Board of Directors

Ho Kwon Ping – Executive Chairman, Banyan Tree Group (Sponsor)

Ho Kwon Ping is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Banyan Tree Group and is responsible for the overall management and operation of the Group.

Mr Ho is also Chairman of Laguna Resorts & Hotels Public Company Limited, Thai Wah Food Products Public Company Limited, Singapore Management University and School Advisory Committee of School of Hotel and Tourism Management. He is a non-executive Director of Diageo Plc. He is a member of the Asia-Pacific Council of The Nature Conservancy, Global Advisory Council of London Business School, International Council and East Asia Council of INSEAD, International Council of Asia Society, Management Board of the Middle East Institute at the National University of Singapore and Global Advisory Board of Moelis & Company.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Economics) from the University of Singapore and an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration in Hospitality Management from Johnson & Wales University, United States.

Ariel Vera –Chairman, Banyan Tree Capital

Ariel Vera is the Chairman of Banyan Tree Capital. He is concurrently the Group Managing Director of Banyan Tree Group (Sponsor) where he is responsible for overseeing the corporate well-being of all the companies in the Group. He is also a Director of Laguna Resorts & Hotels Public Company Limited.

Mr Vera has been with Banyan Tree since 1995, and has over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, having previously worked with international hotel chains.

He is a Certified Public Accountant in Philippines and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of the East, Philippines, as well as a Master of Business Administration from the National University of Singapore.

Steve Small – Managing Director, Banyan Tree Capital

Steve Small is the Managing Director of Banyan Tree Capital which he established on behalf of Banyan Tree Group. He has managed the successful launch of the Banyan Tree Indochina Hospitality Fund and the Banyan Tree China Hospitality Fund and oversees all Banyan Tree Capital’s fund management activities.

Prior to joining the Banyan Tree Capital, Mr Small spent over 20 years in private equity investment and management in Asia and was a non-executive director of various regionally listed companies during this time.

Mr Small is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales and holds a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) from Durham University, UK.

Eddy See Hock Lye – Director, Banyan Tree Capital

Eddy See is the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Banyan Tree Group (Sponsor).

Prior to joining the Banyan Tree Group in 2004, he was the Managing Director of Asia Business Forum from 2002 to 2004 and its Chief Financial Officer from 2001 to 2004. From 1996 to 2001, Mr See was the Group Financial Controller of Amara Holdings Limited. He was also the General Director of Amara Hotel Saigon Company Ltd, which operated Amara Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, from 1998 to 2001. Prior to that, he was with Ernst & Young for nearly a decade, spending his last four years as Audit Manager.