 Chris Rynning Chief Executive Officer |
Chris has the overall responsibility for Origo's operations, investments and services worldwide. A Norwegian national based in Beijing since 1997, Chris was the Founder and Managing Partner of Ascend Ventures, the predecessor of Origo. Now residing in Beijing and Mumbai, Chris was previously Managing Partner of MINT, a PwC Consulting's joint venture investment arm in China. In that capacity, Chris invested in half a dozen technology start-ups in the internet, telecom and media sectors. Before that, he served as a Regional Director of Asia with Elkem, an Oslo and Frankfurt listed company. At Elkem, Chris led one of the largest equity and project finance deals in western China to date, for which he was awarded a symbolic honorary citizenship of China. In total, Chris has over 15 years of emerging and established market experience, gained in China, India, Russia, Japan, France and the US. A graduate of ESSEC in Paris, Chris holds an MBA with a specialization in Finance from the University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business. |
 Niklas Ponnert Chief Financial Officer |
As the CFO of the Group, Niklas oversees new investments and portfolio companies. He is also responsible for all matters related to finance, accounting, and legal compliance. Niklas brings a background in business analysis and consulting, as well as six years of venture capital investment experience in China. Niklas joined Origo from Siemens Venture Capital (SVC), where he was a founding member of Siemens Acceleration Fund. In that capacity, he was associated with Siemens' minority investments in half a dozen Chinese technology companies. Before his arrays into venture capital investing, Niklas worked with LECG, a NASDAQ listed economic and finance consulting firm. Niklas also spent a few years at a U.C. Berkeley affiliated think-tank, researching technology and business trends in the Asia-Pacific. A Swedish national, Niklas received his BA with highest honors from U.C. Berkeley. He resides in Beijing since 2001 and is a fluent speaker of Mandarin Chinese. |
Wang Chao Yong
Executive Chairman
Mr. Christopher Jemmet
Deputy Chairman, Non-Executive
Mr. Jemmet heads up Origo's Audit, Governance and Compliance Committee. For many years an executive and board director of Unilever Group, Mr. Jemmet brings extensive China and India experience to the company. Mr. Jemmet is the Deputy Chairman and Senior Independent Director of Foreign & Colonial Asset Management (F&C), a leading investment company quoted on the London Stock Exchange. With ￡112 billion (€160.6 billion) funds under management Mr. Jemmett joined the F&C Board in February 1998. Mr Jemmett was appointed as an independent, Non-Executive Director of Friends Provident plc in June 2001 having been an independent, Non-Executive Director of Friends' Provident Life Office from 1997 until 2001. He was formerly a Director and member of the Executive Committee of Unilever plc and Unilever NV, a member of the Council of The Crown Agents Foundation and a member of The Council of Royal Warrant Holders Associations.
Christopher Jemmett spent most of his career with Unilever PLC, rising to an executive member of the Board of Unilever PLC and Unilever N.V. from 1988 until his retirement in 1997. Holding early appointments in central purchasing and audit departments of Unilever, Mr. Jemmett was appointed the Managing Director of Hohnen Lever Tokyo and President of Unilever Japan KK in 1973. Mr. Jemmett later took the position as Chairman of United Africa Company, as well as taking responsibility for Unilever’s Africa and Middle East Regional Management Group. In 1992, he was appointed regional director of Unilever for Latin America and Central Asia, Chairman of Unilever’s Overseas Committee and Director of the Agribusiness Coordination/Plantation Group.
Currently, Mr. Jemmett is a non-executive director of Friends Provident PLC and the Deputy Chairman and Senior Independent Director of F&C Asset Management PLC. As with Origo, Jemmett is the head of the Audit and Compliance Committees in all three companies.
While with F&C, Mr. Jemmett has been deeply involved in several key acquisitions and developments including ISIS Asset Management PLC in October 2004. With Friends Provident, Mr. Jemmett has been involved in the acquisitions of Lombard International of Luxembourg, as well as earlier acquisitions of London and Manchester, R&SA Investments and R&SA International. While with Unilever, Mr. Jemmett led extensive M&A activity successfully completing takeovers and mergers with very large consumer goods companies in India, China, Middle East and Africa.
During his career, Mr. Jemmett has been a member of Councils of Royal Warrant Holders and of the Crowns Agents Foundation. A frequent traveler to China and India, Mr. Jemmett is a passionate collector of Eighteenth Century English furniture, Ching Imperial Monochromes as well as Japanese and Indian antiques.
(http://www.fandc.com/)
Mr. Dipankar Basu
Director, Non-Executive
Mr. Basu chairs the Management Compensation Committee of Origo. Mr. Basu is currently the Chairman of the Securities Trading Corporation of India Ltd. and is the Director on Boards of Securities Trading Corp. of India Ltd, Asian Paints (India) Ltd., Deepak Fertilizers and Petrochemicals Corp. Ltd etc. As the former Chairman of State Bank of India, he spearheaded its foray into investment banking and was responsible for setting up SBI Capital Markets and SBI Mutual Fund. Mr. Basu also acts as an advisor to the Government of India in issues relating to Finance and Trade.
(http://www.sbicaps.com/)
