Soo-Ryong Kim

Mr. Kim is a senior investment banker who has initiated and executed over US$25 billion in financial transactions as an equity investor, financial advisor and senior lender over a 27 year career. He joined Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company's in 1978 and was in charge of the Korea/Taiwan Desk in the New York head office until 1987. In 1987, Mr. Kim became an investment officer of the bank's Alternative Investment Management Group, a task force dedicated to the conversion of non-performing sovereign debts into equity stakes in industrial companies of Latin America and Eastern Europe. His major transactions include the Chilean Celpac paper/pulp project (1989), privatization of Emprenacionale Telecommunicacione S.A. (Entel) of Argentina (1990) and the establishment of the US$2 billion Brazil Privatization Fund (1991).

After his return to Asia in 1992 as Managing Director, Mr. Kim was in charge of Chemical Securities Asia's investment and capital markets business, as well as project financing/privatization business in Asia. His major transactions include financial advisory for Korea Telecom for various acquisition transactions in Southeast Asia and the financial advisory for the US$500 million project finance for Daewoo/Shell in 1993.

Mr. Kim was re-assigned to Seoul, Korea in 1995 as Chase Manhattan Bank’s Managing Director. His team in Seoul and Chase’s various industry and product specialists successfully completed a multiplicity of first-in-its-kind transactions such as an M&A advisory for Samsung Electronic’s acquisition of an equity stake in New Regency Productions, an independent film production company in Hollywood (1995), a rating and financial advisory for Hyundai Motor’s debut in the U.S. capital market through a 144A bond issue (1996), a project finance advisory for Hynix Semiconductor’s $1.2 billion semiconductor plant construction in Eugene, Oregon (1997), etc.

Upon leaving Chase in March 1998, he was elected as Advisor to the Chairman of the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) of the Republic of Korea, advising on the Korean corporate restructuring programs. Mr. Kim represented the Korean government (FSC) in presenting the Korean Reform progress through the Korea Forum-Investors Roadshow at major capital markets in September through October 1998, helping international investors regain confidence in Korea.

Mr. Kim is currently Chairman of the Meridien Partners Group. Mr. Kim also served as a director of the Board of Ascent Meridith Asset Management Corporation and Mason Investment LLC of New York. Mr. Kim has been a Commissioner of the Presidential Committee on Northeast Asian Cooperation Initiative since 2003.

Mr. Kim received an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1987 and a BA in business administration from Dong-A University in 1979.

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