Portrait

Richard Folsom, Chairman and Director

Mr. Folsom is a Co-Founder and Representative Partner of Advantage Partners, an investment management and advisory firm focused especially on the Asia and Japan markets, founded in 1992.

After founding Advantage Partners, Mr. Folsom and his co-founder partner Taisuke Sasanuma started and managed two new businesses; Meridian VAT Reclaim Japan, a Value-Added Tax (VAT) reclaim service for corporations, and Advantage Risk Management (TSE: 8769) an insurance brokerage and risk management business.

In 1997, Advantage Partners launched its private equity funds business by establishing the first buyout fund in Japan, and Mr. Folsom has since focused his time on the development of this private equity investment practice. In addition to the 1997 fund, 10 more funds were raised subsequently. Through its funds, Advantage Partners has made more than 100 investments, deploying approximately $5 billion, of which they have successfully exited more than 60 as of October 2021.

Mr. Folsom has approximately 29 years’ commercial experience across investing, operations and management. Prior to founding Advantage Partners, Mr. Folsom was engaged in management consulting with Bain & Company, primarily in their Tokyo office, where he accumulated eight years of experience in developing and implementing strategies for both foreign and domestic corporations in the Japanese and Asian markets. He has over 35 years’ experience living in Asia.

Mr. Folsom graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Japanese and Economics, and holds a Master of Business Administration Degree from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Portrait

Keiichi Suzuki, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Mr. Suzuki joined Advantage Partners on July 1, 2021 and serves as a Partner and the Head of Renewables & Sustainability of the firm. During his tenure at Mitsubishi Corporation, a leading Japanese trading company, Mr. Suzuki gained over 29 years of experience in alternative investments including real estate, private equity, and infrastructure, especially in the renewable energy space.

Since 2009, Mr. Suzuki initiated and developed renewable energy businesses in Europe and Middle East for Mitsubishi Corporation creating a large renewable independent power producer (IPP) business.

From 2015 to 2020, Mr. Suzuki was the Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Generating Europe Limited (“DGE”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation and a strategic IPP platform headquartered in London, which develops, constructs, finances, and operates renewables and other generation assets in Europe and the Middle East.

Prior to joining Advantage Partners, Mr. Suzuki most recently served as General Manager of Merchant Banking Department in Asset Finance Division of Mitsubishi Corporation.

Mr. Suzuki started his career from the Urban Development Department of Mitsubishi Corporation in 1992. Mr. Suzuki graduated from The University of Tokyo and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Urban Engineering, and holds a Master of Business Administration Degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management. He is also a First Class Architect licensed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan.

Portrait

Shankar Krishnamoorthy , Independent Director

Mr. Krishnamoorthy is a results-oriented executive and hands-on leader with proven track record in the energy sector. Mr. Krishnamoorthy has over 38 years of experience in the energy and renewable energy sector. Mr. Krishnamoorthy is currently the Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at SAS Ÿnsect. He is also a Member of the Board at Caruna. Mr. Krishnamoorthy holds substantial experience and expertise in the energy space, especially in the field of energy transition.

From January 2017 to May 2021, Mr. Krishnamoorthy served as a member of the Executive Committee of ENGIE SA and supervised multiple functions ranging from strategy, business development oversight, research, innovation, corporate venture capital, procurement, engineering and construction.

Apart from his recent experience in France and Belgium, Mr. Krishnamoorthy has also established an extensive global network through approximately 15 years’ experience in Thailand, U.A.E., and the U.K.

Before 2002, Mr. Krishnamoorthy worked for three separate companies, mainly in the field of engineering, namely Tractebel Energy South Asia Pvt. Ltd., Crompton Greaves Limited (currently CG Power and Industrial Solutions Limited), and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited.

Mr. Krishnamoorthy graduated from Delhi University in India with a Bachelor of Engineering Degree.

Portrait

Henrik Baek Jorgensen, Independent Director

Mr. Jorgensen is an experienced leader with a high drive and superior stakeholder management skills with an ability to build bridges between entities with technical expertise on the one hand and those with commercial know-how on the other, especially in the renewable energy space. Mr. Jorgensen has over 13 years of experience in the renewable energy sector, with a particular strength in offshore wind power generation.

Until June 2021, Mr. Jorgensen has served as a Vice President of Offshore Product Strategy at Vestas Wind Systems A/S, where he was responsible for structuring offshore market roadmap and go-to-market strategies including the technical aspects of bids involving next-generation offshore wind turbines.

Prior to this role, from February 2014 to January 2021, Mr. Jorgensen served as a Vice President of Product Management at MHI Vestas Offshore Wind A/S, where he was responsible for structuring product roadmap, go-to-market strategies, and technical sales support.

Mr. Jorgensen’s experience in the energy sector goes beyond offshore wind power generation. His previous engagement included Kamstrup A/S, Vestas Wind Systems A/S, CCI Europe A/S (currently renamed Stibo DX), Sabroe Refrigeration A/S and Tetra Pak Hoyer A/S.

Mr. Jorgensen graduated from Syddansk University in Denmark with an Engineering Degree, where he specialized in energy solutions.

Portrait

Helena Anderson, Independent Director

In 2017, Ms. Anderson co-founded Ikigai, a leading international, technology-neutral “energy transition platform” with a purpose of bridging the gap between investors, suppliers, and energy intensive industries through its strategic advisory, development and bankability accelerator services. Since then she has advised investors, fund managers, developers and technology companies in the energy transition and decarbonization sectors in the U.K., Europe and Africa.

Ms. Anderson has over 12 years of experience in energy (including energy efficiency, solar, wind, tidal stream, geothermal, biomass, energy from waste, biomethane, hydrogen, energy storage, district heating, charging infrastructure, micro grids) and infrastructure (water, telecommunications, airports, roads and ports). She also helped to design, and is a leading expert on, the Equator Principles and other standards related to mitigating environmental and social risk in lending.

Prior to founding Ikigai, Ms. Anderson spent two years at the U.K. Department for International Trade. Ms. Anderson started her career as a lawyer in January 2004 and joined Herbert Smith Freehills from January 2007 to 2015.

Ms. Anderson graduated from the University of Melbourne in Australia with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Degree, a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Finance), and a Diploma of Modern Languages (Japanese). She is currently a commissioner on the Cheshire and Warrington Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Commission for the North West of England.