Speakers

James Chern is the founding Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Seraya Partners. He leads the Investment Committee and is responsible for the overall investment strategy of Seraya. He works closely with investors and portfolio company executives to execute Seraya’s investment strategy.

Prior to Seraya, James was a founding member of I Squared Capital and was also the head of Asia, managing director, and global investment committee member. He founded and led the Asia business from 2012 to 2020. He was chairman of Asia portfolio companies in the renewable, water utility, telecom, and data center sectors. James started his investment banking career at Morgan Stanley in Hong Kong in the M&A department. He then joined Morgan Stanley’s infrastructure investment business, Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners, and led the Asia business. He invested in renewables and transport sectors across Asia.

He earned his MBA in Finance from Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and Bachelor of Architecture degree from Cornell University. He has been a guest speaker at the National University of Singapore and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He serves as a board Member of Hwa Chong Institution and Hwa Chong International School.

Seraya Partners

Seraya Partners is Asia’s first independent private equity fund manager dedicated to next-generation infrastructure. With over USD 2.2 billion in assets under management, Seraya builds and scales control-oriented, mid-market platforms across digital infrastructure and the energy transition.

The firm focuses on Developed Asia and Southeast Asia: markets undergoing rapid digitalization, decarbonization, and energy transformation. Its global investor base includes sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, large asset managers, development finance institutions, and insurers committed to long-term, impact-driven value creation.

Seraya’s portfolio spans mission-critical sectors including AI-ready data centres, offshore wind farm vessels, renewable energy, energy storage, subsea and terrestrial fibre, shared telecom infrastructure, and energy-as-a-service solutions. These assets underpin the region’s digital economy and low-carbon transition.

Headquartered in Singapore with offices in Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, and Tokyo, Seraya Partners combines deep operating expertise with a differentiated platform-building approach to deliver resilient returns and measurable climate impact.

www.serayapartners.com