Team – ABZD Capital: F&B

Brian Chua

Chief Executive Officer & Partner

Brian Chua

Chief Executive Officer & Partner

“Ingredients for success in F&B: A compelling brand narrative, consistent great experience and affordability. It’s all about the repeat business.”

Brian brings with him over 15 years of experience in finance, real estate and food and beverage (F&B) industries. Having held various high-profile roles across key functions, including franchising, corporate restructuring and retail, he is the go-to advisor for F&B companies looking to to scale to new heights.

Brian held the role of Vice President of Corporate Development for Hersing Corporation where he led the privatisation of Hersing Corporation through a leveraged buyout, and divested the group’s key assets ranging from self storage, real estate brokerage and money remittance companies.

He was also responsible for the international expansion of Tim Ho Wan, leading the group’s setup of its international and franchising division. Under his leadership, the restaurant chain expanded to 30 restaurants in 10 markets.

Brian further acquired the global rights for the world’s first Michelin-starred ramen eatery - Japanese Soba Noodles Tsuta - and held the position of CEO in that company. Since his appointment, he successfully launched 7 restaurants in 4 markets within the first 2 years of the business.

For his efforts in the F&B industry, he was named “The Michelin Man”, a termed coined by The Straits Times in 2016. He was also recognised as one of the top 10 in The Straits Times’ Power List in the same year.

Brian graduated with a Masters of Science, Applied Finance from the Singapore Management University and a Bachelors of Commerce, Marketing and Finance, from the University of Sydney, Australia.

Don Lim

Partner

Don Lim

Partner

“I believe that the key towards an outstanding investment is investing in the right company, one that shares your vision, at the right valuation!”

Don is an expert in the acquisition of companies across different sectors, including international real estate, food and beverage, healthcare and education. His track record, spanning over 16 years in venture capital and private equity, was built up from his experience investing in more than 50 companies both within and outside Singapore.

With his experience, he advises on the usage of varied investment instruments and structuring to maximise returns for both investors and business partners.

Beyond his appointment as Investment Advisor at ABZD Capital, he also serves as a valuable member on the board of varied businesses in Singapore spanning the education and food and beverage sectors.

Don graduated with a Masters of Science from the University of Michigan, USA and a Bachelors of Science from the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, United Kingdom.

Anna Haotanto

Chief Operating Officer & Partner

Anna Haotanto

Chief Operating Officer & Partner

“Always aim for optimal efficiency through operational know-how, discipline, spirit of excellence, resourcefulness and creativity. Be relentless, scrappy and celebrate wins.”

With over 12 years of experience in the financial services sector, Anna is a key opinion leader in the realm of venture capital, startups, financial technology and personal finance. A sought-after speaker, she has been featured in international media, including CNBC, Forbes and Reuters. She has hosted 2 documentaries on FinTech and startups on Channel NewsAsia.

Anna founded The New Savvy to share her passion for finance and women empowerment in Asia. She successfully raised mid-six-figure funding for the company less than two years into operations. Prior to that, she held regional roles in wealth management, corporate and investment banking, private equity and sales across Asia.

Anna is the President of Singapore Management University Women Alumni. She was the founding partner of the Singapore Fintech Association and heads the Women in Fintech and Partnership committee. She advises for Singapore Computer Society on digital literacy and tech companies.

Anna was awarded “Her Times Youth Award” at the Rising50 Women Empowerment Gala by the Indonesian Embassy of Singapore. She has been awarded LinkedIn Power Profiles for CEO in 2017 & 2018, The Peak’s Trailblazers under 40, Tatler’s 40 under 40, and Women of The Future award nominee. She was selected for FORTUNE Most Powerful Women conference.

Her experience collectively provides her a deep network in the global startup ecosystem, especially in Southeast Asia and among technology venture capitalists.

Anna graduated from Singapore Management University, and was subsequently awarded the Salutatorian (Top Student) for the UOB-SMU Private Banking Course.

Tze Hoe Chan

Advisor

Tze Hoe Chan

Advisor

"Deep operational insight, rigorous analysis and disciplined execution is paramount to successful investments in the food and beverage sector.”

With nearly two decades of experience in private equity, engineering and technology, Tze Hoe has been actively involved in over US$1bn of cross-border acquisitions and financing in Asia, Europe and the Americas.

He currently sits on the board of Mattenplant Private Limited, a regional water and environmental engineering solutions company, as a representative and investment partner of SKion, an investment vehicle of the Germany-based Quandt Family (anchor shareholder of BMW). He is also a senior advisor to TranSwap, an international cross-border FX digital payments platform and was previously an independent director on the board of Flynt Bank AG, the first fintech bank in Switzerland.

At the same time, he holds the position of Founder and Managing Partner of ZIDO Strategic Advisors. Under his leadership, the firm quickly established itself as a principal investment and strategic advisory firm focused on private equity, specialising in acquisitions, strategic partnerships and restructuring of family-owned enterprises and founder-centric businesses.

Prior to founding ZIDO Strategic Advisors, Tze Hoe served as an investment executive at the London and Singapore offices of the Special Investment department of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC). Tze Hoe was also the former general manager (covering) and investment manager at CAP Vista, the strategic investment arm of Singapore’s Defence Science & Technology Agency.

Tze Hoe graduated with a Master of Engineering with First Class Honours from Imperial College London, on the Singapore Ministry of Defence scholarship. He began his professional career as an aeronautical engineer at DSO National Laboratories, where he was deeply involved in several cross-border large-scale guided and unmanned systems projects, and received the DSO Special Recognition Award in 2005. Tze Hoe is still very passionate about the world of aeronautics and hopes to pursue advanced research in this field at retirement.

Nathaniel Kwek

Partner

Nathaniel Kwek

Partner

Nathaniel Kwek is the CEO of Sushi Express Group Pte Ltd. An entrepreneur at heart, Nathaniel left his successful real estate career and started the first Sushi Express outlet in CitiLink Mall in 2011. In a short span of 8 years, Sushi Express has expanded to over 20 locations across Singapore. Sushi Express is currently in almost every major mall and has a strong following amongst Singaporeans.

Nathaniel built a highly successful F&B brand in a competitive sector during challenging economic climates and currently employs over 300 staff across his operations.

Nathaniel is highly respected in the F&B sector and brings with him a wealth of knowledge in site selection and store operations. Nathaniel leveraged technology and embraced innovation to improve efficiency and build new capabilities across his operations.

Sushi Express has achieved Singapore SME 1000 in turnover growth excellence and profit growth excellence in F&B for 2016 and 2017, and awarded Fastest Growing 50 Award in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Sushi Express was also among 10 brands that won the Singapore Productivity Awards in 2016 organised by the Singapore Business Federation.

Before Sushi Express, Nathaniel was in real estate, taking on international roles across investment and consultancy in leading firms such as Bovis Lend Lease, Jones Lang LaSalle and Mapletree Investments.

Nathaniel is a District Councillor for the North West Community Development Council, School Advisory Committee for Yumin Primary School and Committee member for Chinese Swimming Club.

Nathaniel holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Purdue University at West Lafayette.

Corporate Sponsor

Zido Capital Asia

An independent strategic capital firm focused on private equity investments in Asia

ZIDO specialises in unique investment situations involving family-owned business enterprises and founder or entrepreneur-centric businesses, leveraging deep knowledge and long-established relationships with mid-to-large sized family groups and government-related institutions across the region.

ZIDO team consists of former executives of the Special Investments team at GIC (formerly the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation), one of the largest investment management firm in the world.
ZIDO’s primarily sector expertise lies in industrial and consumer companies across Asia; the firm’s principals also have successful strategic portfolio experience in large private equity transaction including investment in one of the largest airport group in China and post-investment management of the leveraged buyout of 3rd largest water utility in the UK.
Leveraging the principal’s family business experience and extensive network of institutional relationships, ZIDO builds unique industrial investment platforms by:
- Executing buyouts in “out-of-favour” industries where succession is a challenge but business growth is intact – focus on market leaders in niche sectors
- Partnering next-generation leaders in mid-market companies with significant growth orientation and internationalisation potential