David Chen joined Advent in 2006 and is a Managing Director in Shanghai. He advises on investments across the consumer and industrial sectors. David originally joined Advent in Boston, and rejoined the firm in Shanghai following business school, focusing on growth and buyout opportunities in the consumer retail and education sectors in China. He leads the China consumer practice and has advised on nine investments during his career at Advent.
Prior to joining Advent, David worked at Merrill Lynch, where he advised investment bank clients on M&A and financing projects in the insurance, asset management, and brokerage industries.
David holds an MBA/MA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania/Lauder Institute and received a BS in Economics and Computer Science from Duke University.
What does having a presence in China mean for Advent?
I was very proud to bring the Advent DNA to our China office, where we have a talented team of local colleagues with deep expertise of the Greater China market. Advent has been able to combine our knowledge of local nuances with our culture of entrepreneurship and humility – along with our way of forging win-win partnerships with companies and founders. That has created the best of both worlds, and we’ve been able to share the insights we’ve learned with our global colleagues.
How do you challenge yourself to continuously improve?
For me, it’s about meeting different types of people and listening to them. When we go to a company, I don’t just want to meet the CEO, but the junior and support staff as well. There are so many stakeholders in any situation, all with their own perspectives. It’s worth interacting with people at all levels and putting yourself in their shoes: it’ll challenge your own thinking. That’s where you learn the most.
“It’s worth interacting with people at all levels and putting yourself in their shoes: it’ll challenge your own thinking.”
David Chen
Managing Director, Advent
What aspects of this job inspire and drive you?
They haven’t changed from when I joined Advent as an associate in the Boston office in 2006. Before that, I’d been an investment banker for two years, and I had the opportunity to work with Advent during that time. I saw how Advent was making a difference, not just in the corporate world, but in how companies and corporations affected the lives of everyday people. That’s what we still do, not just in any particular country, but around the world.
If you weren’t in this business, what would you be doing?
I’d love to be a professional art collector. It’s something that’s investment-related, but completely different in terms of why something is valuable. I’ve always been particularly interested in original comic art, especially the storytelling, and the way different artists can have a fresh take on the same character throughout the years. That’s what I’d be doing in another life.
