Jean Eric Salata, Chief Executive and Founding Managing Partner of Baring Private Equity Asia, joined the company in 1997. Mr. Salata oversees all investment and divestment decisions made at the firm, as well as its strategic direction. Mr. Salata has been responsible for all investment activity of the firm since he joined in 1997 to create a regional Asian private equity program for UK based Baring Private Equity Partners Ltd, a subsidiary of the ING Group.　In 2004, Baring Private Equity became independent through a management buyout. Previously, Mr. Salata was the Director of Hong Kong based AIG Global Investment Corporation (Asia) Ltd., the Asian private equity investment arm of AIG. Before that, he was the Executive Vice President of Finance of Shiu Wing Steel, a Hong Kong based industrial plant, and prior to that a management consultant with Bain