BDA hires senior Consumer and Health bankers in Shanghai

BDA Partners today announced that Vivian Ren and Gong Lei have joined BDA Shanghai as Managing Directors. They will help strengthen BDA's expertise in M&A across Asia, especially in the consumer and health sectors.

Vivian Ren has 19 years' investment banking and finance experience. She was most recently Executive Director of M&A at UBS Securities in Shanghai, where she advised on the consumer sector and related transactions. She advised on Diageo's partial tender offer for Swellfun, Rise Education's dual track sale and numerous other transactions. She began her investment banking career at Credit Suisse in Hong Kong, followed by roles at HSBC, Rothschild and Houlihan Lokey in China. She holds an MBA from the University of Michigan and a BA from the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.

Gong Lei has 18 years' investment banking experience. He was most recently Managing Director of Investment Banking at Sinolink Securities, where he worked on transactions involving leading Chinese financial sponsors such as FountainVest, and for Chinese listed companies. He started his advisory career at Xiangcai Securities in 2001, before becoming Head of China M&A at Daiwa Securities, where he was responsible for origination and execution of cross-border M&A. He holds a Masters in Finance from the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.

Between them, Ms. Ren and Mr. Gong bring a broad network of corporate and financial sponsor clients including Alibaba, Bright Foods, China Digital TV, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, Shanghai SVA and SinoPharm. These relationships will complement, support and expand BDA's activities, particularly in China, where M&A activity remains robust despite global trade tensions.

During the past year, BDA's Shanghai office has advised on more than ten cross-border transactions. These include:
• Carlyle and CDIB's sale of Leyou (a leading mother & baby retailer) to Warburg Pincus
• The sale of Quasar Medical, an innovative medical device CDMO business, to Longreach Group
• Investcorp's investment of up to US$250m in China Everbright New Economy Fund

Euan Rellie, Senior Managing Director and Head of Consumer at BDA, said, "BDA is making a successful and significant push in the Consumer sector, which is vital for Asian economic growth. Vivian brings a considerable track record, a steady hand, and deep insight into China and the region."

Andrew Huntley, Senior Managing Director and Head of Healthcare at BDA, added, "Specialist insight into China's Healthcare and Life Sciences industries has never been more sought after. Lei's in-depth M&A deal experience and sector knowledge, married with our global Healthcare team, will deliver valuable support to our clients in China and across the wider region."

Mark Webster, Managing Director and Co-Head of BDA Shanghai, added, "Over the past decade, our team in China has continued to grow steadily, across economic cycles, thanks to a combination of deep experience and strong relationships. Vivian and Lei bring both with them. They will help us to offer even better service to our clients."

About BDA
BDA Partners is the global investment banking advisor for Asia. We are a premium provider of Asia-related advice to sophisticated clients globally, with over 20 years' experience advising on cross-border M&A, capital raising, and financial restructuring. We provide global reach with our teams in New York and London, and true regional depth through our seven Asian offices in Mumbai, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul and Tokyo. BDA has deep expertise in the Chemicals, Consumer & Retail, Health, Industrials, Services and Technology sectors. We work relentlessly to earn our clients' trust by delivering insightful advice and outstanding outcomes.

BDA Partners has strategic partnerships with William Blair, a premier global investment banking business, and with DBJ (Development Bank of Japan), a Japanese Government-owned bank with US$150bn of assets. bdapartners.com

US securities transactions are performed by BDA Partners' affiliate, BDA Advisors Inc., a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). BDA Advisors Inc. is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and SIPC. In the UK, BDA Partners is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). In Hong Kong, BDA Partners (HK) Ltd. is licensed and regulated by the Securities & Futures Commission (SFC) to conduct Type 1 and Type 4 regulated activities to professional investors.