KKR has announced that Jaka Prasetya, former Managing Partner and Founder of Leafgreen Capital Partners, is joining the firm as Managing Director to lead KKR’s Indonesia efforts as well as credit and special situations initiatives in Southeast Asia. Also joining KKR in the role of Director are Rahul Bhargava and Allan So, both formerly managing directors and partners at Leafgreen. Messrs. Prasetya, Bhargava and So will be based in Singapore. The appointments are effective August 26, 2014.
In his role, Mr. Prasetya will work with KKR’s private equity, credit and special situations teams to enhance the firm’s strategy in Indonesia. In addition, supported by Messrs. Bhargava and So, Mr. Prasetya will also lead KKR’s credit business in Southeast Asia. They bring extensive investment experience to the region through their work at Leafgreen, a provider of mezzanine and structured growth funding in Southeast Asia with a focus on Indonesian opportunities.
«Indonesia continues to be a dynamic market for investment with great growth potential and positive demographics driving opportunities. With our first deal in the market in 2013, we look forward to exploring new opportunities to provide both equity and credit solutions to companies to suit their long-term needs,» said Ming Lu, Member & Co-Head of Asia Private Equity at KKR. «The addition of Jaka, Rahul and Allan – who have a deep understanding of Indonesia’s local culture and business environment – greatly enhances our ability to partner with Indonesian companies. We welcome them and the experience that they bring to the team.»
Mr. Prasetya launched Leafgreen in 2011 to finance mid-cap companies in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Prior to his time at Leafgreen, Mr. Prasetya was the Managing Director and Head of Principal Investments Asia at Raiffeisen Bank International. He previously held senior management positions at United Fiber System and Deutsche Bank. He holds an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management and earned his Bachelor of Engineering from the Institut Teknologi Bandung in Indonesia.
Mr. Bhargava joined Leafgreen in 2013 after 12 years at Henderson Global Investors, where he was a founding member of the Asian private equity business. Mr. Bhargava is a CFA charterholder, has an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Economics, with honors, from the University of Calcutta.
Before joining Leafgreen in 2011, Mr. So held structured-credit responsibilities at Société Générale, Standard Chartered, Calyon, J.P. Morgan and Centre Solutions in Hong Kong, and Salomon Smith Barney in New York. Mr. So holds a Bachelor of Science from Columbia University.
«With urbanization, rising wages and a young and growing working class, we see excellent opportunities in Indonesia with good companies looking for varied financial solutions,» said Mr. Prasetya. «KKR’s holistic approach to providing businesses with capital solutions, from debt to straight equity, is a unique prospect in this market – Rahul, Allan and I look forward to expanding upon the firm’s investments there.»