IVORY CAPITAL ASIA

Chris has over 30 years of investment banking and private equity experience.

He is the Founder and Managing Partner of Ivory Capital, with offices in Singapore and Hong Kong.  Since inception in 2002, Ivory has advised and managed numerous private equity and venture capital investments and M&A transactions in Asia, Europe and the USA.  Prior to ivory, Chris was the Head of Lehman Brothers’ Investment Banking Group for Singapore and Malaysia.  

Chris has over US$8 billion of M&A and capital markets transactions for major corporations and global private equity firms in Asia Chris is also the Managing Partner and CIO of Sotavento Capital, a single family office managing an active portfolio comprising over US$1 billion AUM in private equity, venture capital, public equities, bonds and cash assets.

Chris is responsible for the investment strategy and asset allocation, risk  management and liquidity of the Office, and legal, governance and financial reporting procedures. He manages a team of investment analysts and administration staff

Selected M&A and Capital Markets Track Record:

• KKR’s US$1.6 billion buyout and stock market delisting of LCY Chemicals in Taiwan

• US$3.3 billion merger between Starhub and Singapore CableVision

• Blackstone’s US$250m buyout of Tysan, Hong Kong

• Carlyle’s US$80m buyout of GDC Tech, Hong Kong

• JP Morgan & ASC Capital US$40m investment in Rodamas, Indonesia

• US$1.4 billion IPO for Singapore Telecom, the largest IPO in Asia at that time

• US$630m IPO for China Huaneng Power Group, the first NYSE Iisting for a Chinese company

• US$100m IPO of Asahimas Flat Glass, Indonesia

• Over US$4 billion of bond issues for Petronas and Tenaga, the national oil & gas and power companies of Malaysia

Jessica Henry is a global marketing, partnerships and product strategist, with almost 25 years experience in high-impact roles within organizations such as American Express and Merrill Lynch in New York, LesConcierges in San Francisco and Aspire Lifestyles / International SOS in Singapore.

Jessica provides strategic solutions for premium consumer segments, working both internally and with industry-leading clients, including Visa, MasterCard, Citi, Sotheby's, Neiman Marcus, and HSBC, as well as a number of regional and global startups in critical scale phases.  More specifically, she has:

• Built and led high performing teams across 20+ countries on 6 continents

• Provided industry-leading partnership development, resulting in high-value asset portfolios sustained by local, regional and global networks

• Structured cross-functional organizational alignment to efficiently drive global/regional/local sales and operational agendas

• Strong discipline around product development, with a customer-centric, market informed approach and stand-out value propositions

• Expertise in global branding and marketing strategy with execution in B-C, B-B, B-B-C and B-E capacities

• Deep rewards program design, launch and management experience across food & wine, travel, sporting, experiences, arts & entertainment, retail, real estate and education

• Premium event production and multimillion dollar sponsorship management

Jessica is a graduate of Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications, holding a Bachelor of Science in Advertising with a minor in psychology.

Lucienne has more than 25 years of investment banking experience.

She joined Ivory Capital in 2010, prior to which she spent five years in Beijing as a founding team member of CEBM Group, a leading Chinese independent investment advisory firm providing institutional investors with China macro research and sector strategies.  CEBM Group was later sold to Caixin Media.

Prior to Beijing, Lucienne was an Associate Director with UBS Investment Bank in London and Singapore, specializing in Telecoms, Media & Technology.  She advised Vodafone Group on its strategic partnership with Swisscom (Euro 2.95 billion acquisition of a 25% stake in Swisscom Mobile, combined with an MVNO agreement in Germany), the sale of its fixed/mobile operator in Austria (telering), and the strategic management of its investments in mobile operators SFR (France) and Vodafone Egypt.  In Singapore, she worked on the US$625 million IPO for mobile telecommunications operator M1.

Lucienne began her career in 1996 at Ernst & Young Paris, where she managed statutory audit assignments, performed buyer and seller due diligence, and provided transaction support services for public and private companies in the Telecoms, Technology and Media sectors.  Clients included France Telecom, Orange, Gaumont, Conde Nast and Matra Group.

Lucienne speaks English and French, and basic Mandarin.  She is a graduate of HEC Business School and Sciences Po Paris in France and holds a M.Sc. in Economics from Paris Dauphine University.  She holds the Certified Financial Analyst designation and is a regular member of both the CFA Institute and CFA Singapore

Vera Yanti Kretschmar has more than 14 years experience in Real Estate Investments, Retail and Consumer Products in China, the USA, SEA and Europe.

Prior to Ivory, Vera worked at CBRE in Shanghai, China and in Hong Kong where she helped Retail Brands, F&B operators and Cosmetic Brands with their Expansion Strategy and Real Estate Portfolio for Asia.  She also ran her own Consultancy Business Prestige PR out of China assisting brands on entering and investing into the China and SEA markets. Vera was the Brand Director for leading Italian Jewelry Brand Stroili Oro in 2012.

Originally from Germany, Vera grew up between Europe and Asia.  After finishing her studies in Germany and the USA, Vera lived in the USA, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Manila and Switzerland and worked in Investments through the various regions.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in International Business from California State University Northridge.

Noel is the Senior Strategy Advisor at Equilibrium, an investment management company headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and San Francisco, California that develops and manages proprietary strategies for institutional investors worldwide, focusing on domains in sustainability-driven real assets that include Agriculture & Food (controlled environment foods), distributed Infrastructure (waste-to-value, water and renewable energy), and sustainable real estate, among others.

Prior to Equilibrium, Noel spent 22 years as an investment banker with Salomon Smith Barney (Citigroup), Goldman Sachs, and Merrill Lynch & Co. Based in New York, San Francisco, Palo Alto and Hong Kong, working with a broad range of diversified financial services and technology companies, banking institutions and governments in Asia (particularly Southeast Asia and Mideast), United States, Europe and the Middle East.  He has led privatizations, capital raises and M&A transactions in ASEAN and non-Japan North Asia, and was Goldman Sachs’ chief representative for Thailand.

Noel has served on numerous boards of companies in the U.S. and Asia, including a publicly listed securities company in Thailand, U.S. financial technology companies, Equilibrium Capital (as noted above), a U.S. community bank, and a machine learning and analytics company, among others.  He chairs the Audit Committee of a listed company in Thailand and works with start-ups and growth companies as well.  He also advises private equity and venture funds and businesses in renewable energy, private equity, and fintech in US, Asia and Europe; and is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council of the McCormick School of Engineering, and serves as Regent of Northwestern University in Evanston, IL.

Noel graduated from Northwestern University with BS and MS from the McCormick School of Engineering and MBA in Finance and International Economics from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Of Thai and Filipino parents, Noel grew up in Thailand and lives in Denver, Colorado, and Paris, France.

Sook has over a 15 years of investment banking experience in the USA and Asia.  Prior to Ivory, Sook was Senior Vice President at Nomura and Lehman Brothers Investment Banking in Singapore and New York.

She has executed US$14 billion worth of transactions in the USA and Asia in the financial institutions, telecom and media, real estate and financial sponsors sectors.  She has advised on IPO’s, REIT/business trusts, M&A, take-private, bond offerings, rights offering and joint venture transactions.

Sook speaks English and Mandarin.  She graduated with honours from The University of Michigan in Business Administration, majoring in Finance and Accounting.

Julius is a recognized asset management professional with over 20 years of industry experience.

Before joining Ivory Capital, he held senior positions at investment firms Cinda International Asset Management, Vision Investment Management, Samena Capital, Search Investment Group, and Sterling Industries/Morningside.  Leading teams spanning trading, research, operations, and business development, his investment expertise covers hedge funds, liquid assets, and private equity. Julius has a proven track record in portfolio management, risk management, and capital allocation, working with family offices and institutional clients.

Beyond investment management, Julius has collaborated closely with operating companies on turnaround and growth strategies, including stints serving as CEO in sectors such as food and beverages, healthcare, and automotive parts.

Julius graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of New Hampshire and earned his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1991. He has been a resident of Hong Kong since 1994 and is fluent in Mandarin.

Alvin has 7 years of assurance and advisory experience in Asia, having worked at Deloitte, Mazars and Ernst & Young before joining Ivory Capital.

Alvin has advised on valuations, Singapore IPOs, RTOs, and provided assurance for M&A transactions across construction, technology, retail and industrial sectors. Before investment banking, Alvin was attached to JP Morgan’s wealth management team.

Alvin speaks English and Mandarin. He graduated with a Master of Finance from the University of Cambridge and holds a degree in Accounting & Finance from the London School of Economics, University of London.

Bart has over 5 years of investment banking experience focused on M&A and capital markets transactions across fintech and digital assets sectors in Asia, North America, and Europe, with more than US$1 billion in transacted deal value.

 

Prior to joining Ivory Capital, he was an Executive Director at Spartan Group in Singapore, where he played a role in establishing the franchise as a global leader in blockchain & digital assets advisory.

 

Bart has advised on nearly 30 M&A and financing transactions with leading players in the blockchain and fintech sectors, and also brings experience across special situations including secondaries, distressed sales, and SPACs.

 

Bart served as a First Lieutenant in the Singapore Guards, and graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the National University of Singapore.

Lauren has 6 years of investment banking and asset management experience in Asia.  Prior to joining Ivory Capital, she was with Citigroup, Rothschild & Co and Fidelity in Hong Kong.

Lauren has advised on M&A and restructuring transactions, Hong Kong and USA IPO’s, with clients in consumer and retail, telecom and media, and industrial sectors. Prior to investment banking, Lauren worked in fixed income investment team at Fidelity.

Lauren speaks English and Mandarin. She graduated from the University of Hong Kong with a degree in Economics & Finance.

Roman has 9 years of combined experience in investment banking and investment management.

Prior to joining Ivory Capital, he led the Corporate Venture Capital arm of Union Bank of the Philippines, a subsidiary of Aboitiz Equity Ventures. Prior to this, Roman worked in the investment banking division of MUFG in NYC advising on and executing USD bond issuances, and at Evolution Japan in Tokyo, a boutique investment bank, where he advised on and executed PIPE transactions for publicly listed Japanese Companies. He has also worked with Ayala Corporation’s Healthcare unit where he focused on M&A and corporate strategy.

Roman graduated from Princeton University with a degree in Sociology.

Sam has 5 years of experience in M&A consulting, financial operations, and private equity investments.

Before joining Ivory Capital, Sam held roles at Navis Capital (SEA mid-market PE), JTS Holdings (industrial recycling), and Monitor Deloitte (M&A consulting). His experience extends from Southeast Asian buy-outs and growth equity investments to financial operations within an industrial manufacturing SME. Sam started his career with Monitor Deloitte, supporting clients in the Consumer, TMT, and Automotive sectors with corporate strategy and M&A initiatives.

He speaks English and Mandarin. He graduated from the University of Melbourne, majoring in Finance & Accounting.