Founder and CEO
Catherine Chen

Founder and CEO

AvantFaire Investment Management Limited

Catherine is a seasoned impact investor, a serial entrepreneur and a public policy advocate in sustainability and ESG. She founded the AvantFaire Group companies with a strong presence in China, Hong Kong and Singapore focusing on impact investing and providing impact solutions to professional investors. Her investment interest spans across a variety of themes from decentralized finance platform to sustainable fashion and other initiatives that create economic and social impacts. Catherine also holds strong connection to the regional sustainability development in Asia. She is very active in advocacy especially in China concerning environmental protection, climate change and carbon footprint, and is keen on building multilateral collaboration with both public and private sectors.

Prior to her work at AvantFaire, Catherine helped run her family business in Asia and managed various projects on the Belt and Road Initiative. She also worked in prominent financial institutions in China and Canada such as Noah Holdings and Royal Bank of Canada and advised ultra-high net worth clients and family offices on investment and asset allocation strategies. Catherine is passionate about promotion and education of ESG and sustainability, and frequently hosts seminars as the Chair of the Education Committee in Women in Finance Asia and in various green industry events. Her most recent play is hosting a finance channel in a China social media platform aiming to bring general public’s attention to environmental protection and green finance.

Catherine graduated from University College London with majors in economics and statistics and holds an MBA from the University of Toronto. She is keen on continuous education and is currently studying a master’s degree in international relationship in King’s College London and concurrently a graduate program in Chinese medicine in the University of Hong Kong. Catherine also has deep appreciation in art and culture and serves as a director in the Hong Kong - Cambodia Advancement Association which promotes the cultural art of the country.