Coller Capital, a private market secondaries manager, has hired Pak-Seng Lai as head of PWSS Distribution – APAC within its private wealth secondaries solutions (PWSS) team.
Based in Hong Kong, Lai (pictured) will spearhead the firm’s PWSS business in Asia Pacific, providing private wealth investors access to the private equity and private credit secondaries market through a diversified, institutional-grade quality portfolio, according to a media release by the firm.
Boris Maeder, managing director and head of international private wealth distribution, commented: “[Lai’s] appointment highlights our strategic commitment to the Asia Pacific market.”
Lai has more than 20 years of private market fundraising and portfolio construction experience. He was previously managing director and head of private wealth distribution, Asia Pacific, at Blue Owl Capital. Prior to that, he oversaw the private markets business of UBS AG in Asia Pacific, leading its investment advisory and fundraising efforts across the region. Before UBS, Lai held various management positions at global alternative asset managers including HQ Capital and Schroder Adveq.
Lai said: “Secondaries is a fast-growing asset class among private wealth investors in Asia Pacific as they seek to enhance returns, diversify their portfolios, and access increased liquidity.”
Lai will report to Boris Maeder, and his hiring follows the appointment of Peter Wu as head of product management, private wealth, at the firm’s newly opened Singapore office. Lai will be joined by Mavis Huang, who joins the Hong Kong PWSS team from Vontobel. Coller’s PWSS team now consists of 35 dedicated professionals globally.
The announcements follow the launch of Coller International Secondaries Private Equity Fund (CollerEquity) and Coller Private Credit Secondaries (CollerCredit), which are accessible to eligible private wealth investors outside of the US.
In Hong Kong and across Asia Pacific, Coller Capital will market funds to private wealth investors indirectly through licensed intermediaries such as private banks. Coller Capital has been present in the Asia-Pacific region for more than 13 years, led by Peter Kim, partner and head of Asia and RMB.
Coller Capital has offices in London, New York, Hong Kong, Beijing, Seoul, Luxembourg, Zurich, Melbourne, Montreal and Singapore. It manages $36bn in private equity, private credit, and other private market vehicles, according to the firm.
