Alantra recruits Richard Zhu and Linda Wang to strengthen its Chinese team

• Alantra, the independent global mid-market investment banking and asset management firm, strengthens its Chinese presence through the incorporation of three senior professionals. Richard Zhu, who brings with him over 15 years’ financial services and management consulting experience, will head Alantra China as Managing Partner. He is joined by Linda Wang (Director) and John Zhou (Vice President)

• Additionally, Iñigo Mateache (Director), who has over 11 years’ experience within Alantra, has been transferred to the Shanghai office and will become Head of Cross-Border M&A for China

Shanghai, 12 September 2018 – Alantra, the independent global mid-market investment banking and asset management firm, has reinforced its Chinese team by adding three senior bankers in Shanghai from Lincoln International and one senior Director from Alantra’s European team.

Richard Zhu, who brings with him over 15 years of experience in financial services and management consulting, will head Alantra’s Chinese M&A activity. Mr. Zhu focuses on mid-market advisory and has advised both Chinese entrepreneurs and multinational companies to successfully sell businesses in China. Mr. Zhu was a Managing Director at Lincoln international. Before, he worked at Morgan Stanley Huaxin Securities, Bain & Company and Chinese Mutual Fund Companies.

Mr. Zhu is joined by Linda Wang (Director), who worked in Lincoln International for over 10 years and started the firm’s business in China. John Zhou (Vice President), with 7 years investment banking experience, has also moved to Alantra.

The new Alantra China team members participated in more than 15 M&A and joint venture transactions in the last five years, with a total aggregated deal value in excess of $1 billion across different sectors in China, including automotive, chemicals, industrial automation and healthcare. More than 80% of transactions were sell-sides of Chinese and international mid-market corporates.

Commenting on his incorporation, Mr. Zhu said: “Joining Alantra is an exciting challenge for me and I look forward to be part of an organization which has been able to develop such a global presence. I believe mid-market and sell-side M&A advisory is at its turning point in China. With the newly strengthened team, Alantra will create lasting relationships with both Chinese and international mid-market clients to develop a leading presence in China.”

With this move, Alantra aims to better support its clients in China to leverage Alantra’s platform globally as well as domestically, and will significantly increase the firm’s ability to identify opportunities for our clients. Recent noteworthy transactions in China include: the sale of Argos Soditic’s BMF Group to Germany-based Rantum Capital and China-based Cedarlake Capital, the public takeover of Syngenta by ChemChina (US$43bn), and the public takeover of gategroup Holding by HNA ($1.5bn).

Iñigo Mateache, who previously was Director at Alantra’s Madrid office, will move to Shanghai to become Head of Cross-Border M&A for China. Prior to this move, he has been involved in M&A, capital raising and debt advisory transactions, primarily across the Industrials and Business Support Services sectors in Europe.

Mr. Mateache said: “In the last years, Chinese acquirers moved from M&A for general overseas expansion to strategic and selective purchases within more mature regions like Europe, where Alantra’s strong track-record has led the Firm to rank amongst Top 5 independent advisors year to date . I am deeply convinced that Alantra’s demonstrated ability to advise mid-market institutions across the globe will be highly beneficial for investors and private companies in China.”