Bhatia named head of Ritchie Capital Asia

Ritchie Capital has announced Harjit Bhatia as chairman and CEO of Ritchie Capital Advisors, Asia Pacific. He will lead Ritchie's investment strategies and fund structures in Asia, focusing on Greater China, Japan and Australia.

Ritchie Capital is a diversified alternative asset management firm established in 1997, which now focuses on a broad spectrum of asset classes, including equity, venture capital, commodities and real estate.

Thane Ritchie, CEO of parent company Ritchie Capital, comments, "Harjit brings over 33 years of diversified experience and regional knowledge of investing and lending in Asian economies."

He joins Ritchie Capital after 11 years at GE, where his role since 2002 was as president of corporate financial services in the Asia Pacific region, focusing on distressed assets and restructuring. Before then, he established GE's private equity business and was managing director of capital markets in India.Prior to that role he worked at Deutsche Bank from 1991 to 1994, as head of merchant banking. From 1972 to 1990 he worked in various corporate finance roles at State Bank of India, based in Japan, Italy and India.