Executive Officers

Mr. Wayne Christopher Farmer, 53
Chief Executive Officer. Director and Chairman

Since January 2017, Mr. Farmer has been a senior advisor of Cobalt Equity Partners (“Cobalt”), a Hong Kong-based industrial-focused private equity firm. During Mr. Farmer’s time with Cobalt, he sourced 80% of Cobalt’s total of approximately USD 200 million in commitments which led to their first anchor investor closing. Since February 2004, Mr. Farmer has been a director of Upriver Holdings Limited, a business consulting and special purpose vehicle company. Since May 2003, Mr. Farmer founded and has been serving as the managing partner of Islemount Limited, a boutique business and capital consulting and strategy firm which primarily focused on Greater China and Southeast Asia. From September 1998 to June 2001, Mr. Farmer served as the head of sales & client services, Asia at Financial Times Electronic Publishing, Pearson PLC, the financial data and software services business division of the Financial Times Group. From 1996 to 1998, Mr. Farmer served as the director of sales at Thomson Financial Bankwatch, a subsidiary of Thomson Corporation. From 1994 to 1996, Mr. Farmer served as regional sales manager at Thomson Reuters Corporation (formerly Thomson Financial Publishing), a leading financial news, data and software business. From 1992 to 1993, Mr. Farmer served in various Canadian political assistant roles with the Canadian government. Since May 2014, Mr. Farmer has been the volunteer President at the Canada-ASEAN Business Council, Singapore and the elected treasurer of the American Club, Singapore, respectively. Mr. Farmer obtained a bachelor of art degree from the Queen’s University, Canada, and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Western Ontario, Canada in 1993 and 2000, respectively. Mr. Farmer also holds an executive diploma in public company directorship jointly issued by Singapore Management University and the Singapore Institute of Directors since 2015.

Mr. Francis Pak Ying Mak, 63
Chief Financial Officer and Director

Since 2020, Mr. Mak has been serving as an executive director and the chief financial officer of Advent TeleMediCare Limited, a Hong Kong subsidiary of Advent-AWI Holdings Inc. (TSXV: AWI). Since 2015, Mr. Mak has also been serving as an advisor to Vital Home Solution Limited, an industry leader in smart senior home healthcare solutions in Hong Kong. Since 2016, Mr. Mak has also been serving as a director and the chief executive officer of Hei Ching International Group Limited, a business consulting service company. From December 2018 to June 2020, Mr. Mak served as an advisor of Advent- Advent-AWI Holdings Inc. (TSXV: AWI), a specialty retailer of personal wireless and wireline communication products and services. From February 2015 to May 2019, Mr. Mak served as a chief strategy officer of EIL Company Limited, a supplier of electronic components and sensors. From August 2015 to December 2018, Mr. Mak served as an advisor to Picowork (Hong Kong) Limited, a cloud-based service provider. From January 2013 to January 2015, Mr. Mak served as the chief executive officer and an executive director of Kingdom Majorlink Kiosk Systems Limited, a company designing and manufacturing self-service kiosks. From May 2011 to December 2012, Mr. Mak served as the chief financial officer of KFM Kingdom Holdings Limited (HKG: 3816), a metal products and manufacturing company. From August 2009 to May 2011, Mr. Mak served as a director of business and financial advisory services, specializing in the technologies industry segment, at Grant Thornton (HK) Limited, a public accounting and consulting company. Mr. Mak was a self-employed business partner and consultant to various listed companies from October 2002 to August 2009. Notable partners and clients that he had technology projects with include makers of ACDSee digital imaging management and editing software ACD Systems International Inc. (TSX:ASA), financial services investment holding company Kingsway International Holdings Limited (TSX:KIH), digital media content publisher and provider Culturecom Holdings Ltd. (HKEX:343), Sunwah Group affiliate SW Kingsway Capital Holdings Ltd. (HKEX:118), and Deloitte Technology Fast 500 awardee Kingdom MajorLink Kiosk Systems Limited. Prior to this, Mr. Mak was a manager and later Director of Business and Financial Advisory Services at Price Waterhouse and PricewaterhouseCoopers from January 1991 to September 2002, spending the first decade in Canada, and the remainder of his tenure in Hong Kong, respectively. From May 1989 to December 1990, Mr. Mak was an audit and business consulting manager at Thorne Ernst & Whinney, which was the largest accounting firm in Canada at the time. Prior to becoming manager at Thorne Ernst & Whinney, Mr. Mak was based in Hong Kong as a technical manager at Ernst & Whinney, the American accounting firm that would later merge with Arthur Young to form Ernst & Young, from August 1988 to May 1989. His first job was as a trainee and later chartered accountant at professional services network Horwath International (now Crowe Horwath International) in London from September 1982 to December 1985, before becoming a manager at Horwath International Hong Kong from January 1986 to August 1988. Mr. Mak obtained a bachelor degree in accounting from the University of Kent in 1982. Mr. Mak was certified as an accountant in Canada, Hong Kong, and England & Wales in 1991, 1987, and 1986, respectively.

Board of Directors

Ms. Ichi Shih, 51
Independent Director

Since September 2020, Ms. Shih has been serving as an independent director at Bit Digital, Inc. (Nasdaq: BTBT), a Bitcoin mining company. Since December 2018, Ms. Shih has also been serving as a partner at Cathay Securities, Inc., a broker-dealer firm. From October 2017 to December 2018, Ms. Shih served as the chief financial officer of ProMed Clinical Research Organization, Inc. in China, a company engaging in pharmaceutical clinical research and development. From July 2016 to September 2017, Ms. Shih served as the managing director of Cubetech Global Asset, an investment advisory company. From May 2015 to November 2015, Ms. Shih served as a listing advisor of NASDAQ Dubai Limited and the Dubai government. From October 2012 to November 2014, Ms. Shih served as a senior vice president at Glory Sky Group Limited, a financial services company. From December 2011 to March 2012, Ms. Shih served as a consultant of Shenyin Wanguo Capital (HK) Limited, a Hong Kong-listed securities company. From June 2009 to April 2011, Ms. Shih served as a senior consultant and the chief financial officer of China Valves Technologies, Inc., an industrial manufacturer which develops, manufactures, and markets metal valves for electricity, petroleum, chemical, water, gas, and metal industries. From February 2007 to May 2009, Ms. Shih served as the corporate finance group vice president of Brean Murray, Carret & Co. in New York, a boutique investment bank. From December 2003 to February 2007, Ms. Shih served as a senior associate of Westminster Securities, an investment services corporation. From May 1998 to November 1999, Ms. Shih served as a financial analyst of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, an investment management company. From June 1995 to May 1998, Ms. Shih served as an equity lending assistant of Société Générale in New York, a multinational investment bank. Ms. Shih obtained a bachelor of science degree in accounting and international business from New York University and a master’s degree in international finance and business from Columbia University in 1995 and 2002, respectively. Ms. Shih was certified as an accountant with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants in 2008.

Ms. Cheng Peng, 35
Independent Director

Since October 2017, Ms. Peng is the founding partner of Fission Capital in Hong Kong, a blockchain investment firm. She has led investments in over fifty blockchain projects and orchestrated M&As and reverse takeovers of three blockchain businesses on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. From November 2014 to October 2017, Ms. Peng served as a chief executive officer of Ucan.com Group Limited, an animation, music, and mobile games company, which operates under Hong Kong’s first listed IP management and distribution company Culturecom Holding Limited (HKG: 0343). From October 2012 to September 2014, Ms. Peng was the assistant manager for the Policy, China and Investment Products department of SFC, the Hong Kong financial regulator. From October 2010 to September 2012, Ms. Peng served as a management consultant analyst at CIL Management Consulting (formerly known as E&Y Consulting) in London, a consulting company. Ms. Peng has been on the Campaign Board for King’s College, Cambridge, UK since April 2020. Ms. Peng graduated from the University of Cambridge and the London School of Economics in 2009 and 2010, respectively, obtaining degrees in social and political science from Cambridge, and a master’s degree in law and society from LSE.

Mr. Joseph Jun Chih King, 56
Independent Director

From January 2014 to December 2019, Mr. King was the co-founder and served as the chief executive officer of HY Credit Company Limited, a leading money lender and a subsidiary of Henyep Development Holdings Limited, a financial services company in Hong Kong. From July 2009 to January 2014, Mr. King was the co-founder and the chairman of North Asia Resources Holdings Limited, an investment holding company principally engaged in mining businesses. From March 2008 to May 2009, Mr. King served as a partner and the deputy chief executive officer of Richland Capital, a private equity firm. From December 2004 to December 2007, Mr. King served as the chief operating officer and the chief financial officer of the China business unit of Roly International Holdings Limited (“Roly”) in Shanghai, an investment holding company listed in Singapore whose subsidiaries design, manufacture, procure, market, and sell international branded lifestyle products in over 2000 shops in the Greater China market. From December 1996 to December 2004, Mr. King served as a vice president and the head of corporate development of Roly in Hong Kong. From July 1994 to December 1996, Mr. King served as a vice president of Blackstone Capital Partners Asia, the Asian private equity fund of The Blackstone Group Inc. (NYSE:BX). From July 1993 to July 1994, Mr. King served as a special assistant to the chairman of Vigor International Inc., a Taiwan-based home décor and craft supplier affiliated with the Roly. From July 1991 to July 1993, he served as an associate in the M&A department of The Nikko Securities Co., Ltd., a securities company. From July 1988 to July 1991, Mr. King served as an auditor in Ernst & Young, a public accounting firm. Mr. King obtained a bachelor of science degree in accounting from the State University of New York in 1988.