People
Blackstone's Rob Johnson resurfaces at J.P. Morgan
J.P. Morgan Asset Management has appointed former Blackstone MD Rob Johnson as its head of global business development for China real estate.
VIDEO: Tata Opportunities Fund's Mukund Rajan
PIPEs may be seen as a gray area for investors suspicious of the value-add private equity can provide to the asset class, but Mukund Rajan, managing director of the Tata Opportunities Fund, says PIPEs in India can make a difference – as long as they...
AVCJ Special Achievement Award – Philip Bilden
Philip Bilden, who launched HarbourVest’s Asia business 15 years ago and is now transitioning from the role of managing director to senior advisor, reflects on a fast-evolving industry
When private equity gets political
Those of you who are familiar with Hong Kong will know that the Special Administrative Region of China will be holding its elections for a new chief executive – the highest local government post – next year. While a number of individuals have expressed...
Morgan Stanley names Godbole head of India real estate
Morgan Stanley has appointed investment banking veteran Shirish Godbole as its head of Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing (MSREI) India, replacing Naresh Naik who left the firm earlier this month to spin off his own investment fund.
SKS Microfinance Chairman Vikram Akula resigns
The founder and chairman of embattled microlender SKS Finance, Vikram Akula, has resigned his post after 14 years at the firm. It comes as the publicly listed lender looks to recoup costs amid an increasingly difficult business environment.
India fundraising: Survival of the fittest
India has seen plenty of private equity spinouts but an increasingly difficult fundraising environment is expected to separate the men from the boys
CHAMP-backed Blue Star hires Unitas’ Philip Bower
Blue Star, the New Zealand printing firm owned by CHAMP Private Equity, has hired Unitas Capital's Phillip Bower as its new managing director.
Babson Capital hires Vik Thadani for Asia Pacific
Babson Capital has hired Vik Thadani to assist with the firm's Asia Pacific strategy as a managing director in its mezzanine and private equity group.
Q&A: Bain's Jonathan Zhu on Skylark and beyond
Jonathan Zhu, managing director of Bain Capital Asia, discusses the Skylark buyout, access to leverage, corporate governance in China and India, and the forthcoming Asia II fund
People power: PE and management
Private equity firms must move quickly after an acquisition to encourage and incentivize the existing management team or bring in new people
PE succession planning: Continuity issues
Asia’s private equity industry may not be old, but it is still volatile. Firms that fail to address succession planning – due to staff turnover if not staff ages – risk losing the confidence of LPs.
MAVCAP names Bujang as CEO
Malaysia Venture Capital Management (MAVCAP) has named Jamaludin Bujang as CEO, succeeding Husni Salleh, who exited the position earlier this year to become CEO of Bumiputera Agenda Coordinating Unit.
Morgan Stanley's India real estate head to spin out own funds
The head of Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing in India, Naresh Naik, is spinning out of the investment bank to launch independent real estate funds in the country.
VIDEO: PineBridge Investment's Michael Chae
Secondaries in Japan are gaining greater prominence given the role of the asset class in delivering returns to conservative LPs, says Michael Chae, managing director of PineBridge Investments
Carlyle poaches Affinity MD to head up Korea operations
The Carlyle Group has appointed Sanghyun Lee as managing director with responsibility for the private equity firm’s South Korean investment activities. Lee joints from Affinity Equity Partners, where he also served as Korea-focused managing director....
ICICI's Puri-Buch to launch Greater Pacific Singapore office
Former Managing Director and CEO of ICICI Securities Madhabi Puri-Buch will join UK-based Asian PE investor Greater Pacific Capital to set up its Singapore office.
VIDEO: Globis Capital Partners' Yoshito Hori
Yoshito Hori, managing partner of VC investor Globis Capital Partners, says that Japan is a prime market for venture investing given its talent and landscape for innovation. He stresses that - despite arguments to the contrary - Japan’s venture space...
VIDEO: PE's top names sound off on Asian talent
Asia has been a major recipient of capital in recent years given the growth potential of key markets, but the region's top professionals aver that finding an experienced fund manager to deploy these dollars remains a key issue.
NSR co-founder Rajat Gupta indicted for insider trading
Chairman and Co-Founder of New Silk Route (NSR) Rajat Gupta was indicted for insider trading by a US federal court on Wednesday. He is charged with one count of conspiracy and five counts of securities fraud.
VIDEO: PE's top names on the key challenges in Asia
In the lead-up to 24th-annual AVCJ Forum 2011, held in Hong Kong November 7-11, AVCJ TV asks private equity’s top fund managers about the major challenges facing the industry.
VIDEO: CNEI's Xiaoyang Yu
Xiaoyang Yu, founding partner of growth-focused China New Enterprise Investment (CNEI), says that crowding and a lack of transparency are among the key challenges facing the private equity industry in China. She insists that, when it comes to due diligence,...
Q&A: Sanjiv Kapur of Wolfensohn India Advisors
Sanjiv Kapur, managing director of Wolfensohn India Advisors, explains how private equity firms can keep their investors and their investment professionals happy
Blackstone appoints Costello chairman for Australia, New Zealand
Paul Costello, who stepped down as general manager of Future Fund late last year, has been appointed The Blackstone Group’s non-executive chairman for Australia and New Zealand. He will report to Tony James, the private equity firm’s president, and...