TA Associates to Establish Hong Kong Office; Industry Veteran Edward Sippel to Lead Asia Pacific Operation

Jason Tan Also Joins Firm to Support Investing Efforts in China

BOSTON and HONG KONG - May 23, 2011 – TA Associates, a leading growth private equity firm, today announced it will establish operations in the Asia Pacific region with the opening of an office in Hong Kong. Edward F. Sippel has joined the firm as Managing Principal – Asia Pacific to open and lead the Hong Kong office.  Also joining TA is Jason Tan, who will serve as Director of China, reporting to Mr. Sippel.

Mr. Sippel has nearly 15 years of experience in deal sourcing, due diligence, structuring, portfolio management and exits across numerous Asian markets.  Prior to joining TA, Mr. Sippel was with Quadrangle Group, where as a Managing Principal he headed the firm’s operations in Asia, including opening its Hong Kong office in 2008.  He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Tower Vision, a wireless tower company in India, which is a Quadrangle investment led by Mr. Sippel.  Prior to Quadrangle, Mr. Sippel was a Partner and Managing Director at TVG Capital Partners Ltd., where he focused on private equity investments in the technology, media and telecom (TMT) sectors in Asia.  During his tenure, Mr. Sippel led several Asian-based private equity deals and served on the Boards of numerous private and public companies in Asia.  Before joining TVG at inception, Mr. Sippel worked at the Asia Infrastructure Fund (AIF Capital), a private equity firm based in Hong Kong.  Prior to that, he was in the Communications Group at Morgan Stanley in New York.  Mr. Sippel received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgetown University.

Mr. Tan was previously with Summit Partners, where as Director, Asia Pacific Group, he created the firm’s Asia Pacific practice and was responsible for all aspects of transactions in the region. Prior to Summit, Mr. Tan served as an Associate at Crimson Investment and as an Associate Consultant at Bain & Co.  Mr. Tan received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Chinese Culture & Language, and a Master of Arts in Economics, from Northwestern University.  Mr. Tan will initially work in TA Associates’ Menlo Park, California office before relocating to Hong Kong.

TA was founded in Boston in 1968, later opening an office in Menlo Park.  The firm expanded internationally to London in 2002 and to India with the opening of a Mumbai office in 2009.  TA has invested more than $2.5 billion in 22 investments outside of North America since 2002.  With $16 billion in capital raised, TA seeks buyouts and minority investments in profitable growth companies, with a particular focus on the technology, financial services, healthcare, business services and consumer industries.  The firm has more than 70 investment professionals. 

“We are delighted to establish a  presence in Hong Kong and to welcome Ed and Jason to TA as we begin this new and exciting chapter in the firm’s evolution,” said C. Kevin Landry, Chairman, TA Associates.  “Fifteen years of living and working in the region have afforded Ed a deep understanding of the complexities and cultural nuances of deal making in Asia, making him ideally suited to lead our team and activities in the region.  Jason brings a wealth of experience in investment origination, evaluation and execution that will prove quite valuable as we pursue opportunities in China and elsewhere in Asia.  Opening an office in Hong Kong is part of our long-established strategy of being a global growth investor, and we will follow the same investing strategy that has so successfully transferred to Europe and India.”

“I am thrilled to join TA, a firm with a long and proud tradition of helping management teams build their businesses into great companies,” said Mr. Sippel.  “Asia offers a wealth of opportunities for a growth private equity firm such as TA, with its abundant capital and a focus on multiple industries all highly relevant to the region.  In addition, TA’s investing model is a perfect fit for Asia.  For more than 40 years, the firm has invested in high growth businesses, often in a minority ownership position and employing very conservative levels of debt, meaning TA does not need to alter its proven investing style in order to succeed in Asia. We will look to add to the team in Hong Kong while seeking investment opportunities for TA Associates throughout the Asia Pacific region.”

About TA Associates 
Founded in 1968, TA Associates is one of the largest and most experienced middle-market growth private equity firms.  The firm has invested in over 400 companies and has raised more than $16 billion in capital.  With offices in Boston, Menlo Park, London, Mumbai and Hong Kong, TA Associates leads buyouts and minority recapitalizations of profitable growth companies in the technology, financial services, business services, healthcare and consumer industries.  TA’s operations in London, Mumbai and Hong Kong are conducted by TA Associates Ltd., TA Associates Advisory Pvt. Ltd., and TA Associates Asia Pacific Ltd., respectively, which provide advisory services to TA Associates.  More information about TA Associates can be found at www.ta.com.