Leopard Capital

Stephen J. Bridges, LVO, 47,
Over a 25 year career with the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Mr. Bridges helped to shape and formulate British foreign policy and implement British political and economic relations across the Asia Pacific region. His most recent positions were Ambassador to Cambodia, Deputy High Commissioner to Bangladesh, and First Secretary/Head of Chancery in Malaysia. Mr. Bridges is currently an Advisor to the Mining House Group. He holds a MA in Asian Pacific Studies (Leeds) and BSc (London University).

Dr. Sophal Ear, 34,
has a decade's experience in international development and is a leading scholar of contemporary Cambodian political economy. He has worked for JP Morgan, the World Bank, the ADB, and the UN. As Director of Strategy and a Principal for Bay Capital Management Limited, Dr. Ear helps manage the Macau Property Investment Fund and the Macau Condo Investment Group. He is currently an Assistant Professor of National Security Affairs at the US Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. Dr. Ear holds PhD, MA, MS, BA degrees (Berkeley) and an MPA (Princeton).

Sothea Sambath, 39,
is an Advisor to H.E. Dr. Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism, and manages Sports Marketing for the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia.  He is also President of WELS Academy, an English language training institute in Phnom Penh, and is Chairman of Sambath Rearsey Co. which operates a jatropha plantation in Kompong Thom province.  After receiving an LLB degree from the Université de Paris, Mr. Sothea spent 15 years in Paris and New York managing business operations, finance, and marketing of luxury retail products for Debauve and Gallais, La Maison du Chocolat, and Mariage Frères.

Dr. Benny Widyono, 72,
served as a United Nations diplomat in Bangkok, Santiago, New York, and Cambodia. He was a peacekeeper in Cambodia with UNTAC from 1992 to 1993, then returned to Cambodia the UN Secretary-General’s Representative from 1994-1997. His recently published book, Dancing in the Shadows: Sihanouk, the Khmer Rouge, and the United Nations in Cambodia was written while Dr. Widyono was a visiting scholar at Cornell University. Dr. Widyono holds a PhD in Economics and is currently professor of economics at the University of Connecticut.

Paul A. Kaju, 49,
has over 25 years of professional experience in the financial services industry. He founded Chelsea Park Partners Ltd in 2005, an investment advisory business with offices in Singapore and London. Previously he held senior positions in trading, investment, and corporate finance at Cargill, Merrill Lynch, and Lazard. Mr. Kaju holds a BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Hamish B. Macpherson, 53,
served as a British Petroleum executive in various countries before joining Bank of Butterfield in Bermuda and then Hong Kong, where he specialized in Trusts & Fiduciary Services.   Mr. Macpherson is currently chairman of Wyvern International, an investment advisory group, and serves as a consultant to several banks in Asia.  He manages a private equity portfolio of investments in over 20 international business ventures, including mineral resources in frontier markets in Africa.  Mr. Macpherson holds a BSc degree (Kent) and is a Chartered Accountant.

Nobuya Saito, 56,
has more than 25 years experience in investment banking, especially in emerging markets. After serving as head of Japanese securities sales in Yamaichi Middle East, Bahrain, head of non-Japanese securities sales in Yamaichi U.K. London, and Executive Vice President in Chao Phraya Finance & Securities, Bangkok, he established his own investment consulting firm in 1998. He acquired his brokerage license for Agricultural Futures from the Thai Government and established JSP Futures, the first derivatives brokerage company in Thailand. Mr. Saito studied Arabic at the American University in Cairo, and Arab-Afro History at Cairo University.