MVision loses Asia partner amid reshuffle

Niklas Amundsson, a partner at MVision who helped establish its presence in Hong Kong, is no longer working for the firm following a reorganization that has seen founder and chief executive Mounir “Moose” Guen move over to Asia, industry sources exclusively revealed to sister title PEI.   

Amundsson will formally depart in the New Year, one source confirmed, although he is currently on a period of leave and is not expected to return to work in the interim.

The precise reason for his departure is unclear. MVision declined to comment on the matter while Amundsson did not respond to requests for comment.

Nevertheless, MVision’s presence in Asia has grown lately, with the number of professionals based in the region now at 12, according to the firm.

Most recently, Michelle Paisley joined from Macquarie Bank and will be a managing director in MVision’s Hong Kong office. Paisley was most recently a division director in Asian equities, having moved from Sydney in 2006 to run Macquarie Securities' Hong Kong China Business. Previously, she held senior roles at Bankers Trust and Citigroup in Sydney, and at HSBC in London.

In addition, the firm has appointed Dennis Kwan, also as managing director in Hong Kong. He worked most recently as a principal at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust, where he was responsible for overseeing investments in its global program across private equity, credit and infrastructure investments.

Guen’s relocation was revealed in August by PEI. He said in an earlier interview that the move to Asia-Pacific was driven by the enormous growth potential for private equity and related investment strategies in the region.

He said: “We are seeing an extremely broad spectrum of activity here. Asia is the world’s most dynamic economic region now, which will not reverse, and it’s difficult to see many limitations on the opportunity for private equity to scale up. For me personally, the convenience of Hong Kong to access this opportunity more fluidly is irresistible. It was important to put myself into the fabric of the region.”

In a statement today announcing the new hires, Guen said he believed private equity investment opportunities would “accelerate dramatically” in Asia going forward.

Headquartered in London, MVision opened an office in San Francisco earlier this month – its second in the US after New York. The firm also opened in Sydney last year to further tap the country’s private equity markets and strengthen its GP network throughout the region.