Panel 1 | State of Private Equity & Beyond
Driven by economic reforms, the rise of entrepreneurship, and increasing foreign investment, the growth of private equity in Asia accelerated in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This panel invites founders of pioneering private equity firms from this formative era to share their origin stories, recount impactful successes from their portfolios, and offer insights on navigating future investment landscapes. They will also highlight promising sectors for private equity engagement and conclude with advice for the next generation of leaders eager to enter the private equity space in Asia.
Rebecca Xu is a Co-Founder and Managing Director of Asia Alternatives. She is on the Firm’s Investment Committee and co-leads Asia Alternatives’ investments in growth and venture capital funds, focusing most of her time on China investments. Prior to starting Asia Alternatives, she was a Senior Investment Officer at the International Finance Corporation (“IFC”), the private sector investment arm of the World Bank Group. Ms. Xu holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor’s in International Relations from the Foreign Affairs College in Beijing, China.
Tatsuo Kawasaki co-founded Unison Capital in 1998. His investment experience ranges from consumer goods, retail, food & beverages, financial services, and electronic parts manufacturing. Prior to founding Unison Capital, he worked at Goldman Sachs and McKinsey and also has experience in a start-up directing IPO. Tatsuo holds a B.A. in Economics from Keio University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Warren Allderige is the CEO and Managing Director of Pacific Harbor Group, a Hong Kong-based fund manager that looks at special situations funds, stressed and distressed debts. He has nearly 40 years of experience in investments and finance, in Europe, Asia, and North America, and over 20 years in Hong Kong. He holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.S. from Cornell.
Charles C.Y. Wang is the Tandon Family Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. He is a research member of the European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI) and an associate editor of Management Science and Journal of Accounting Research, two leading management journals. His research and teaching focus on corporate governance and valuation. He holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Economics, as well as an M.S. in Statistics, from Stanford University and a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell.
Panel 2 | Synchronizing Asia’s Healthcare Powerhouses
Exacerbated by the aging population, rising incidence of chronic diseases, and increasing cost, the healthcare sector calls for reformation. This panel invites leaders from multiple healthcare sectors to share their views on what the future of healthcare entails through a series of questions. We will uncover what the roles of healthcare players and start-ups will be and how collaboration among them can further drive innovation, improve healthcare access, reduce costs, and ultimately enhance patient outcomes in Asia and beyond.
David Boucher has worked in healthcare for 45 years; he currently serves as Chief Executive Officer at Bumrungrad International Hospital Phuket in Phuket, Thailand. Prior to that, David served as Chief of Service Excellence and Medical Value Travel (MVT) at the corporate level at Dubai-based Aster DM Healthcare. Additionally, he had served in several capacities as an executive of insurance company, BlueCross Blue Shield of South Carolina, and served as CEO at several hospitals in the United States. Mr. Boucher earned his bachelors from Slippery Rock University (Pennsylvania) and a Master of Public Health from the University of South Carolina.
Ms. Yew is a Partner at McKinsey & Company. She has advised life sciences companies and health systems globally across both the U.S. and Asia on accelerating the pace with which novel innovations can reach patients through application of digital and analytics. This has included driving digital transformations of global businesses, evaluating healthtech innovators for investors, building new ventures in digital health and more. Earlier in her career, she helped STEMCELL Technologies orchestrate international marketing strategies and propelled its growth in Asia-Pacific. Ms. Yew holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor’s in Molecular and Cell Biology from Harvard University.
Ms. Cheng plays a key role at Moderna, where she advances business development efforts, spearhead groundbreaking advancements in mRNA therapeutics, and orchestrate pivotal deals in cancer vaccine programs. Prior to that, she was a Project Leader at the Boston Consulting Group, where she led Healthcare strategy and due diligence projects for leading biopharma firms in North America. She also served as the co-chair of the HBS Healthcare Alumni Conference. Ms. Cheng holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and is an alumna of the Vagelos Life Sciences & Management Program with a dual degree B.A. in Biology from University of Pennsylvania and a B.Sc. in Finance at The Wharton School. Her life mission is to use her skills to bridge the gap between business and science to accelerate therapies for patients in the future.
Dr. Kwo is the Chief Commercial Officer of Everly Health, a digital health company at the forefront of the $300 billion virtual diagnostics-driven care industry. Dr. Kwo authored “DIGITAL MD: Revolutionizing the Future of Care” and served as Deputy Chief Clinical Officer for Elevance (NYSE: ELV) modernizing care for 43 million Americans in Medicare, Medicaid, and Commercial populations. Dr. Kwo has started multiple venture-backed companies and served on multiple boards, such as Walmart (Mexico & Central America). She earned her BA in Human Biology from Stanford University, MD from Harvard Medical School, MBA from Harvard Business School, and an MPH from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Professor Chan is an Assistant Professor of Business Administration in the Negotiation, Organizations & Markets Unit at Harvard Business School. Prior to joining academia, Professor Chan has had extensive experience in the healthcare industry starting as a McKinsey consultant, and most recently as Senior Vice President of Market Strategy with Optum/UnitedHealth. Professor Chan holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University and an M.P.H. from Harvard University
Panel 3 | State of VC: From Asia to the Bay
Driven by economic reforms, the rise of entrepreneurship, and increasing foreign investment, the growth of venture capital accelerated in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The ascendance of Asian venture capitalists and startups has been instrumental in the global evolution of the venture capital ecosystem, marking Asian VCs as pivotal players for innovation and economic dynamism. Asian VCs have not only fueled the rapid growth of unicorn companies, transforming local markets and sectors ranging from technology to fintech, but they have also played a critical role in nurturing a vibrant startup culture. This synergy between investors and startups has contributed significantly to the global startup and VC landscape, showcasing the region and the culture’s ability to drive technological advancement and economic growth. The impact of Asian venture capitalists and startups extends beyond regional boundaries, influencing the evolution of startup ecosystems and venture capital investment strategies worldwide, and underscoring the global importance entrepreneurial and investment activities.
Eddy Chan is a founding partner of “Indonesia-only” Independent venture capital firm Intudo Ventures with ~US$300 million in committed capital, that supports as the “Indonesia-beachhead” strategy for top tier institutions, 10+ Forbes Midas List investors and family offices in the world (coupled with 35+ hyperlocal Indonesian conglomerates / families). Prior to co-founding Intudo Ventures, Eddy worked on venture investments in startups since the late 1990s, including PayPal, Palantir, and Affirm, founded and operated venture-backed technology companies with operations in Silicon Valley and Asia, practiced corporate/M&A law and worked as an investment banker.
David Yin is a Partner at GSR Ventures, focusing on investments in early-stage fintech, blockchain, consumer, and Southeast Asian companies. Prior to GSR Ventures, David was head of strategy at an AI-powered alternative lending platform and consultant at McKinsey’s startup practice. He is the co-founder of the Southeast Asia Startup Initiative at Stanford, Berkeley, Harvard, and MIT. David earned a BA from Yale University, MPA from Harvard University, and MBA from Stanford University
Susli is a Partner at Monk's Hill Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in early-stage tech companies, primarily Series A, in Southeast Asia. She is based in Indonesia and is the ESG leader for the firm, responsible for sourcing, analyzing and executing deals, and working closely with portfolio companies. Susli is the first Y Combinator backed female founder from Indonesia. She is also the Co-Founder of ErudiFi, a tech-enabled education financing company in Southeast Asia. Susli received her BA in Economics and Chinese from Yale, MBA from Wharton, and MA in International Development from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Brendon oversees Samsung Next’s investments in early-stage founders building in the technology areas of AI, blockchain, fintech, health tech, infrastructure, media tech and robotics. He has over 20 years experience investing in early-stage technology companies and previously served as a founding general partner of Altos Ventures. Prior to Altos Ventures, he was a strategy and management consultant in the media, consumer and technology industries.
Andy Wu is the Arjun and Minoo Melwani Family Associate Professor of Business Administration in the Strategy Unit at Harvard Business School, where he teaches in the MBA and Executive Education programs. He researches, teaches, and advises managers on growth and innovation strategy in the technology industry. He received the HBS Wyss Award, HBS Williams Award, Poets & Quants 40 Under 40, and Penn Prize in recognition of commitment and excellence in teaching and mentoring. His research has been published in the Strategic Management Journal, Strategy Science, Organization Science, Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Academy of Management Annals, Harvard Business Review, and other top journals
Fireside Chat | Global Gateways: Cross-Border Business and Regulation
Jason Hsu currently is an Edward Mason Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School. From 2016 to 2020 Hsu served as Legislator At-Large in Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan (the national parliament) where he focused on defense, technology, trade and foreign policy. Among the crucial legislative bills that he initiated and sponsored include FinTech Regulatory Sandbox Act, Autonomous Vehicles Management Act, Amendment on Anti-Money Laundering Law, Cybersecurity Management Act and Virtual Currency Guidelines (Security Token Offerings), Artificial Intelligence Development Act, Digital Economy Principal Act. Hsu is also prominent advocator for socially progressive legislation. He co-led the effort to pass Same Sex Marriage Act and championed for End-of-Life Dignity Act (Voluntary Euthanasia).
Rana Mitter is ST Lee Chair in US-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is the author of several books, including Forgotten Ally: China’s World War II (2013) which won the 2014 RUSI/Duke of Westminster’s Medal for Military Literature, and was named a Book of the Year in the Financial Times and Economist. He has commented regularly on China in media and forums around the world, including at the World Economic Forum at Davos. He previously taught at Oxford, and is a Fellow of the British Academy.
Panel 4 | Buoyance and Uncertainty, Navigating Asia as MNCs
Large-scale multinational corporations (MNCs), with their scale and diversified business interests, have long played a pivotal role in Asia’s economic development. These enterprises have navigated great risks and uncertainties while continuing to evolve to capture growth as they operate in developing markets. This panel invites leaders from different walks of the MNCs scene (operators, investors, and legal advisors) to shed light on the unique opportunities and effective means for large MNCs to adjust to the ever-evolving dynamics in Asia.
Craig S. Smith just began his newest role as Chief Executive Officer for Aimbridge Hospitality. Based in Dallas, Texas, Aimbridge Hospitality is the world’s leading global hospitality management company and a trusted operator of over 80 globally recognized lodging brands and distinctive luxury and lifestyle assets.
Prior to this role, he oversaw the global operations for the fastest-growing division of the world’s largest hospitality company, Marriott International, with specific responsibility for 2,500+ hotels worldwide with $15B+ USD in sales across 136 countries and territories.
The son of a career Ambassador and father of five, Craig has lived in 13 countries and has a deep appreciation for cultural differences across generations and geographies.