Private markets investment firm Northleaf Capital Partners opened a new office in Seoul to serve South Korean investor clients, Managing Director and Head of Asia-Pacific Jeff Pentland confirmed.
The Toronto-headquartered firm appointed Chung-hyun (Alex) Lee to lead the office in its efforts to build relationships and grow its clientele in South Korea. The firm announced in July that Lee had joined the firm as managing director for business development. Lee reports to Pentland.
Northleaf has seen sustained interest from Asian investors and opening a Seoul office felt like a natural next step after opening its Tokyo office in 2022, Pentland said in emailed comments. “Our near-term focus is on investor relations and serving a broader array of investors seeking exposure to the attractive mid-market opportunities that Northleaf provides,” he said.
The firm, which has $26 billion in capital commitments, has offices across the globe including Asia-Pacific, namely in Melbourne, Tokyo and Seoul.
“We’re focused on expanding Northleaf’s presence in the South Korean market, and there are no immediate term plans to open additional offices,” Pentland said.
Lee joined the firm from Asia-focused private equity manager Seraya Partners in July. Before that, he was a senior director for infrastructure at the Korea Investment Corporation, Seoul, in New York for eight years. KIC managed $189.4 billion in assets as of Dec. 31.
