Our People

Jean Eric Salata is the Head of BPEA EQT and Chairperson of EQT Asia. Jean started the regional Asian private equity investment program for UK-based Baring Private Equity Partners Ltd in 1997 and later led the management buyout of this program in 2000 to establish BPEA as an independent Firm. He has since been responsible for the investment activity of BPEA until 2022, when the company joined forces with EQT and was renamed BPEA EQT.

Prior to BPEA, Jean was a Director of Hong Kong-based AIG Global Investment Corporation (Asia) Ltd., the Asian private equity investment arm of AIG. Prior to that, Jean was the Executive Vice President of Finance of Shiu Wing Steel, a Hong Kong-based industrial concern, and prior to that a management consultant with Bain & Company based in Hong Kong, Sydney and Boston.

Jean holds a B.S. (Hons) in Finance and Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated magna cum laude.

Kenneth Cheong is a Partner in the BPEA EQT team. Kenneth worked for BPEA from 1998 until 2022, when the company joined forces with EQT and was renamed BPEA EQT. Kenneth is involved with investments in Southeast Asia, and has also been involved with investments in China, Korea, the U.S. and India.

Prior to joining BPEA, Kenneth worked as a manager at BZW Asia for three years, where he was involved in corporate finance and M&A in the Region. Prior to that, Kenneth spent three years at DBS Bank, where he was involved in credit, marketing and loan syndications.

Kenneth holds a Bachelor of Science in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics from the London School of Economics, where he graduated with First Class Honors.

William W. Flanz is a senior advisor to the BPEA EQT team. William worked for BPEA from 2003 until 2022, when the company joined forces with EQT and was renamed BPEA EQT.

Prior to joining BPEA, William worked as Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Enterprises Limited, a large Hong Kong-based family investment office. William began his career with Chase Manhattan Bank N. A., where he served as Country Manager for Japan, Area Director for the Middle East and North Africa, and was later appointed Area Director, responsible for all of Chase’s activities in Asia Pacific. William was a founding partner of the private equity firm Prudential Asia Investments Limited, and subsequently was a member of the Management Committee of London-based private equity firm, Investcorp International Limited. William then served as Chairman and CEO of Gucci Group, N.V., prior to returning to Hong Kong from Italy in 1996, following Gucci’s turnaround and successful IPO. William also served as Chairman of the Investment Advisory Committee for the pension fund of Supervalu, the large Minneapolis-based supermarket group from 2005 through 2013. William serves as Senior Advisor and Chairman of the Investment Committee of Fung Investment Management Ltd, responsible for managing the private assets of a leading Hong Kong family.

William graduated from New York University with a B.A. in Economics and an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan.

Jack Hennessy is a Partner in the BPEA EQT team. Jack worked for BPEA from 2001 until 2022, when the company joined forces with EQT and was renamed BPEA EQT.

Prior to joining BPEA, Jack was a General Partner with Allen & Buckeridge, a leading Australian private equity firm. Jack began his career as a senior consultant with Accenture in Asia and the U.S.

Jack holds an M.B.A. from INSEAD and a Bachelor’s degree in both Engineering (with Honors) and Science from Monash University in Australia.

Kosmo Kalliarekos is a Partner in the BPEA EQT team. Kosmo began advising BPEA in 2004 and fully joined the company from 2008 until 2022, when the company joined forces with EQT and was renamed BPEA EQT.

Prior to BPEA, Mr. Kalliarekos was a founding member and Senior Partner of The Parthenon Group/EY, an advisory firm headquartered in Boston, USA. Kosmo serves on the board of several portfolio companies including Nord Anglia Education and Prometric. Kosmo also serves on the boards of the Hong Kong International School and the American College of Greece.

Kosmo holds a BSc from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School (Baker Scholar).

Jimmy Mahtani is a Partner in the BPEA EQT team and is responsible for India, in addition to being a member of the Portfolio Management Committee and the Co-Head of the Technology Services team. Jimmy worked for BPEA from 2006 until 2022, when the company joined forces with EQT and was renamed BPEA EQT. Jimmy currently serves on the board of several portfolio companies including Hexaware, CMS, Citius, Virtusa and AGS Healthcare.

Prior to joining BPEA, Jimmy was with General Atlantic in Mumbai where he founded the India office. Prior to this, Jimmy worked for Bear Stearns and Merrill Lynch in the U.S.

Jimmy graduated with honors from Georgetown University with a triple major in Finance, International Business and Marketing.

Gordon Shaw is a Partner in the BPEA EQT team. Gordon worked for BPEA from 1998 until 2022, when the company joined forces with EQT and was renamed BPEA EQT.

Prior to joining BPEA, Gordon was a Director of AIG Global Investment Corporation (Asia) Ltd. in Hong Kong, where he worked with Jean Eric Salata. Prior to that, Gordon worked in Citibank’s Asian Private Equity and Corporate Finance departments. Prior to his career in finance, Gordon was a Senior Design Engineer at Schlumberger Technologies in San Jose, California.

Gordon holds an M.B.A. from the Columbia Business School and a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Mark Fogle is a Partner and Head of EQT Exeter APAC in the EQT Exeter team. Mark worked for BPEA from 2011 until 2022, when the company joined forces with EQT.

Mark joined BPEA to spearhead the Firm’s move into the real estate sector. Prior to joining BPEA, Mark worked as Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer in Asia at RREEF, the alternative investment and asset management arm of Deutsche Bank, where he was responsible for overseeing real estate investments in the Region.

Prior to that, Mark was a Managing Director at AIG Global Real Estate, where he grew the Asian business from a small lending operation into one of the largest real estate debt and equity players in Asia, investing capital on behalf of AIG’s clients through managed funds as well as placing proprietary funds of AIG’s affiliates into core, value-add and high-yield/opportunistic assets.

Mark is a member of the Urban Land Institute and was a founding Board member of the Asian Association for Investors in Non-Listed Real Estate Vehicles (ANREV).