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Tikehau adds a partner to senior ranks for Asia

The French asset manager is expanding its presence in the region with an external hire who will be based in Singapore.

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Tikehau Capital is ramping up its senior management team for Asia-Pacific with its latest hiring of a partner. The Paris-headquartered asset manager is bringing in Neil Parekh as head of Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

The role is newly created to reinforce the current management team in Asia, comprised of Bruno de Pampelonne, Tikehau Investment Management’s chairman, and Jean-Baptiste Feat, co-head of Asia.

Parekh, who will be based in Singapore, will join Tikehau Capital at the end of June, according to a statement issued by the firm today. He is currently completing his tenure as general manager at National Australia Bank, where he is responsible for various aspects of the bank’s Asia businesses.

It is understood that Australia and New Zealand are the countries where Tikehau Capital intends to increase its presence.

De Pampelonne said in the statement that Parekh’s “deep knowledge of the region and his extensive network will be invaluable to Tikehau Capital’s business in Asia, Australia and New Zealand and help to further strengthen the firm’s footprint in the region”.

Tikehau has been expanding its Asia operations. As Private Debt Investor reported, the group teamed up with a Japanese insurance group, T&D, in September 2019, with a view to establishing a capital and business partnership.

Its first Asia office was established in Singapore in 2014. The group opened offices in Seoul in 2017 and Tokyo in 2019.

Young Joon Moon has been heading Tikehau’s Seoul office since he joined the firm in April 2017. Serge Diakov has been heading the Tokyo office since April 2019. It is understood that both office heads report to the Asia management team.

Tikehau has existing exposure to Asia-Pacific via its latest fund of private debt funds vehicle, Tikehau Fund of Funds I. It has a fundraising target of $150 million, PDI data show.

Tikehau Capital is listed on Euronext in Paris with €25.8 billion of assets under management and shareholder equity of €3.1 billion as of 31 December 2019. It deployed a total of €3.6 billion in its closed-end funds during 2019, according to the latest earnings result disclosed on 19 March.