HIG Capital hires former Blackstone executive to lead Asia capital formation
HIG Capital has appointed Younghee Choi as head of Asia within its Capital Formation Group, as the alternative investment firm looks to expand its relationships with institutional and private wealth investors across the region.
HIG Capital has appointed Younghee Choi as the head of Asia within its Capital Formation Group. Based in Hong Kong, Choi will be responsible for overseeing capital formation activities across Asia, encompassing HIG's private equity, private credit, and real assets strategies. This appointment aims to bolster HIG's relationships with institutional and private wealth investors across the region. The firm manages approximately $75 billion of capital.
Choi previously spent more than 15 years at Blackstone, where her work focused on institutional client solutions and private wealth. Her most recent role at Blackstone was as Senior Managing Director and Head of Korea Institutional Client Solutions. During her tenure, she cultivated relationships with institutional investors throughout Asia and contributed to the expansion of the firm's private wealth fundraising efforts in South Korea.
HIG stated that Choi's appointment is intended to support its objectives of broadening its Asian limited partner base and increasing its presence among both institutional and private wealth investors. Jordan Peer Griffin, Executive Managing Director and Global Head of HIG's Capital Formation Group, noted that Choi's experience and investor connections are expected to strengthen the firm's regional capabilities as it expands its LP network.
Choi's stated focus in her new role will be on deepening investor relationships across Asia and increasing awareness of HIG's global investment capabilities. HIG's equity strategies target middle-market opportunities including management buyouts, recapitalisations and corporate carve-outs. Its credit business provides senior, unitranche and junior debt financing through both direct origination and secondary-market investments. Its real estate platform focuses on value-add opportunities, while HIG Infrastructure targets value-add and core-plus investments.
Founded in 1993, HIG Capital has invested in and managed over 400 companies globally. Its current portfolio comprises more than 100 businesses with combined annual sales of more than $53bn. The firm's continued efforts to build its international fundraising infrastructure are underscored by this hire.
This appointment signals the increasing competition for allocations to alternative assets from institutional and private wealth investors in Asia. Firms are strategically hiring experienced professionals with established regional networks to enhance their fundraising capabilities and expand their limited partner bases, indicating a sustained focus on growth in Asian markets.