Stephane Farouze has 25 years of investment experience. Prior to founding 8F Investment Partners, Stephane was Chairman of Alternatives for Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management. Before moving into that role, he was the Global Head of Alternatives and Fund Solutions and Member of the DeAWM Executive Committee. Stephane spent three years as a member of the Management Executive Committee for both Deutsche Asset Management and the Private Bank. As Head of Alternatives and Fund Solutions, Stephane’s team managed more than 200 professionals globally and was directly responsible for a total of US$50 billion of assets in Private Equity, Hedge Funds and Retirement Solutions.

Prior to that, Stephane served as the Global Head of Deutsche Bank’s Fund Derivatives and Hybrids Group within the Corporate Bank & Securities division, during which time the team was awarded the Risk Magazine award for 'Hedge Fund Derivatives House of the Year' 6 times in a row, the HFM award for 'Best Overall Investment Platform' and 'Best Managed Account Platform' twice, as well as various UCITS Platform and Product awards. In addition, Stephane was Awarded 'Best Active Manager' by Risk Magazine in 2002.

Before joining Deutsche Bank, Stephane was a Partner at Paradigm Global Advisors. He was also the Global Head of Sales and Structuring at Societe Generale Asset Management. Stephane has also worked at other financial institutions such as BNP, Commerzbank, Smith Barney and Paine Webber. Until 2009, Stephane was also a Director of Tarrant Apparel Group, a company listed on the Nasdaq since 2003.

Stephane holds Bachelor of Science in Applied Arts and Sciences and a Business Administration Degree in Finance from San Diego State University.

Karim Ghannam is based in Singapore and has 20 years of experience in fund management and investment banking. Karim was the Managing Director and Head of Alternatives & Fund solutions in Asia Pacific for Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management. Karim’s responsibilities included oversight of the bank’s hedge fund, private equity/private markets, third-party mutual funds and retirement/hybrids groups in the region. He was a member of the Alternatives and Fund Solutions Executive Committee and the Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management Asia Pacific Executive Committee.

Karim joined Deutsche Bank Group in 2011 with 14 years of industry experience. Prior to that, Karim was the global co-head of DB Private Equity & Private Markets - Deutsche Bank’s US$11 billion AUM primary, secondary and co-investment platform - and co-chair of the Global Investment Committee. He was the Global Head of Private Markets within Deutsche Bank’s Wealth Management business with overall responsibility for product selection, structuring and management within the private equity, real estate and credit space.

Before joining Deutsche Bank Group, Karim was at Argan Capital, a European mid-market private equity fund, where he spent 10 years, most recently as a Partner responsible for principal investments. Karim was a member of the investment committee at Argan Capital (and its predecessor, Bank of America Capital Partners) and helped oversee over €600m of investments. Karim led a number of European private equity deals, including structuring financing, implementing strategic change and exercising executive and board control. Prior to joining the Argan team in 2001, he worked with Merrill Lynch in London and Lehman Brothers in New York, where he concentrated on financing and M&A transactions for industrial growth, energy and power, and telecommunications companies.

Karim holds a Masters degree from the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales and a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University.

Martin Fothergill is based in London and has 24 years of experience in the finance industry, including 18 years at Deutsche Bank where he most recently held the position of Managing Director, Global Head of Multi-Asset Products with responsibility for hedge funds, private equity and mutual funds. He was also a member of the Global Investment Solutions Executive Committee.

Previously, as Managing Director, Global Head of Liquid Alternatives for the Alternatives & Fund Solutions group at Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management, Martin was responsible for a range of alternatives businesses including a US$12 billion managed account platform. This business won numerous awards over a multi-year period including best overall investment platform and best UCITS platform. He was also a Member of the Alternatives & Fund Solutions Executive Committee and the Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management UK Executive Committee.

Prior to this role Martin was Managing Director in the Global Fund Derivatives group in the investment bank where he held various roles including the set-up and development of the managed account business and as head of investment fund research covering long only funds, hedge funds and private equity.

Before joining Deutsche Bank Martin held investment fund research roles at Bankers Trust, Santander and ING Barings (Baring Securities) where his focus was primary on long-only closed-end funds typically investing in emerging and frontier markets.

Martin holds a Masters Degree in Finance and Investment from the University of Exeter and has written articles on hedge funds and had papers published including in the Journal of Alternative Investments.

André has 27 years of experience in the finance industry, including 17 years at Deutsche Bank. There he held numerous senior positions in both Corporate Finance and Global Markets including Head of Financial Institutions Group Germany/ Austria/ Switzerland, Head of Global Credit Trading (Transportation-, Infrastructure- and Energy-Finance, Real Estate Financing and Special Situations Financing), Germany and Co-Head of the Large Institutional Client Coverage. André also served as a member of the bank’s Corporate Banking and Securities Executive Committee Germany.

Prior to Deutsche Bank he worked at Merrill Lynch and before that at Bayerische Vereinsbank and Paribas.

André graduated from Frankfurt School of Finance and Management.

As a member of the Ashoka Support Network André supports the world’s leading social entrepreneurs. Furthermore, he is a mentor to German elite Olympic athletes at “Deutsche Sporthilfe” foundation.

Yoram Layani has 16 years of investment experience. Prior to joining 8F, Yoram was a Managing Director at BNP Paribas in Hong Kong, where he headed the Global Markets Institutional Sales team, Asia ex Japan, overseeing cross asset solutions for institutional clients. He was also a member of the Global Markets Business Committee and the Equity Derivatives Executive Committee for Asia.

Yoram and his team were responsible for the servicing of a wide array of clients across distribution businesses (Retail & Private Banks, Insurance Companies, etc) and Institutionals (Asset Managers, Pensions, and Sovereign Wealth), developing outcome-driven tailor-made solutions in the fields of Investment, Hedging, Long-Term Savings, Alternatives and Risk Premia. His team was awarded the Risk Magazine Award for “Asia House of the Year” and “Stuctured Products House of the Year”. He joined the Global Equities & Commodity Derivatives division of BNP Paribas Hong Kong in 2007.

Born in France, Yoram started his career in 2004 at Credit Agricole CIB on the Equities & Derivatives desk. Initially based in Stockholm, he participated in the business development of the Nordic region before being transferred to Paris, where he oversaw the Retail, Private Banking and Insurance coverage for the Belgium/Netherlands/Luxembourg area as well as Israel.

Yoram holds a Masters Degree in Finance & Management and a Bachelor in Business Administration from EM Lyon, France.

Gerald has more than 20 years of experience in asset management and investment banking. He joined 8F Asset Management as Partner & Head of Financing, in Q1 2020.

Prior to 8F Asset Management, he was with Barclays Investment Bank, in London, where he was a Managing Director, Global Head of Equities Solutions and was overseeing a market leading structuring team specialized in pension and insurance solutions, fund linked products as well as alternative investment portfolio financing.

Prior to that, he was a Managing Director at Deutsche bank, most recently as Global Head of Equity Derivatives Structuring, following 4 years as EMEA Head of Alternatives at Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management - the former combined unit regrouping DWS and DB Wealth Management.

He joined DB from the New York based hedge fund Paradigm Global and started his career at Societe Generale Asset Management.

Gerald holds a Masters Degree in Finance from the Paris Dauphine University.

Billy Wang is based in Hong Kong and has 15 years of experience in private equity and investment banking. Prior to joining 8F, Billy was a Director with Bank of China International's Private Equity Division, focusing on pre-IPO investments in China’s TMT, logistics warehousing and renewables sectors. Prior to joining BOCI in 2011, Billy was primarily focused on the North American oil and gas sector, having been seconded full-time from CITIC Capital to China Investment Corporation's Special Investment Department, working at Quantum Energy Partners, a Houston-based energy private equity fund manager, as well as Lehman Brothers' Natural Resources Group in both New York and Houston.

Billy graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with Bachelor degrees in Computer Science, Mathematics and Economics. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Kaylynn Lee is based in Singapore and has 5 years of experience in the private equity industry. Prior to joining 8F, she was a Senior Associate at F&H Fund Management, a pan-Asian private equity platform co-founded by the ex-CTO of Alibaba. In her time at F&H, Kaylynn triple-hatted the growth capital investments, real estate redevelopment, as well as hospitality funds.

Kaylynn helped to manage F&H’s private equity growth capital investments, covering the investment value chain full cycle from deal sourcing, due diligence, execution, to portfolio management and divestment. In particular, she oversaw consumer and technology targets and portfolio companies operating in and expanding to Southeast Asia and Israel.

F&H’s first real estate fund comprised setup, asset acquisition, financing, redevelopment, and marketing for a strata-titled, mixed-use building in Singapore, which Kaylynn took charge of stakeholder interests. This included shareholder capital calls and update reports, as well as day-to-day developer operations.

In partnership with Ctrip (NASDAQ: CTRP), F&H launched its pioneer hospitality fund to acquire and manage hotel properties in the UK. Kaylynn assisted in the asset management and asset acquisition efforts, including on-site due diligence, market study, execution, and asset enhancement initiatives.

Kaylynn holds a Magna Cum Laude in Bachelor of Business Management, double major Finance and Operations Management, from Singapore Management University. She also completed a half year exchange program at the University of Southern California.

Henry Zhao is based in Singapore and has accumulated extensive hands-on working experience through previous internships in Asset Management and Private Equity with senior investment professionals. Prior to 8F, Henry was a Private Equity Summer Analyst at Dymon Asia Capital, where he was involved in various projects ranging from investment research and valuation to on-site due diligence assignments on M&A deals. Henry also gained experience at The Rohatyn Group, where he evaluated private equity investments across global emerging markets and involved in portfolio monitoring.

Henry holds an Bachelor of Business Management with major in Finance from Singapore Management University. He has also completed a summer exchange at Harvard University.

Jessica Lee is based in Singapore and has worked in the real estate industry for the past 4 and a half years. Prior to joining 8F in 2019, Jessica was a Senior Investment Analyst at a private equity real estate investment and operating company, 8M Real Estate. During her time there, she quintupled the company’s AUM within 3 years and assisted extensively on its first foray into the hospitality industry with the acquisition of 3 notable hotels. At 8M Real Estate, she oversaw the entire acquisition lifecycle which included all underwriting, due diligence, investor memorandum preparation, investor relations and deal execution.

Jessica previously worked in New York City at Butler Burgher Group, a leading commercial real estate firm where she valued over US$0.5B of assets. She has also done internships at J.P. Morgan and the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Jessica holds a double degree from Boston University in Finance and Economics, where she graduated with honours.

Over 2 years of experience both in investment in venture capital, and in business development in Brazil and in Israel

Prior to joining 8F, worked as a summer analyst at Jerusalem Venture Partners, leading Israeli VC, assisting senior investment professionals by providing analysis on ventures and sourcing companies for the firm’s deal flow

Formerly joined an Israeli startup, working with the monetisation department in order to establish the marketing and development strategy

Prior to that, served as business analyst for InGaia, providing deep market analysis and establishing the strategy for business development in the Brazilian real estate market

While in Brazil, he was involved in preparing financial models for social housing projects 

Cum Laude Bachelor of Business Management, major in Finance from Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliyah

Completed a half-year exchange semester at the University of Southern California

Over 15 years of experience in investment banking and asset management including 13 years at Deutsche Bank

Prior to joining 8F, was Executive Vice-President at Santander International heading the Ultra High Net Worth practice in Europe

Prior to Santander, was Director in Corporate Finance within the Financial Sponsors team at Deutsche Bank covering Sovereign Funds, Pension Funds and Family Offices

Previously, as Director for the Alternatives & Fund Solutions group at DeAWM in the DB Private Equity team

Initially started at Deutsche Bank in Corporate Finance where he held various positions in the TMT and Real Estate, Gaming, Lodging and Leisure teams

Graduated from EMLV in Paris with Master in Corporate Finance

Shiblee Alam is based in London and has over 20 years of experience in investment banking and asset management. Prior to joining 8F Investment Partners, Shiblee was in charge of Business Development for Alternative and Impact Investments at AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) where the team managed a US$400 million Impact Investments program and more than US$10 billion of Hedge Funds and other alternative investment solutions for institutional clients globally.

Prior to AXA IM, Shiblee was a Senior Sales & Structurer with Lehman Brothers in London on their Hedge Funds Derivatives & Solutions Desk. Before Lehman Brothers, Shiblee was based in Paris at Société Générale Asset Management as a Senior Sales & Structurer within the Structured Asset Management unit.

In the nineties, Shiblee was an FX derivatives trader with major banks such as BNP Paribas, CIBC and American Express between Paris and Toronto.

Shiblee holds an MBA in International Finance from McGill University and is a CAIA designee.

Over 30 years of experience in investment banking and asset management.

Prior to joining 8F, Christophe has held various senior positions with Avalon Capital Partners, Deutsche Bank, Louis Capital Markets, Société Générale Asset Management, Lehman Brothers, Salomon Smith Barney, Painwebber and Banque Indosuez. He started his career with Drexel Burnham Lambert in 1987.

Has worked in Paris, Singapore, Hong Kong and the last 8 years in London.

Christophe has known and worked with Stéphane for over 25 years. 

Graduated from French business school Institut Supérieur de Gestion in Paris.

Over 13 years of experience in onshore PRC private equity

Prior to joining 8F China, was Founder and General Manager and member of Investment Committee at Shanghai Lihan Investment Management for 6 years. Responsible for overall management of the company, including fundraising, formulating overall strategy, performing investment due diligence and valuation, with focus on high-end manufacturing, education, TMT and new energy investments

Previously Managing Director and member of Investment Committee at Mint Investment for 5 years. Responsible for overall management, including formulating overall strategy, performing investment due diligence and valuation

Prior to that, was Executive Director at Prudent Resource Management Consulting, participating in equity investments at various stages of growth cycle and mergers and acquisitions of listed company, as well as providing advisory for global institutional investors

Member of Asset Management Association of China

Bachelor of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship at Central Queensland University

Prior to joining 8F China, was Assistant to Chairman for 2 years at US Q&L Real Estate Development Group, assisting the company in developing a French Mediterranean resort in Perpignan, France

Was a summer intern at China Galaxy Securities in Shanghai with exposure to corporate bond and SME financing 

Double Master (MBA and Master of Finance) at ESGCI and College de Paris

Bachelor of Economics and Management at University of Perpignan, France

Ms. Ho is based in Singapore and has more than 25 years of experience, of which, 17 years are in private equity funds; 7 years in real estate, hotel and diversified businesses; and about 4 years as auditor in the big 4 public accounting firms.

Prior to joining 8F, she was a CFO at a Temasek asset management company engaged in structuring and issuing bonds backed by private equity fund assets. Prior to that, Sarah was a Finance Director at L Catterton Asia focused on investing in aspirational consumer brands in Asia-Pacific markets; and Head of Finance in EDBI, an investment arm of EDB with multi-billion Dollar AUM focused on investing in companies in biomedical science, smart technologies and emerging high growth industries. Ms Ho was also seconded to a portfolio company of L Catterton, Crystal Jade Holdings group and was involved in Business Strategy and Financial Planning.

Sarah has experience in private and public equity sectors, international tax planning, cross-border group structuring, forex, cash and debt management, formulating policies and guidelines on internal control procedures, accounting and investment valuation, IPO and M&A involvement. In addition, she was also a member of the Divestment Committee in EDBI, held directorship in numerous fund companies and was a legal representative for China operating entities for Crystal Jade and L Catterton.

Prior to that, Sarah held Senior Finance positions in publicly listed companies in real estate, hotel and diversified businesses, namely, Raffles Holdings Group, Orchard Parade Holdings and F&N Group. She was mainly in-charge of group consolidation, group profit announcements, management reporting, tax compliance and development of accounting policies and procedures. Ms. Ho also started her career as auditor in PWC and KPMG where she led the on-site due diligence review of a manufacturing acquisition target in various countries.

Sarah holds a Bachelor of Accountancy from the National University of Singapore and she is a Chartered Accountant, Singapore and Certified Public Accountant, Australia.

Denis has over 25 years of industry experience. He spent five years with the Edmond de Rothschild Group, serving as the CEO of Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management Hong Kong and the Chairman of the Board of Edmond de Rothschild Advisory Management Shanghai from 2013 to 2016. Prior to that, Denis served as the Deputy CEO for the Rothschild Group’s North Asia region, covering China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South-East Asia. Formerly with the Société Générale Group for 20 years, Mr. Lefranc held multiple roles covering various jurisdictions. He was the Société Générale Group's first Asia Pacific CEO for Société Générale Asset Management (SGAM), managing US$40 billion of assets under management, Executive Vice President of Fortune SGAM Fund Management Co. in Shanghai, General Counsel for SGAM, and Deputy Head of the Capital Markets and Asset Management Regulations Division. Mr. Lefranc holds Law and Finance degrees from Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris, as well as a second Law degree (business law focus) from Paris-Sorbonne University.

Over 7 years of experience in onshore PRC private equity

Prior to joining 8F China, was Executive Director at Shanghai Lihan Investment Management for 6 years. Responsible for fund setup, conducting due diligence and market analysis, documentation, post-investment management and risk control

Prior to that, was Investment Manager at Fortune Link Investment Holding, with focus on TMT, environmental protection, new materials, healthcare, and agriculture and animal husbandry investments. Participated in fund setup and investment due diligence

Registered as risk and compliance manager at Asset Management Association of China

CPA Australia 

Master of Professional Accounting at University of New South Wales

Bachelor of Law, Yuanpei College, Peking University 

Based in Singapore and has 12 years of experience, of which over 6 years in private equity

Prior to joining 8F, was Vice President at L Catterton Asia in Singapore, with extensive experience in private equity deal and fund structuring, private equity operations, post M&A integration, compliance, fund raising, and investor relations

Prior to L Catterton Asia, was Manager of Financial Services Industry Practice at PWC Singapore, providing assurance services to clients in the financial services industry

Chartered Accountant in Singapore; Lean 6 Sigma (Green Belt)

MBA at University of Cambridge, UK. During Masters, worked a with social impact fund to evaluate investments, performed due diligence, and financial modeling in target companies

Bachelor of Accountancy with Honour at Nanyang Technological University

Based in Singapore and has 4 years of experience in the private equity industry.

Prior to joining 8F, was a Senior Associate in MUFG Investor Services Singapore, managing the fund administration for key private equity and real estate clients in Asia.

Lead client service manager for a USD1 billion Japanese real estate fund of fund mandate, preparing financial and regulatory reports in accordance with J-GAAP.

Started his career as a fund accountant with Citco Fund Services Singapore working on hedge fund portfolios, before being a pioneer in the private equity team, managing the accounts for mezzanine and infrastructure debt funds.

Bachelor of Science (Hons) Degree, majoring in Banking and Finance from the University of London and is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designee.

May Yi is based in Singapore and has over 4 years of working experience as an auditor in PwC Singapore and EY Malaysia. Prior to joining 8F, she was an Assistant Manager in PwC Singapore focusing on clients in the asset and wealth management industry and leading a portfolio of audit engagements that consist of private equity funds, hedge funds, fund managing companies and family offices. Prior that, May Yi spent 2 years in EY Malaysia as Audit Associate focusing on clients in investment banking, leasing corporations, insurance companies and asset management companies.

May Yi obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance from University of Bristol with a Second Class Honours (First Division). She is currently completing her qualification training programme to become a chartered accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).