Private equity giant KKR names Asia head of global impact

AMERICAN private equity giant KKR has appointed Singapore-based Wong Chee-Wei as its head of global impact for Asia.

Mr Wong is responsible for sourcing investment opportunities and supporting impact-related portfolio companies across the Asia-Pacific, the firm said on Wednesday.

Before joining KKR, Mr Wong was Tailwind Capital's New York managing director. He also spent nine years at EQT in New York and Singapore where he was an investor and board member of sustainability-focused technology enterprises and healthcare companies.

His appointment expands KKR's global impact team - which focuses on identifying and investing in global opportunities where financial performance and societal impact are "intrinsically aligned".

The team looks at companies whose core business models provide commercial solutions which provide measurable progress towards one or more of the United Nation's sustainable development goals.

On Feb 12, KKR announced the close of its first global impact fund at US$1.3 billion. The fund executed six investments since its inception - including Singapore-based Barghest Building Performance and Ramky Enviro Engineers.