Investment Team

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Derek Lau, Chief Executive Officer
Derek joined Heliconia as CEO and Board member in April 2013. Prior to Heliconia, Derek was the Managing Director, Investment, with Temasek Holdings. In his 10 years tenor with Temasek, Derek headed the Industrials Cluster and also served as country head in Vietnam looking after investments in Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.

Derek has more than a decade of experience in investment banking before joining Temasek. He specialized in mezzanine debt, project finance, leveraged buyout and private equity investments.
He is currently a Board member of CSE Global Limited (CSE) and ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute’s Board of Trustees. He is also a member of the Listings Advisory Committee of Singapore Exchange Limited (SGX). Derek previously served in various organizations: as a Board member of CPG Corporation Pte Ltd, UWCEAS Foundation, Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) and member of the Governing Council of Singapore Institute of Directors (SID). Derek holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the National University of Singapore and graduated with Honours (Upper).
Oliver Wong, Chief Investment Officer
Oliver joined Heliconia in June 2017.

Prior to Heliconia, he was Head of Mergers & Acquisitions at RHB Securities Singapore where he advised Singapore clients on a number of acquisitions in Malaysia. Before that, Oliver spent eight years in private equity with Actis and 3i based in Singapore and responsible for investments in Southeast and North Asia with a focus on Malaysia. Before entering the private equity industry, Oliver spent several years in investment banking with Merrill Lynch and UBS in New York and Hong Kong.

Oliver graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and a minor in Economics from The Pennsylvania State University where he was also a William A. Schreyer scholar. Oliver also holds a masters degree in Extension Studies (Finance) from Harvard University.
Cynthia Chia, Chief Corporate Officer
Cynthia joined Heliconia in July 2013.

Prior to that, Cynthia was with a global environmental solutions company listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange (“SGX”). During that period, she was involved in the company’s investment activities, merger & acquisition, capital market transactions such as listing and delisting exercises, as well as portfolio management, with a focus in China.

She is also experienced in corporate treasury functions such as banking relations, financial risk management, trade facilities and cash management. In particular, she successfully executed several fund raising exercises such as corporate loans, project financing and refinancing.

Cynthia holds a Bachelor's degree in Finance from the National University of Singapore.
Soo Ming Jern, Managing Director, Investments
Ming Jern joined Heliconia in April 2013.

Prior to that, he was with EDBI, the investment arm of the Singapore Economic Development Board, where he focused on venture capital and private equity investments in technology companies globally.

He also held various roles at the Singapore Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), including investment manager at DSTA’s venture investment company Cap Vista.

Ming Jern holds a Masters degree in Financial Engineering from the National University of Singapore, a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science from the University of California Berkeley.