Since returning to Asia after completing his Harvard MBA, Jainfeng Peter Chen has accumulated more than 15 years of investment experience. As head of Business Development Asia Pacific, Canada Pension Fund, prior roles at Bain Capital and General Electric Capital, his educational and professional experience in China, Italy, the United States and Japan provides insight on how senior executives lead far more global lives than most of the world’s population.
A member of Young Presidents’ Organization since 2010, he shares insight on leadership and his advice to investors based on his unique position at the head of a multi-billion pension billion fund invested in Asia.
What was your first job or business?
Upon graduating from University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, I stood at the crossroads between two giants: General Electric and Goldman Sachs. I landed on GE because of its general management orientation which I felt would be more fundamental over the long term, in addition to the opportunity to develop my professional experience in the U.S. before returning to Asia eventually. The decision led to a 12-year tenure at GE across eight businesses and five countries, including my founding of GE Corporate Financial Services in Taiwan from scratch with a focus on special situation investments across Greater China.
What is one must-read book for business leaders?
“The Art of War” by Sun Tzu, a senior military general who shared winning strategies and techniques that still resonate in today’s competitive business world, including:
- “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.”
- “If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt.”
- “He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.”
- “Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley.”
Complete the sentence: “If I wasn’t a business leader, I would be…
If I wasn’t a business leader, I would be a travel journalist following the Chinese proverb “reading 10,000 books cannot match walking 10,000 miles.” In other words, life is a journey, and I enjoy photographing, understanding, and documenting its people and its moments. I consider myself fortunate to be working in a global firm and belonging to a regional YPO chapter with plenty of opportunities to hit the road.
Who is your business role model?
Sir Richard Branson, who I met on Harvard Business School campus, inspires me profoundly with his entrepreneurial endeavors, competitive spirit, humanitarian efforts, and above all, his sense of humor. He is the living proof of how to be authentic and successful while having fun, qualities that I have witnessed among many YPO members.
What is the best piece of leadership advice you have received?
“Control your own destiny, or somebody else will” by Jack Welch, which holds even more true in today’s world characterized by high velocity, uncertainty, and connectivity whereby a ripple in one industry and at one location could quickly become a disruptive tsunami or a positive wave of opportunities. The million-dollar question lies in how business leaders proactively and systematically prepare and position themselves and their teams for such inevitable and rapid changes.
What is a top trend you’re seeing now in your industry?
After the global financial crisis, the power and influence of large, long-term capital providers such as pension funds and sovereign wealth funds have significantly increased because of the longevity and stability their capital brings to the world markets. Other key trends include:
- Globalization: Many players have allocated capital offshore and established local presence in key financial centers of targeted geographies such as Hong Kong, London, New York.
- In-house capabilities: Besides the traditional model of sponsoring top performing hedge fund and private equity fund managers, many institutions have been hiring professional talents from the market in order to deploy capital through co-investments or direct investments.
- Partnerships: Many large institutions are forming consortiums with their fund managers or like-minded peers in order to share transaction costs, risks, and to mitigate competition.
What is the top challenge for business leaders today?
With the development of technology and globalization, we are being overloaded by the sheer quantum and velocity of information. The challenge, as well as the business opportunity, lies in how to efficiently shift through and prioritize the useful information.
What are the top insights you’d like to share with business leaders looking at investment opportunities?
- When things go wrong, don’t think it is the end of the world, as it could have been worse, and may even turn into an opportunity. More importantly, don’t get mad at yourself. Direct your energy to figure out the answer instead of wasting it on self-aggravation.
- In investments, always be aware of market cycles. Try to be patient and contrarian, and never overpay. Besides calculating how much money you can make on this investment, ask yourself how much money can I lose on this investment?
How has being in YPO positively affected your business or leadership?
Growing up as a single child in my family, I did not have the benefit of being looked after by siblings. Despite of having developed a broad social network, I have never experienced the type of profound, professional, personal, selfless, timely and unconditional brotherly love until I joined the YPO family. When things get tough, it is invaluable to have your personal board of directors providing you with knowledge and candor. And when things go well, it is wonderful to celebrate personal or professional milestones as a family.
What is one thing on your bucket list?
A three-month sabbatical in Buenos Aires to become fluent in Tango and the Spanish language at the same time.