Zebra Investment Advisors said on August 14 that it has completed registration with the financial regulators and began operations. The head of the company is Lee Won-il, former president of Allianz Asset Management. (image: Kobiz Media/ Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Korea Bizwire) — An investment advisory firm specializing in improving the corporate governance structure has been born in Korea. Zebra Investment Advisors said on August 14 that it has completed registration with the financial regulators and began operations. The head of the company is Lee Won-il, former president of Allianz Asset Management.
Since joining the financial investment business in 1985 as an analyst with Daishin Securities, Mr. Lee has worked in the industry for more than 20 years with Credit Lyonnais, Salomon Smith Barney, Nicholas-Applegate, and Hana-Allianz Asset Management before being appointed as the head of Allianz Asset Management.
During his tenure as president of Allianz Asset Management, he launched Korea’s first corporate governance structure improvement fund that attracted the attention of major institutional investors. In 2006, he followed up with public subscription-type fund whose total value has reached 1.6 trillion won.
The fund for corporate governance structure improvement works as follows: the investment firm takes a stake in a target firm and exercises its shareholder rights in efforts to increase the shareholders’ value. Unlike any other funds advocating shareholder activism that often end up pitting the management against the shareholders, Zebra Investment Advisors said it will seek a win-win strategy in which the management can work together with shareholders for the company’s future growth and prosperity.
By Sean Chung (schung10@koreabizwire.com)
