Co-CEO, Managing Partner, Investment Committee Member

Itamar Har-Even

Itamar Har-Even is the Co-Founder and current Co-CEO of Ion Pacific. Based on the west coast of the US, Itamar is a member of the investment committee and spearheads the firm’s growth in North America and Asia.

Before founding Ion Pacific, Itamar was a Managing Director and founding Co-Head of Investment and Merchant Banking at Reorient Group, the Hong Kong listed financial institution that was sold to Jack Ma (Alibaba) and associated entities in 2015. While there, Itamar worked on groundbreaking international investments and transactions involving technology- and brand-driven businesses. In his role on the investment and management committees, Itamar led strategic acquisitions for the firm to both drive returns and enhance its position in the region.

Previously, Itamar had a successful career in media, technology and investing. He began his finance career on the Technology, Telecom and Media team at Lehman Brothers in New York. As a founding member of Lehman Brothers’ Principal Origination Group in Asia in 2007, his responsibilities included origination, analysis and investment on a pipeline of more than 250 prospective deals, and he worked on 13 completed deals accounting for USD 1 billion of proprietary capital invested. He was part of the Industrials Investment Banking Group at Nomura Hong Kong, which he joined as a result of Nomura’s purchase of Lehman Brothers Asia in 2008. Before entering the world of investing, Itamar was a creative executive and content creator at technology and media firms in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Itamar holds a BA with honors from Amherst College and an MBA with honors from Columbia Business School.

Co-CEO, Managing Partner, Investment Committee Member

Michael Joseph

Michael Joseph is the Co-Founder and current Co-CEO  of Ion Pacific. Based in Switzerland, Michael is a member of the investment committee and spearheads the firm’s growth in Europe and Asia.

Before founding Ion Pacific, Michael was a Managing Director and founding Co-Head of Investment and Merchant Banking at Reorient Group. the Hong Kong listed financial institution that was sold to Jack Ma (Alibaba) and associated entities in 2015. While there, Michael worked on several groundbreaking international transactions across multiple industries. In his role on the investment and management committees, Michael led strategic acquisitions for the firm to both drive returns and enhance its position in the region.

Previously, Michael was a successful hedge fund investor, with more than 20 years of experience investing across sectors and asset classes. His most recent hedge fund role was as a senior member of the investment team at Och-Ziff in Hong Kong.

Michael first moved to Hong Kong as a Managing Director and a Responsible Officer overseeing Balyasny Asset Management’s expansion into Asia. Previously, he had been a portfolio manager at Balyasny in New York City. Earlier in his career, Michael was a founding member of the global industrial team at hedge fund George Weiss Associates. Michael began his career at Pequot Capital.

Michael holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Managing Director, Chief Operating Officer

Ady Adefris

Ady joined Ion Pacific as a founding member in 2015 and serves as the firm’s Chief Operating Officer. In this role, Ady oversees the operations of Ion Pacific and is responsible for the day-to-day leadership of the company.

Prior to joining the company, Ady was a U.S. securities and capital markets lawyer at Ashurst Hong Kong and before that he was a member of the Banking, Capital Markets and Restructuring Group at White & Case Hong Kong advising on numerous transactions in the Asia-Pacific region. Ady has practiced law for over a decade in New York, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Ady received his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and his juris doctorate from Georgetown University. He also has a Masters of Arts degree from the University of Amsterdam.

Head of Investor Relations, International

Antoine Autain

Antoine joined Ion Pacific in 2021 to lead the firm’s investor relations efforts internationally. He is based in London.

Previously, Antoine spent four years as a Vice President at Oaktree Capital Management, responsible for its relationships with family offices and other wealth intermediaries, including banks and asset managers, in European markets. Prior to that, Antoine spent eight years at Jupiter Fund Management, latterly as a senior distribution business manager. Antoine also enabled the expansion of Jupiter’s distribution in EMEA regions supporting wholesale and institutional channels.

Antoine holds an M.Sc. in International Management from Audencia Nantes École de Management and is a native French speaker.

Counsel

Michael Chang

Michael is responsible for legal and compliance at Ion Pacific and is also involved in operational matters. He also assists the execution team on deal execution.

Before joining Ion Pacific, Michael was general counsel for companies focused on infrastructure development, and in the oil and gas industries where he handled business organization, structured strategic partnerships, and managed general corporate matters. Previously, Michael co-founded and launched a tech company that provided online restaurant reservations. Prior to that, he was in corporate practice in intellectual property and complex litigation.

Michael holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley, and a juris doctorate from Loyola Law School.

Principal

Jonathan Chia

Jonathan is a Principal at Ion Pacific, based in Hong Kong, and joined the firm in 2019. Jonathan is responsible for deal origination and execution, with a focus in Southeast Asia.

Previously, Jonathan was an Associate at Bravia Capital in New York, where he worked on several cross-border M&A transactions in the transportation and logistics space. He advised on and co-invested alongside Asian investors on acquisitions in the West worth more than USD 14 billion.

Before that, Jonathan was an associate at Deloitte Financial Advisory Services in New York, where he advised North American clients across a range of industries on M&A.

Jonathan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and is a CFA charterholder.

Vice President

Andrew Harrell, MD

Andrew joined Ion Pacific in 2021 and is a Vice President located in New York. Previously, Andrew was a Senior Engagement Manager in the Life Sciences practice at L.E.K. Consulting in New York and London. While at L.E.K. he managed >50 projects with biopharma, medical device, diagnostic, and pharma services companies. Andrew received his M.D. from Baylor College of Medicine and his M.B.A. from The Jones School at Rice University, both in Houston. He also received B.S. degrees in Math and Physics from Texas A&M University, with a minor in economics

Partner

Kevin Henderson

Kevin is a Partner at Ion Pacific, based in New York, and joined the firm in 2017. Kevin is responsible for deal origination and execution, and is a voting member of a number of investment committees. Previously, he was an Associate in the Global Power, Energy and Infrastructure Investment Banking Group at Lazard in New York, where he worked on numerous merger and acquisition transactions and advised clients on a range of financial and strategic issues.

Previously, Kevin worked in Canada in a corporate finance role at Enbridge Inc., where he was responsible for executing numerous financing transactions. During his time at Enbridge, he worked across the finance function, including treasury, corporate planning and investor relations.

Kevin holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from Queen’s University in Canada and a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School. He is a CFA charterholder.

Head of Funds Advisory, Managing Director

Joshua Kahn

Joshua heads the Funds Advisory business of Ion Pacific, which acquired Old Peak Partners, Ltd., a strategic advisory firm based in Hong Kong that he founded to serve private equity general partners in areas relating to market positioning, deal flow stimulation, portfolio liquidity solutions, and capital formation.

Previously, Joshua was Managing Director at Hamilton Lane, a leading global private equity investment firm, representing more than $220 billion of assets under management and supervision.  Joshua established Hamilton Lane’s Hong Kong office, where he was responsible for investment activities in the Asia region across primary fund, secondary, and co-investment strategies. He was also active in developing and managing Hamilton Lane’s institutional client base in Asia, consisting of sovereign wealth funds, national and corporate pension schemes, and family offices. In addition, Joshua served as a member of Hamilton Lane’s Portfolio Strategy Committee, which set the firm’s global investment agendas.

Prior to Hamilton Lane, Joshua held investment and corporate finance positions with Loews Corporation, a publicly-traded diversified financial holding company, and also spent time as a research analyst at a value-oriented financial markets journal and as an associate in the enterprise valuation group of a global professional services firm.

Joshua earned his M.B.A. from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business and holds a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School and a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania.

Partner

Kristaps Ronis

Kristaps is a Partner at Ion Pacific, based in Europe, and has been with the company since its establishment in 2015. In his current role, Kristaps is responsible for deal origination and execution, and is a voting member of a number of investment committees. In 2013 interned under Michael and Itamar at Reorient Group in Hong Kong, as part of the company’s investment banking team. While at Reorient, Kristaps worked on the USD 800 million sale of House of Fraser department stores to Sanpower Group, as well as several high-profile equity raises for natural resources companies listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Before that, Kristaps was a founding member of Dukascopy Bank’s research team in Riga, Latvia, focusing on foreign- exchange market analysis for retail investors.

Kristaps holds a Master’s degree in Quantitative Finance from Peking University and a Bachelor’s degree in European Business Studies from Riga International School of Economics and Business Administration. He is an ACCA-qualified accountant.

Associate

Tiffany Law

Tiffany is an Associate at Ion Pacific, based in Hong Kong, where as a member of the investment team she plays a vital role in the analysis and execution of our investments.

Prior to joining the firm, Tiffany worked in strategy & corporate development division at a commercial bank in Hong Kong, where she engaged in a range of strategic initiatives across businesses and functions, as well as group-level corporate development (M&A) projects.

Tiffany holds a BA in Land Economy from the University of Cambridge and is a CFA Level 3 candidate.

Venture Partner

Roy Lam

Roy joined Ion Pacific’s Hong Kong office as Venture Partner in 2021 to bolster the team’s capital raising and deal origination capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region. Roy is a serial entrepreneur and brings more than 13 years of experience in corporate finance, equity / equity-linked capital markets and investor relations.

Previously with Deutsche Bank and HSBC, Roy played leading roles in numerous high profile Asia ex-Japan IPO’s, private equity exits, M&A financing and corporate restructuring transactions across multiple industries including consumer, FIG, TMT, infrastructure and real estate.

Roy holds a BA Hon degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University.

Head of Investor Relations, North America

Jeff Sheran

Jeff joined Ion Pacific in 2023 to lead the firm’s investor relations efforts in North America. Based in New York, Jeff previously spent 22 years at Allianz Global Investors, where he interfaced with clients across various channels and represented both alternative and traditional asset classes.

Most recently, Jeff headed investor relations for one of Allianz’s US alternative asset management platforms. Before that, he led the US institutional sales and consultant relations teams at Allianz Global Investors Capital, and previously served as the director of marketing at affiliate Oppenheimer Capital. Earlier in his career, Jeff was a financial journalist.

Jeff holds a BA from the University of Michigan and an MBA from New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business. He is a CFA charterholder.

Head of Finance and Fund Operations

Lailo Hung

Lailo is Ion Pacific’s Head of Finance and Fund Operations, and leads the finance and administration functions. She also oversees the firm’s relationships with external service providers, including auditors, fund administrators and accountants. Lailo has more than 10 years of experience as an operations executive. Prior to joining Ion Pacific, she was an Associate at JP Morgan Chase, where she served as the intermediary between external clients and internal teams.  Previously, Lailo spent 8 years at the Bank of New York Mellon as an Assistant Manager based in Manchester, UK, overseeing financial reporting, distribution and quarterly, interim and annual financial reporting.

Lailo holds an undergraduate degree from Queen Mary University of London, and is a qualified accountant

Associate

Katie Young

Katie is an Associate at Ion Pacific, based in Los Angeles, where as a member of the investment team she contributes to the analysis and execution of our investments.

Prior to joining the firm in 2023, Katie was an investment banker at CIBC and EF Hutton, where she worked with a number of technology, telecom and consumer companies.

Katie holds an Honours degree in Business Administration from the Ivey School of Business at Western University in Canada.

Executive Assistant

Minnie Leung

Minnie is an Executive Assistant at Ion Pacific and joined the firm in 2017. Based in North America, she provides administrative support to senior management and the investor relations team. Prior to joining Ion Pacific, Minnie held similar positions at other private equity firms, after previously working in the hospitality industry in London and Hong Kong for Langham Hospitality Group.

Minnie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Hospitality and Marketing from Glion Institute of Higher Education in Switzerland as well as a Master of Business Administration from University of Chichester in the UK.

Finance and Fund Operations Officer

Wei Yuan Ng

Wei is a Finance and Fund Operations Officer at Ion Pacific and joined the firm in 2022. Based in Hong Kong, he focuses on the finance and administration functions, working closely with external service providers including auditors, fund administrators and tax advisors. Prior to joining Ion Pacific, Wei was a private equity fund accountant at Langham Hall, where he prepared financial statements and carried out administrative procedures for private equity funds.

Wei holds a BA (Honors) in Accounting and Finance from the University of Kent and is a part qualified accountant.

Analyst

Fabio Furlani

Fabio is an Analyst on the investment team and joined the firm in 2023. In his role, he contributes to the analysis and execution of our investments. Prior to joining the firm, Fabio was an Analyst at Generali Investments in the firm’s Liability-Driven Investment division. He began his career at KPMG Advisory, covering the Financial Services Industry. 

Fabio is based in our Switzerland office. He holds a Master in Corporate Finance degree from Bocconi University, a Master of Science with honors in Accounting and Finance from the University of Trieste, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

Special Advisor

John Tsang

John Tsang is a Special Advisor to Ion Pacific and serves as Vice Chairman of the firm’s Hong Kong business.

Born in Hong Kong and raised in the U.S., Mr. Tsang was the longest-serving financial secretary in the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong to date. Throughout his tenure, he was an outspoken advocate of developing Hong Kong into a major hub for startups. In 2016, there were 1,600 startups based in Hong Kong, a 50 percent increase from two years earlier. He presided over a $560 million expansion of the Hong Kong Science Park to provide more space and facilities for startups, as well as the launch of a $260 million Innovation & Technology Venture Fund, in partnership with venture capital funds.

Financial technology was also an area of significant focus for Mr. Tsang. In October 2016, the Hong Kong government’s Applied Science and Technology Research Institute, in partnership with HSBC, launched the HSBC-ASTRI Research and Development Innovation Laboratory (RDI Lab) with a goal of encouraging research and technology implementation in the financial services industry. By the close of 2016, there were a dozen fintech institutions, innovation labs, incubators and accelerator programs underway in Hong Kong, including labs started by Accenture, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, and Wearable World Labs from San Francisco.

In 2015, Mr. Tsang’s alma mater, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, launched an “Innovation Node” in Hong Kong, which aims to connect the MIT community with resources including advanced manufacturing capabilities in Hong Kong and the neighboring Pearl River Delta.

Executive Assistant / Office Manager

Jeany Tong

Jeany is the Executive Assistant and Office Manager at Ion Pacific in Hong Kong and joined the firm in 2023. In her role, she oversees various corporate functions and provides administrative support to senior management and members of the investment team. Prior to joining Ion Pacific, Jeany served as personal assistant to the founder/CEO at Infini Capital Management as well as as executive assistant to the founder/CEO at Asia Yachting.

Jeany holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the Australian National University and is a member of CPA Australia.

Finance and Fund Operations Manager

Daisy Cai

Daisy is the Finance and Fund Operations Manager at Ion Pacific and joined the firm in 2023. Based in Hong Kong, she handles fund financial reporting and execution of daily fund operations. Prior to joining Ion Pacific, she was a senior fund accountant at Alter Domus, where she provided central administration services to a variety of private equity funds. Previously, Daisy spent three years at Ernst & Young and PwC Hong Kong as an external auditor for listed companies, asset management companies and mutual funds.

Daisy holds a Master of Accountancy degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and is a Chartered Certified Accountant.