• Ion Pacific chooses London to become its fully regulated European headquarters, led by Claire Hoey, former Lehman Brothers and Rothschild investment banker
• Ellis Chu, Former Head of China M&A at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, joins Ion Pacific as Managing Director 

Ion Pacific, the international Asian headquartered merchant bank, today announces that Ellis Chu has been appointed as a Managing Director, Head of Greater China. The Company has also opened a FCA regulated London office as its European headquarters. Led by Claire Hoey, this European base will provide a platform for Asian investors seeking entry or expansion into European markets and for global institutions pursuing their ambitions in China and the wider Asian markets.

ION PACIFIC’S LONDON OFFICE

Ion Pacific was founded in Hong Kong in 2015 by ItamarHar-Even and Michael Joseph to serve a prominent and diverse set of clients, partners and investors. The Company focuses on investment banking, including mergers and acquisitions, capital raising and private placements, and merchant banking which involves principal investment opportunities.

Claire Hoey will lead the London office supported by Pierce Casey as a Senior Adviser. Pierce is an experienced private equity practitioner and was previously a director of DCC and Alchemy Venture Partners, and is the former head of Apax Partners in Ireland.

Claire Hoey, Managing Director and Head of EMEA for Ion Pacific, said: “As part of our international expansion, we have chosen London to become our main European platform to help bridge capital and investment flows between the Asian and Western markets. London is a global leader in financial markets and business excellence and we believe our presence here will significantly enhance our offering to both our Asian and international client base.”

ELLIS CHU APPOINTMENT

Prior to joining Ion Pacific, Ellis was the Head of China Mergers and Acquisitions at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and his career experience has seen him advised on in excess of US$150bn of transactions in China. He began his finance career in New York before transferring to Asia with Lehman Brothers in 2007. He has also held senior M&A advisory positions at Citigroup Global Markets, Nomura and Lehman Brothers.

Claire Hoey, Managing Director, Head of EMEA, commented: “Ellis’s experience in M&A in the Asia-Pacific region is industry leading and he has advised on China’s largest and most important transactions. We have recently opened an office in London to support our ambitions in bridging East and West and we are pleased to welcome him on board as Ion Pacific continues to grow internationally.”

Ellis Chu, Managing Director, Head of Greater China, added: “The team at Ion Pacific have world-leading deal experience with a number of international blue chip brands as clients. I am excited by the prospect of helping the business to build on its strong growth momentum and adding my expertise across investment banking and M&A to what is a world class management team.”