With a new office in Singapore, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board is keen to grow opportunities in India, and Australia-New Zealand as well as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Its working towards enhancing its capabilities in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.
Ben Chan, regional managing director Asia, said that expanding their presence in Asia is critical to their future growth. “Asia Pacific offers numerous emerging and developed markets across two continents,” Chan said. “Expanding our local capabilities will allow us to further generate returns to deliver on our pension promise.”
The Ontario Teachers’, an independent organization with its headquarters in Toronto, Canda, has more than 30 employees and about $15 billion invested in APAC across public equity, private equity and infrastructure as of December 31, 2019, and a new office is set to accelerate their ambitions for the region. Chan said their Singapore office will target investments across India, Australia-New Zealand (ANZ) and the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The Ontario Teacher’s Hong Kong office, which was established in 2013, will continue to focus on the north APAC region including Greater China, Japan and South Korea. Their Equities team is also expanding by having a team in the Singapore Office to further optimize its coverage in India, ANZ and ASEAN markets.
Chan pointed out that their Hong Kong office now, includes the Teachers’ Innovation Platform (TIP) Asia Team. It focuses on late-stage venture and growth equity investments in companies that use disruptive technology. Ontario Teachers’ is also adding a local senior member of the Fund’s Global Strategic Relationships (GSR) department, he said. It will develop and cultivate key partnerships in the region and assure that teams work across asset classes to enhance deal flow and strategic positioning. Chan said they look forward to growing their team in the coming months and also attract new regional talent, and bring in existing global talent as well.
