Our Team

Cliff is the CEO & Founding Partner of Templewater. Prior to founding Templewater, he was the Senior Vice President at Chow Tai Fook Enterprises Limited (CTFE), focusing on private equity transactions, global mergers and acquisitions, and corporate development, deploying over US$5 billion of capital during his five years with the firm.  

Cliff was a director of Goshawk Aviation, Alinta Energy Ltd., CTF Energy Ltd., and CTF Financial Holdings Ltd. Prior to CTFE, he was with HSBC and Deutsche Bank investment banking division in Hong Kong. Presently, Cliff also serves as the Chairman of the Board of New World First Bus and CityBus, which are the largest bus operators on Hong Kong Island.

Cliff holds a Master of Engineering Science degree from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Applied Sciences degree from the University of Waterloo. Cliff is based in Hong Kong and is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

Cliff is an SFC Licensed Representative (LR) for Regulated Activities Type 1, Type 4, and Type 9.

Nicolas joined the Investec Hong Kong office in Feb 2007, after three years working in the Specialised Finance division of Investec in Johannesburg. Prior to founding Templewater with Cliff, he was the Country Head of Investec Hong Kong and China.  

Since 2007, Nicolas has managed the deployment of over US$1bn in capital across 40 equity-linked transactions throughout China, Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

Nicolas holds a Master of Science in Industrial Relations from the London School of Economics and a Master of Science in Public Management from Sciences Po in Paris. Nicolas is based in Hong Kong and fluent in English and French.

Nicolas is an SFC Responsible Officer (RO) for Regulated Activities Type 1, Type 4, and Type 9.

Michael joined Templewater in June 2020 bringing with him 16 years of experience in mergers & acquisitions, capital raising, joint ventures and IPO transactions, management, and as well as restructuring from his career in professional services firms, privately-owned and multinational enterprises.

Michael has been involved with Cliff and Investec in private equity transactions as early as 2011. Prior to joining Templewater, Michael served on the board of Tom Tailor Group (Germany) and St. John Knits International (USA) and held the CFO position at LANVIN Group (formerly “Fosun Fashion Group"). He was previously Head of Portfolio Management at Fosun Group Investment Management where he oversaw Fosun’s over 300 PE and VC investments globally.  

Michael started his career with KPMG Australia, soon after obtaining his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne, and Michael was qualified as an accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants whilst at KPMG Australia. Michael is also an industry mentor with Tsinghua University Schwarzman College. Michael is based in Shanghai and fluent in English and Mandarin.

Michael is an SFC Licensed Representative (LR) for Regulated Activities Type 1, Type 4, and Type 9.

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Yufeng is a Partner and Head of Energy Transition Investment at Templewater and one of the founding members. He is also a Director of Bravo Transport, the largest bus operator on Hong Kong Island, and Wisdom Motor, a zero-emission commercial vehicle designer and manufacturer in China. He is responsible for overall business development targeting hydrogen and decarbonization opportunities for the group and portfolio companies. Yufeng joined Investec in London in 2016. He relocated to Hong Kong in 2018 and was the Executive President of Investec Hong Kong and China. Prior to joining Templewater, Yufeng had 16 years of experience across various industries including 12 years in banking and 4 years in manufacturing.

Yufeng is a CFA Charter Holder and holds a Doctorate Degree in Automatic Control and Systems Engineering from the University of Sheffield and a Bachelor of Engineering in Automatic Control from the South China University of Technology. Yufeng is based in Hong Kong and is fluent in English and Mandarin.  

Yufeng is an SFC Responsible Officer (RO) for Regulated Activities Type 1, Type 4 and Type 9.

Simon joined Templewater in May 2022, bringing with him 18 years of experience in private equity and investment banking and transaction experience in Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and Israel. Simon has led buyout investments and exits representing over US$5bn of transaction value and has also participated in buyout investments representing over US$3bn of capital deployed and US$40bn of transaction value, and was a director for Compo Expert, Lumenis, and J.D. Power, respectively. Furthermore, Simon has worked with Templewater’s Founding Partner, Cliff Zhang, in transactions as early as 2011.

Before joining Templewater, Simon was a Partner at XJ Capital, where he headed the private equity buyout practice, and built and led a team in sourcing, executing, and managing investments with a value creation angle in China. Prior to XJ Capital, Simon was Managing Director of XIO Group, a global alternative investments platform that focused on cross-border buyouts. Prior to joining XIO Group, Simon was Executive Director at Goldman Sachs and was with the firm in both New York and Hong Kong in its Principal Investment Area division and Investment Banking Division, respectively.

Simon started his private equity career at Morgenthaler, a mid-market buyout firm based in the US, and received B.A. in Economics and Philosophy from Columbia University. Simon is based in Hong Kong and is fluent in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin.

Alfred joined Templewater in June 2023 to lead the firm’s Energy Transition investment strategy.  Alfred brings with him 23 years of hydrogen industry expertise and executive operating experience from a long tenure at Ballard Power Systems (NASDAQ: BLDP), where he most recently served as CEO of Ballard China and previously as Managing Director of Asia Pacific.  Over his career, he has led global teams focused on bringing hydrogen power solutions to new markets, and has spearheaded major strategic partnerships, equity investments and business expansions to deliver on transformational growth.

Alfred holds Bachelor of Applied Science and Master of Engineering degrees from the University of British Columbia, an MBA from Simon Fraser University, and has completed an executive leadership program on corporate governance from Stanford University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (non-practicing) in Canada. Alfred is based in Hong Kong and is fluent in English, Cantonese and Mandarin.  

Karence joined the Investec Hong Kong office to oversee a team of six support staff in 2017. She has 22 years of experience across various roles in investment banking compliance and operations. Prior to joining Templewater, she was the Chief Operating Officer at CIMB Securities Limited in Hong Kong for 16 years, and prior to that, she was Vice President of Operations at KGI Asia Limited for four years.  

Karence is responsible for compliance and overall oversight of the back-office functions including administration & operations support, human resources, regulatory reporting, finance and IT, etc.

Karence has an MBA from The Chinese University of Hong Kong and a Bachelor in Business Administration from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Karence is based in Hong Kong and is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

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Ting joined Investec Hong Kong (Principal Investments) in September 2007, structuring and executing over 40 equity and debt transactions. Since 2007 and during his tenure at Investec Asia, Ting has overseen the deployment of circ. US$600m capital in transactions throughout the Asia Pacific region.

Ting completed a Bachelor of Economics from Shanghai University, and an MBA from Wits Business School. Ting is based in Hong Kong and is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Shanghainese.

Ting is an SFC Licensed Representative (LR) for Regulated Activities Type 1, Type 4, and Type 9.

Adriano joined Templewater in January 2022 with 8 years of experience in management consulting across Asia and Europe.  

Prior to joining Templewater, Adriano managed numerous consulting engagements across various industries, with a focus on TMT (Telecoms, Media, and Technology), Financial Services, and Consumer Goods.  

He served a broad customer base, including investment firms, financial institutions, telecommunication operators, and multinational corporations.  

His expertise includes strategy development, business planning and execution, M&A support / commercial due diligence, and post-merger integration.

Adriano started his career with Value Partners Management Consulting in Italy and moved to Hong Kong in 2016 to serve clients in the Asia Pacific Region.

Adriano holds an MSc in Management Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Milan. Adriano is based in Hong Kong and is fluent in English and Italian.

Adriano is an SFC Licensed Representative (LR) for Regulated Activities Type 1, Type 4, and Type 9.

Paxton joined Templewater in August 2024 as a Director in the Private Equity team. He brings extensive investment experience across the industrials and business services sectors, having led and executed transactions representing multi-billion-dollar deal value across Asia, Europe, and North America.

Prior to joining Templewater, Paxton was a Vice President at FountainVest Partners, where he played a key role in major private equity transactions, including the US$1.0bn buyout of Rokin Logistics from CJ Group. He was actively involved in the full investment lifecycle, from due diligence to post-investment value creation, and served as a Board Director overseeing M&A, strategy, and finance functions. He also spearheaded strategic investments in global industrial and manufacturing businesses, driving operational improvements and cross-border mergers.

Before FountainVest, Paxton worked at Baring Private Equity Asia, where he contributed to landmark deals such as the US$3.0bn joint bid for CeramTec and the buyout of HCP Packaging. He started his career in investment banking at Citigroup Global Markets in Hong Kong, supporting M&A and capital-raising transactions across diversified industrials.

Paxton holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.S. and M.S. in Industrial Engineering & Operations Research from Columbia University. He is fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese and is based in Hong Kong.

Paxton is an SFC Licensed Representative (LR) for Regulated Activities Type 1, Type 4, and Type 9.

Baidi joined Templewater in June 2023, bringing with her 10 years of investment experience across broader technology sector in Asia Pacific, North America and Europe. Baidi has led and executed investments and exits representing over US$5bn of transaction value, with major buyout investments such as Sumo Digital, Funcom, and growth investments such as Discord, Reddit, Policybazaar, and MX Play for which she served as director.

Before joining Templewater, Baidi was Director at Tencent Investment, where she led multiple initiatives in sourcing, executing and managing investments in key regions such as India and Europe, and in major tech segments across multiple geographies. Prior to Tencent, Baidi worked as operations manager in Uber China, and associate at A Capital, a cross-border private equity firm focusing on investing in European midcaps with value creation angle in China.

Baidi attended MBA at Kellogg, Northwestern University in the US, and received dual BBA from ESSEC in France and Tongji University in China. Baidi is fluent in English, Mandarin, and French.

Baidi is an SFC Licensed Representative (LR) for Regulated Activities Type 1, Type 4, and Type 9.

Jason joined Templewater in January 2021 as Director of Investor Relations after 11 years of experience across various industries including real estate private equity, asset management, integrated resorts, and hospitality. He is primarily responsible for capital raising, business development, and investor relations for Templewater.

Jason holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Jason is based in Hong Kong and is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

Jason is an SFC Licensed Representative (LR) for Regulated Activities Type 1, Type 4, and Type 9.

Mike joined Templewater in July 2022 with 8 years of investment banking and buyout private equity experience across North America and Asia. Prior to joining Templewater, Mike was a Vice President at XJ Capital where he helped lead the execution of private equity transactions. Prior to XJ Capital, Mike was with Levine Leitchtman Capital Partners and Sunstone Partners in the United States where he focused on buyout transactions in industrials, business services, and TMT sectors. Mike began his career with Deutsche Bank in New York.

Mike holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Duke University. Mike is based in Shanghai and is fluent in English and Mandarin.

Mike is an SFC Licensed Representative (LR) for Regulated Activities Type 1, Type 4, and Type 9.

Fiona joins Templewater in March 2023 with 9 years’ experience in sustainability field. She is primarily responsible to lead the development, implementation, and management of the firm's ESG strategy across the whole investment cycle, aiming to drive the firm's commitment to sustainable investing.

Prior joining the firm, Fiona worked in a sustainability consultancy. She mainly served financial clients, provided ESG advisory services such as mergers and acquisitions, due diligence, benchmarking, policy and framework development, metrics and KPI setting.

Fiona holds a Master in Corporate Environmental Governance from the University of Hong Kong and received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management and Technology from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She has undergone GRI Standards Exam and a member of HKIQEP. She is based in Hong Kong and is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

Fiona is an SFC Licensed Representative (LR) for Regulated Activities Type 1, Type 4, and Type 9.

Eric joined Templewater in October 2020, bringing experience in investment banking, financial services, and corporate sectors. He primarily focuses on capital raising, business development, and investor relations for the firm.

Eric holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Southern California. Eric is based in Hong Kong and is fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.

Eric is an SFC Licensed Representative (LR) for Regulated Activities Type 1, Type 4, and Type 9.

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David joined Templewater in October 2024 as a Vice President, bringing 7 years of experience in private equity and cross-border investments. Prior to Templewater, David was a Senior Associate at Cornell Capital, where he evaluated, executed, and managed cross-border buyout investments across sectors such as industrials and business services. Earlier in his career, David worked at XJ Capital, focusing on cross-border buyout and significant minority investments, and at Goldman Sachs External Investing Group (formerly AIMS Private Equity Group), where he specialized in GP-led secondaries and buyout co-investments globally.

David holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics with a Finance Concentration from Duke University. He is fluent in English and Mandarin and is based in Hong Kong.

David is an SFC Licensed Representative (LR) for Regulated Activities Type 1, Type 4, and Type 9.

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