Za-Woong (“ZW”) Koo
Seoul/New York
Mr. Koo is an experienced investment banker and entrepreneur. He currently serves as Managing Director of Boston Sovereign Capital, LLC (BSC), an investment banking firm dedicated to working with clients and partners in cross-border transactions in private equity, venture development, and real estate between the Americas and Asia and the Gulf countries. His projects include the development of Senior Living projects in China and an innovative BOT project New York City.
Most recently, Mr. Koo served as the President and CEO of American Higher Education Int’l, Inc., (AHEd), a venture incubation company developing new education and healthcare ventures based on delivering higher education programs from MIT, Harvard, and other universities through online and off-line means. Most recently AHEd was instrumental in the opening of the New York University branch campus in Abu Dhabi. Under AHEd, Mr. Koo founded and launched two subsidiaries, one in nurse training in India (operated 25 training centers) and another in English language training.
Mr. Koo co-founded and was Managing Partner of Cambridge Capital Partners Limited, (CCPL) based in Seoul, Korea. CCPL was an investment firm specializing in M&A and restructuring advisory services. CCPL was a JV with The Sakura Bank of Japan and local partner for The Blackstone Group.
Prior to CCPL, Mr. Koo was a Managing Director of BT Wolfensohn, working closely with The Hon. James D. Wolfensohn (former President of the World Bank) and The Hon. Paul A. Volcker (Chairman of Economic Advisory Panel for President Obama and former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank). For over 14 years, he has advised Fortune 500 clients and growth companies of the Wolfensohn Venture Fund, acting as part of their in-house team, providing strategic and financial advise on a diverse range of issues, including new business development, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), restructuring, joint ventures, and strategic alliances. Mr. Koo’s clients included leading global companies in the lodging and gaming, financial services, transportation and industrials, computer and electronics, ferrous and nonferrous metals, and high technology industries. He has completed over $30 billion in transactions all around the world.
Mr. Koo has also served in the ROK army and worked at Logica, Inc. in Boston and Procter & Gamble AG in Switzerland.
Mr. Koo holds an A.B. (Applied Sciences), S.M. (Applied Math) and M.B.A. degrees from Harvard University. He is a private pilot and an avid cyclist. Mr. Koo is fluent in Spanish and Korean and has studied Mandarin, German, French and Japanese. He is a member of the Harvard Club of New York and Yale Golf Club.