Avendus Capital is pleased to announce the appointment of Kate Richdale as Non Executive Director on the Board of Directors. Based in Hong Kong, Kate serves as the Partner and the Head of Strategy & Business Development for KKR Asia Pacific. She works with KKR’s Asian investing businesses to assist in advancing the deal origination pipeline and developing strategic client relationships across the region. She sits on KKR’s Asia Investment Committee, Asia Portfolio Management Committee and Risk and Operations Committee.  

With a career spanning over 25 years in investment banking, Kate is one of the most senior women in Asia's investment banking circles and has advised on trailblazing M&A and capital market transactions during her career. In her role as a Non Executive Director, she will bring in diversity of thought and lend global expertise.

On the development, Ranu Vohra, Co-founder, MD & CEO, Avendus Capital, said, “We are delighted to have Kate on our board. She brings a rich and diverse experience having worked in investment banking and organization building across Asia. We look forward to working with her in strengthening our Asia connections and in further enhancing our leadership in financial services in India.”

Sanjay Nayar, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Avendus and CEO of KKR India, said “On behalf of the entire board of Avendus, I am delighted to welcome Kate as a Non Executive, Nominee Director. She brings a range of experiences across the financial services spectrum and will be an invaluable advisor given her first-hand knowledge building and scaling merchant banking franchises across Asia. Kate’s appointment further strengthens our board, and provides the Avendus team access to global best practices as they continue to scale and build multiple arms of their franchise in a synergistic manner."

Prior to joining KKR in March 2019, Kate worked with Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong, where she was Chairman of investment banking in Asia Ex-Japan. She has also worked as the Co-Head of the firm’s Investment Banking Division in Asia Ex-Japan. Before her role at Goldman Sachs, she was head of investment banking for Asia Pacific at Morgan Stanley.

Kate Richdale, on joining Avendus Capital, said, "I am excited to join the Avendus board and work with the dynamic leadership team in creating a leading financial institution in India. Avendus’s businesses are becoming highly relevant to entrepreneurs across the country, and I am confident that the firm will continue to build on its premium and trusted brand with Indian and offshore investors."

Kate joins an experienced set of members of Avendus’ board of directors including Sanjay Nayar and Ajay Candade, Nominee Directors of KKR, Gopal Jain, Nominee Director of Gaja Capital, Arun Kumar Gandhi, Madhav Dhar and Yogesh Mahansaria, Non Executive Directors; and Ranu Vohra, Gaurav Deepak and Kaushal Aggarwal, Co-founders of Avendus and Executive Directors.

About Avendus

Avendus Group is a leading provider of financial services with an emphasis on partnering with the Indian entrepreneur ecosystem to provide services in the areas of Investment Banking, Wealth Management, Credit Solutions and Asset Management. Avendus relies on its extensive experience and in-depth domain understanding to offer differentiated solutions that enable clients to meet their strategic aspirations. 

Avendus Capital, the Investment Banking arm, is consistently ranked among the top investment banks in the country on the back of its in-depth domain understanding and a best in class track record of domestic and cross-border transactions. The wide range of clients that it advises is testimony to its ability to serve its corporates throughout their life cycle – from growth stage funding to large sized transactions, and M&A advisory. 

The Asset Management business of Avendus currently runs nine funds based on different strategies – private equity, long only and alternates. Avendus manages India’s largest hedge funds and its flagship scheme – Avendus Absolute Returns Fund was awarded the Best India Hedge Fund by EurekaHedge Global Hedge Fund Awards, Singapore and Best Single Country by AsiaHedge Funds, Hongkong, both in 2019. Early last year, Avendus also launched India’s first ESG fund –Avendus India ESG Fund.

Avendus Wealth Management, the wealth business of Avendus Group, manages an AUM of USD 4 billion. Started in 2010, it caters to a wide range of clients including leading family offices, UHNIs and corporates. The diverse profile of its clients is a testimony to its ability to serve them throughout their life cycle, by crafting bespoke and differentiated solutions to grow and protect wealth. Avendus Wealth has recently been ranked among the top 5 private banks in the country by Euromoney.

The Credit Solutions business of Avendus works closely with high-quality mid-market businesses to meet their funding requirements and currently manages an AUM of INR 1000+ crores across multiple transactions, with no delinquencies.

Established in 1999 in Mumbai, India, Avendus's presence in 10 cities across India, US, UK and Singapore brings together global perspectives and equips our inter-country teams with the expertise to handle complex business requirements of ambitious entrepreneurs. 

For more information, please visit https://www.avendus.com.