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat in Singapore, where he advanced policy and capacity building. David served in the Executive Office of the President for eight years as a Senior Director at the United States Trade Representative (USTR) with responsibility for Southeast Asia, APEC, and China trade policy. Prior to USTR, David was an economic officer in the U.S. diplomatic service, with tours in Taiwan, Mongolia, and Singapore, and he was a special assistant to U.S. Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell. David earned an MBA from the University of Edinburgh and his BA from the University of California at Berkeley.

Motoya Kitamura
Managing Director,
HQ Capital

Motoya Kitamura is a Managing Director based in Hong Kong and Tokyo. He covers primary, secondary, and co-investment activities in Asia, with a special emphasis on Japan. He was previously a Managing Partner with AB Value Capital, an opportunistic special situation secondaries manager based in Tokyo. Prior to AB Value Capital, he worked on primary, secondary, and co-investment activities for Macquarie Bank/ROC Partners and Alternative Investment (“AI”) Capital.

Prior to joining AI Capital, he was a consultant for Mitsubishi Research Institute, where he worked on commercial due diligence for Japanese buyout funds, conducted research on the private equity markets, and published books and articles on private equity. He started his career in journalism. Mr. Kitamura holds a master’s degree from The Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Osaka University of Foreign Studies. He is fluent in Japanese and English.

Wen-Wei Lai
Associate,
Debevoise & Plimpton

Wen-Wei Lai, based in Hong Kong, is an associate and member of the firm’s Corporate Department and M&A Group.

Recommended for M&A by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2019), his practice focuses on M&A, capital markets and finance transactions. Mr. Lai represents investment banks, commercial banks, private equity funds and corporations in connection with acquisition financings, leveraged buyouts, first- and second-lien financings, and other types of domestic and international financings. His experience also includes M&A and capital markets transactions and advice on corporate governance and public company reporting matters.

Mr. Lai relocated to Hong Kong in 2016 after practicing for many years in New York. He received his LL.B. from National Taiwan University and his J.D. from Columbia Law School.

Mr. Lai is fluent in Mandarin Chinese. He is admitted to the Bar in New York and Taiwan.

Nathan Lee
Vice President and Head of IR,
TR Capital

Nathan Lee is Vice President and Head of Investor Relations at TR Capital. TR Capital is the leader in secondary private equity investments in the Asia-Pacific region and provides liquidity solutions to owners of private equity assets through Secondary Direct (single asset) and Fund Restructuring (portfolio) transactions. TR Capital targets significant minority positions in high-performing companies in the Consumer, Technology, Healthcare, and Financial Services sectors.

Prior to joining TR Capital, Mr. Lee was an investment professional at BlackPine, a private investment company based in Hong Kong. Before that, Mr. Lee was a corporate lawyer with Davis Polk & Wardwell and Slaughter and May in London, where he advised corporate and private equity clients on cross-border M&A, joint venture and ECM transactions. Mr. Lee holds a BA in Jurisprudence from the University of Oxford and an MBA from INSEAD.

Steve Okun
ASEAN Representative,
EMPEA

Founder and CEO of APAC Advisors, Steven Okun is a leader in the private equity industry on ESG, sustainability and stakeholder engagement in Asia, having lived and worked in the region since 2003.

In September 2017, EMPEA appointed Steven 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 Community.

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, Steven 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, Steven often guest hosts on CNBC and frequently appears on Channel NewsAsia.

He received his B.A. from the University of Virginia and his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Philip Rohlik
Counsel,
Debevoise & Plimpton

Philip Rohlik is a member of the firm’s Litigation Group whose practice focuses on international investigations, securities law and dispute resolution.

Mr. Rohlik’s varied practice has included representation of US and multinational companies in complex litigation and investigations, as well as in cybersecurity and data privacy issues, with a particular focus on Asia.

Based in Asia since 2011, Mr. Rohlik leads the firm’s dispute resolution team in Shanghai. He has represented clients from the financial services, pharmaceutical/healthcare, engineering, manufacturing, insurance, and entertainment sectors, in connection with white collar litigation, regulatory investigations, responses to cybersecurity incidents, domestic and international arbitration, and domestic litigation. Mr. Rohlik also regularly counsels corporate clients on regulatory issues arising in the course of their business around the globe or in connection with M&A transactions.

Mr. Rohlik joined Debevoise in 2000. He received his J.D. magna cum laude from New York University School of Law in 2000 where he was an editor of the New York University Law Review. Mr. Rohlik received a B.A. from St. Louis University in 1997, from which he graduated summa cum laude with Honors in 1997. Mr. Rohlik served as a law clerk for the Hon. John T. Noonan of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Mr. Rohlik is admitted to practice in New York and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and is a solicitor admitted to appear before the High Court of Hong Kong.

Raju Ruparelia
Managing Director, Private Capital,
Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan

Raju Ruparelia leads Ontario Teachers’ direct private equity investing activities across Asia-Pacific. Raju joined Ontario Teachers’ in 2008, was a senior founding member of its Hong Kong office in 2013 and has nearly two decades of combined experience in private equity and corporate finance. He has worked in both Toronto and London for the organization and has been involved in a number of its direct investments, including the acquisitions of Spandana Sphoorty Financial Ltd., INC Research, Coway, DTZ and Cushman & Wakefield. Raju currently sits on the board of Cushman & Wakefield.

Prior to joining Ontario Teachers’, Raju worked in investment banking at Credit Suisse in New York, in investments at Cadillac Fairview (Ontario Teachers’ wholly owned real estate subsidiary) and in the corporate finance group at Deloitte.

Raju holds a BA from Wilfrid Laurier University and an MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

Mai Shapiro
International Counsel,
Debevoise & Plimpton

Mai Shapiro is an international counsel in the Tax Department and is based in the firm’s Hong Kong office. Ms. Shapiro has significant experience advising private fund sponsors on fund formation tax and structuring matters, and on the tax aspects of a fund’s downstream investment activities. She advises a range of sponsors in forming different types of funds, from pan-Asian equity buyout funds to sector- or country-specific funds, as well as separate account programs and foreign-sponsored, RMB-denominated private equity funds.

Ms. Shapiro joined the firm in 2006 and was resident in the London office before joining the Hong Kong office in 2008. Ms. Shapiro received a J.D. from the University of Virginia in 2003 and a B.A. magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1997. Ms. Shapiro is a member of the Bar of the State of New York.

Ms. Shapiro is admitted to practice as an attorney in New York and a solicitor in Hong Kong.

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. She is on the Firm’s Investment Committee and co-leads Asia Alternatives’ investments in expansion and growth 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 MBA from Harvard Business School and holds a Bachelors degree in International Relations from the Foreign Affairs College in Beijing, China. Ms. Xu is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and English.

Ms. Xu currently serves on the Advisory Boards for several of Asia Alternatives’ China and India private equity funds. In addition, she serves on the Boards of the Emerging Market Private Equity Association (EMPEA) and the Chun Hui Bo’ ai Children Foundation.

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