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Kevin Chin

Founder & Executive Chairman

Arowana

London, UK

Kevin Chin

Kevin Chin’s Biography

Kevin Chin is an impact entrepreneur and the Founder & Executive Chairman of Arowana, an award-winning international B Corp certified investment group.

He is an expert at rapidly transforming and successfully leading companies through distress and complex turnaround situations as well as through hypergrowth. A dynamic leader and innovative thinker, he applies his business acumen to establish, acquire, transform, and sell enterprises across multiple industries, including software, education, fund management, media, electric vehicles and renewable energy. He is actively involved, with a proactive hands-on approach that involves taking on C-suite positions.

Kevin is the Founder & Chairman of several Arowana-controlled entities, including VivoPower and AWN Holdings Limited. He was previously Founder & Chairman of Intueri Education Group, Contrarian Value Fund and Co-Founder & CIO of the Asian Masters Fund.

Kevin was credited for transforming RuleBurst which was on the brink of collapse before he took control. He was pivotal in leading the company through distress and building a thriving... Kevin Chin is an impact entrepreneur and the Founder & Executive Chairman of Arowana, an award-winning international B Corp certified investment group.

He is an expert at rapidly transforming and successfully leading companies through distress and complex turnaround situations as well as through hypergrowth. A dynamic leader and innovative thinker, he applies his business acumen to establish, acquire, transform, and sell enterprises across multiple industries, including software, education, fund management, media, electric vehicles and renewable energy. He is actively involved, with a proactive hands-on approach that involves taking on C-suite positions.

Kevin is the Founder & Chairman of several Arowana-controlled entities, including VivoPower and AWN Holdings Limited. He was previously Founder & Chairman of Intueri Education Group, Contrarian Value Fund and Co-Founder & CIO of the Asian Masters Fund.

Kevin was credited for transforming RuleBurst which was on the brink of collapse before he took control. He was pivotal in leading the company through distress and building a thriving business, alongside a leadership team he assembled, culminating in its acquisition by Oracle Corporation.

His work on the turnaround of VivoPower was awarded a Gold Stevie for Innovative Achievement in Growth and Innovative Achievement in Organisation Recovery.

Kevin was Vice President at J.P. Morgan and an International Equities Analyst at the LFG Family Office. He was a Chartered Accountant at PwC and Deloitte, specialising in business consulting, litigation support and corporate finance.

In his book ‘HyperTurnaround!’, Kevin shares the story of RuleBurst and his expertise on how to save and transform a company on the brink of collapse.

He qualified as a Chartered Accountant, holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the UNSW and completed a post graduate programme at Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is a member of YPO and Entrepreneurs Organisation. more less

Kevin Chin’s Newsfeed

VivoPower signs JV with digital twin specialist Geminum to tackle mining decarbonisation modelling

VivoPower's CEO, Kevin Chin, believes that the joint venture with Geminum will bolster VivoSES (sustainable energy solutions) capabilities for decarbonization, especially for the mining sector.

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NASDAQ

Landmark agreement with Francisco Motors to electrify Jeepneys in the Philippines

Kevin Chin, VivoPower’s Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are honoured to have signed this exclusive definitive agreement with Francisco Motor Corporation to electrify the jeepneys, a much-loved cultural icon in the Philippines."

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Kevin Chin’s Background

Arowana

Founder & Executive Chairman

Nov 2011 - Present

London, UK

Arowana is an international certified B Corporation with interests in education, renewable solar energy, critical power services, asset management and venture capital, as well as other investments. Arowana operates across the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia.

Arowana

Founder & Managing Partner

Jul 2007 - Present

Brisbane, AU

Arowana Impact Capital Group

Founder and Chairman

Jul 2019 - Present

Singapore, SG

Arowana Impact Capital (AIC) is the impact investing division of Arowana and focuses on investments in selected markets across South East Asia.

Intueri Education Group

Founder & Executive Chairman

May 2010 - Apr 2014

Sydney, AU

Intueri Education Group was established by Arowana in 2010 and grew from a small college to New Zealand’s largest private vocational education and training group. The business was sold in 2014 via an IPO on the NZX and ASX at a market capitalisation of NZ$235 million.

Asian Masters Fund

Founder & Chief Investment Officer

Dec 2007 - Dec 2009

The Asian Masters Fund primarily focuses on offering Australian investors access to Asian-based fund managers who invest in Asian financial markets. The fund was listed on the ASX in December 2007. Kevin served as CIO and was a board member untill stepping back in 2009 to focus on other projects.

RuleBurst

CFO, COO & Executive Director

Nov 2004 - Nov 2008

RuleBurst was an enterprise software company at the brink of collapse before Kevin took over the reins. He was credited for saving the business without raising additional capital and was an integral part of the leadership team that turned around the business. Under his guidance, RuleBurst grew into a thriving international enterprise which led to its acquisition by Oracle Corporation in 2008.

Lowy Family Group (LFG)

International Equities Analyst & Portfolio Manager

2003 - 2004

LFG is an Australian headquartered single family office with investments across the globe. At LFG, Kevin was responsible for origination, analysis, due diligence and portfolio monitoring of direct and indirect investments, in particular across the Asian region.

J.P. Morgan

Vice President

1997 - 2003

At J.P. Morgan Kevin gained extensive experience in Mergers and Acquisitions, as well as the Equity Capital and Derivative Markets divisions. He worked in Sydney and New York, advising and acting on over US$25bn worth of M&A and capital raising transactions, including IPOs, across Australia, Asia, and North America.

Ord Minnett

Executive

1996 - 1997

Sydney, AU

Ord Minnett is a leading wealth management group in Australia that offers customised advice and investment opportunities with more than $35 Billion in funds under management.

PwC

Senior Accountant

1995 - 1996

PwC is one of the world’s leading accounting firms with a network of offices in 155 countries. It is considered the second-largest professional services network in the world and is part of the Big Four accounting firms.

Deloitte

Accountant & Consultant

1992 - 1995

Deloitte is one of the Big Five accounting firms and is the largest professional services network in the world according to the number of professionals and revenue. In 2019, Deloitte’s revenue was over $46.2 billion.

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Kevin Chin’s Gallery

Current Board Positions

EdventureCo

Chairman of the Board

Aug 2016 - Present

EdventureCo offers top-quality training in digital, soft, and future skills to equip professionals with the necessary tools for success in the future workforce. EdventureCo operates in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia.

VivoPower

Executive Chairman & CEO

Aug 2014 - Present

London, UK

VivoPower International PLC is a NASDAQ listed sustainable energy solutions company committed to delivering sustainable energy solutions through battery technology, electric vehicle, solar and critical power services. A certified B Corporation, VivoPower operates across the UK, US, Australia and Canada.

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Previous Board Positions

Alicorn

Founder & Chairman

Mar 2018 - Dec 2022

London, UK

Alicorn is a global venture capital group that is set up under Arowana. Alicorn focuses on proprietary, exclusive primary and secondary investments in leading, rapidly expanding technology businesses within enterprise software, cybersecurity and data analytics industries.

Arowana Contrarian Value Fund

Founder & Non-Executive Director

Mar 2009 - Mar 2021

Sydney, AU

Arowana Contrarian Value Fund is a private investment company that uses a data-driven approach to discover investment opportunities in listed securities markets internationally. The fund was previously an ASX listed investment company.

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Philanthropy

The Octagon Foundation

Founder & Executive Chairman

Jun 2014 - Present

The Octagon Foundation was founded in 2014 and focuses its efforts on supporting organisations that help orphans and children with disabilities. The Octagon Foundation is committed to providing long term capital to these charitable organisations.

Mummy's Wish

Non-Executive Director

Oct 2015 - Oct 2018

Northgate, AU

Mummy’s Wish is a non-profit organisation that supports mothers with cancer, who have young children under the age of twelve. The organisation operates across Queensland, Sydney Metro and NSW Central Coast.

Media

CNBC TV interview | Kevin Chin discusses China's electric vehicle market

Video Interview

Sep 2023

In this interview for CNBC Kevin Chin, CEO of Arowana, claims that China isn't as cost-competitive as it was 10 years ago in the EV sector.

The Impact Multiplier CEO | Turning a Private Equity fund into an impact investment firm

Podcast

Sep 2023

Richard Medcalf speaks to Kevin Chin, CEO of Arowana, as the Impact Multiplier CEO Podcast continues its series examining "business as a force for good".

Interviews

#CryptoConversations: A Chat With Arowana Founder Kevin Chin

Interviewee

Mar 2022

London, UK

In this episode of #CryptoConversations, Kevin Chin discusses several topics including, renewable energy, why he launched Arowana, cryptocurrency, and his predictions for the industry over the next few years.

Features

View from the Top | Kevin Chin of Arowana

Aug 2022

Kevin Chin is the focus of this article in People Matters magazine which looks at how he became "the turnaround guy".

Accreditation

Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand

Member | Post-graduate Accreditation

Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand represents financial professionals, promotes the designation and ethical standards within the industry while delivering services and education to its more than 128,000 members.

Publications

WarTime CEO Stories

Newsletter

Click on the link to read Kevin’s real-life insights on how to transform insurmountable problems into strategic triumphs. You can also sign up to regularly receive his posts.

HyperTurnaround!

Author

Dec 2018

Pasadena, CA, USA

In his book ‘HyperTurnaround!’, Kevin shares his expertise on how to successfully turnaround a collapsing tech company. He outlines the process of turning a crumbling business into a world-leading organisation with exponential growth.

Memberships

YPO

Member

New York, NY, USA

Founded in 1950, formerly known as the Young Presidents' Organisation, YPO is a leadership community of chief executives who support and encourage peer learning, life-changing experiences and important relationships.

Entrepreneurs' Organization | EO

Member

Alexandria, VA, USA

Entrepreneurs’ Organization is a network of over 14,000 entrepreneurs across 61 countries that use the organisation as a platform to collaborate, exchange ideas and connect.

Awards & Recognition

Real Leaders | Impact Awards

Top Impact Companies

In 2023 Arowana was once again ranked as one of the top 50 leading global impact companies by the Real Leaders Impact Awards. This is the 4th year in a row that Arowana has been included on this prestigious list, debuting in 2020. The awards honour the most impactful businesses that have a positive social and environmental effect around the world.

The Stevie Awards

Gold Stevie Award Recipient

2021

Arowana and its Chairman Kevin Chin won three Gold Stevie Awards at the International Business Awards in 2021 for Most Innovative Company of the Year, Achievement in Organization, and Chairman of the Year.

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Press Releases

B Corp global investment firm Arowana launches impact-driven venture studio Vivarium

Apr 2023

Arowana announces spin-off of Alicorn Venture Partners

Apr 2023

Fellowships

FINSIA | Financial Services Institute of Australasia

Fellow

Sydney, AU

FINSIA strives to improve professional standards in financial services through increased standards of conduct and competency. Education, CPD and professional membership are utilised for the betterment of the FINSIA community.

Kevin Chin’s Education

Stanford Graduate School of Business

Graduate School of Business, Executive Education

2018 - 2018

University of New South Wales

Bachelor of Commerce, Accounting & Finance & Inaugural Co Op Scholar