Tikehau Capital names NAB's Parekh as Asia head

Parekh (pictured), who is based in Singapore, will join Tikehau at the end of the second quarter as a partner following completion of his tenure with NAB. He will be charged with strengthening Tikehau's investment capabilities across the region.

"With a remarkable career spanning over 30 years, he has become a senior leader of the business and broader community in the Asia Pacific region," Bruno de Pampelonne, chairman of Tikehau Investment Management, said in a statement. "His deep knowledge of the region and his extensive network will be invaluable to Tikehau Capital's business in Asia, Australia and New Zealand."

Tikehau has EUR25.8 billion ($28 million) in assets under management across private equity, private debt, real estate, and capital markets. PE assets total around EUR4.1 billion, about half of which comprises direct investments. The firm typically targets high-growth companies with deployments in a range of EUR10-70 million and claims to offer operational support to portfolio companies.

Tikehau entered Asia with a Singapore office in 2014, which was followed by bases in Seoul in 2017 and Tokyo last year. The Tokyo office will be led by Sergei Diakov, a former client manager for Citi Global Markets in Japan, who has 10 years' experience in the country. The goal is to get closer to Japanese financial institutions that have growing appetite for European private markets.

Last year, the firm reached a first close of $100 million last year on its debut Asia fund-of-funds. The overall target is $150 million. Prior to that, it reached a $50 million first close on a Singapore-based early-stage healthcare fund known as TKS1. The joint venture with Sprim Ventures, an arm of healthcare firm Sprim Group, will invest up to $5 million per deal in local start-ups.

The broader PE strategy also encompasses a unit called ACE Management, which specializes in technology investments in the aerospace, maritime, defense, and security sectors. ACE manages seven funds representing approximately EUR440 million in assets.

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