Baring Asia adds to investment committee

William W. Flanz has been appointed by Baring Private Equity Asia as a member of the firm's investment committee. He takes on the role from his previous position as senior advisor to Baring Asia since January 2003.

In addition to the new role at Baring Asia, Flanz is also an advisor to Sterling Enterprise Limited, senior advisor to Boston-based buyout group J.W. Childs and independent non-executive director for Kerry Properties and Integrated Distribution Services Group Limited, which are both listed in Hong Kong. On top of these roles, Flanz is also a trustee and member of the executive council of the World Wide Fund for Nature, Hong Kong and is a member of the friends committee of the Asian Cultural Council.

Outside of current obligations, Flanz also brings experience to Baring Asia from Sterling Enterprises, a private investment company responsible for managing the assets of a high end Hong Kong family and has been active in private equity in Asia and Europe since 1986.

Previously, he spent 19 years with Chase Manhattan Bank, where he held roles that included Japan country manager and area director, in which guise he was responsible for all of its activities in the Asia-Pacific region. Flanz was also a founding member of Prudential's private equity operations in Asia and then served as a management committee member of Investcorp, a US and European buyout firm.

More glamorously, Flanz also had the distinction of serving as chairman and chief executive officer of Gucci Group from 1993 until its IPO in 1995.