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Washington, DC, 30 October 2019: EMPEA today announces the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Board Member, Cate Ambrose, and a new Chair of the Board, Nicolas Rohatyn. EMPEA also recognizes Robert Petty, Chair Emeritus, for his years of leadership and dedicated service to the organization as he retires from the Board following the completion of the maximum term.

Nicolas Rohatyn, Chief Executive Officer of The Rohatyn Group (TRG) and EMPEA’s newly elected Board Chair, has been a Member of the EMPEA Board of Directors for five years and has been serving as Vice Chair since January 2019. Mr. Rohatyn is based in New York and oversees strategy and management of TRG, an independent investment firm focused on emerging markets. Prior to founding TRG in 2002, Mr. Rohatyn spent 19 years at J.P. Morgan, where he held a variety of leadership positions in emerging markets, foreign exchange, commodities, credit markets, and e-commerce functions. Mr. Rohatyn was a founder and former Chair of the Emerging Markets Traders Association (EMTA). Mr. Rohatyn also currently serves on the Boards of The Asia Society and Robert College Foundation.

Mr. Rohatyn’s appointment as Chair follows Robert Petty, Co-Founder of Clearwater Funds and Co-CEO and Co-CIO of Fiera Capital (Asia), who served as EMPEA’s Chair since 2015. Mr. Petty is retiring after a maximum term on the Board.

“I’m eager to take on this new role at EMPEA and serve with peers in the industry to lead an association that has had a significant impact on emerging market investing. This is an important moment in emerging markets globally, and EMPEA’s efforts to promote transparency, convene different market participants, and advocate on behalf of this industry have never been more important,” commented Mr. Rohatyn. “I am particularly delighted that Cate has taken on this leadership role. She is exactly what the industry needs – a known leader with an impressive track record in advocating for our asset classes and delivering valuable member benefits. I look forward to working with Cate and our global membership to shape EMPEA’s direction and efforts during what appears to be an inflection point in the industry, as well as in many of the markets we serve.”

Mr. Rohatyn continued, “Finally, it is important to recognize, particularly during this anniversary year, the dedication of individuals who have been key to the organization in helping us serve our members and markets. Rob Petty is among these key contributors and his work over the past four years as Chair was particularly important in guiding the organization during a transition period and completing a successful CEO search, which has positioned the organization for future impact and growth. In the same vein, we will never lose sight of the special contributions made by our previous Chair, Jeff Leonard.”

Ms. Ambrose previously served as President and Executive Director of the Association of Private Capital Investment in Latin America (LAVCA) before taking on the role of CEO at EMPEA. Ms. Ambrose will maintain a role on the LAVCA Advisory Board and will lead a strategic collaboration between the two organizations. During her tenure leading LAVCA, she built a diverse community of over 200 private capital investors active in Latin America, including global and local fund managers, family offices, sovereign wealth funds, corporate investors, and international pension plans.

Prior to joining LAVCA, Ms. Ambrose was Chief of Advocacy for the Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor, a United Nations initiative where she spearheaded the commission’s work on business regulation and property rights in Africa, Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. Ms. Ambrose was also previously the Executive Director of Programs for The Economist Group. Cate speaks and writes regularly on a range of topics related to public policy and private investment in Latin America. She is a commentator on CNN En Español, Bloomberg, and Fox Business and a guest lecturer at The Wharton School. Cate holds an MPA in International Economic Policy from Columbia University and received her BA in Latin American studies from St. Lawrence University and the University of Madrid. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of Indian startup Masala Baby and a Board Member for Girls Write Now, a non-profit that mentors underserved young women in New York City.

Ms. Ambrose remarked, “Private capital investment represents an extraordinary resource to drive change in global economies. Both fund managers and institutional investors are putting greater emphasis than ever before on sustainability and governance as critical to the future of the industry, making this a particularly exciting time to lead EMPEA. We also have much to gain from Nick’s experience in emerging markets and his leadership at EMPEA and fellow associations in our industry. I look forward to working with him, the Board, and the dynamic EMPEA team to build on the success of the last 15 years and launch new and important initiatives.”

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