Cathay Capital Strengthens Its Global Private Equity Platform with the Appointment of Wei Zhou
July 15, 2026
Global
Paris, 15.07 – Cathay Capital today announced the appointment of Wei Zhou as Partner and Head of Private Equity for China. His appointment marks a new step in the integration of Cathay Capital’s global platform across Europe, China and North America, further strengthening the firm’s execution capabilities and cross-border value creation strategy.
This appointment supports Cathay Capital’s global private equity strategy, which is built around an integrated, execution-focused approach centred on majority buyouts, buy-and-build strategies, carve-outs and sector consolidation opportunities. Cathay Capital’s ambition is to identify strong businesses with significant transformation potential and provide them with the financial, operational and international resources required to accelerate growth and become leaders in their respective markets.
Wei Zhou’s arrival will also directly benefit Cathay Capital’s European teams and portfolio companies. His deep understanding of the Chinese market will provide enhanced access to opportunities, local market insights and an increased ability to identify acquisitions, strategic partners and growth opportunities in China.
This deeper integration across Europe, China and North America gives Cathay Capital a differentiated advantage: the ability to source and execute transactions across multiple markets, combine local expertise and remain closely aligned with evolving industry dynamics and the needs of companies operating on a global scale. Through its platform, Cathay Capital supports portfolio companies well beyond their domestic markets, helping them pursue cross-border acquisitions, enter new geographies, establish industrial partnerships, access strategic networks and accelerate international buy-and-build strategies.
With nearly twenty years of private equity experience in China, Wei Zhou joins Cathay Capital from Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia, where he served as Managing Director. He oversaw investments in China across several funds and led or participated in more than 20 transactions, including control investments, public-to-private transactions, carve-outs, spin-offs and capital restructurings. His expertise in buyouts and cross-border transactions will be a key asset in accelerating Cathay Capital’s strategy in China while further strengthening the international reach and capabilities of its global platform.
Mingpo Cai, Founder and Chairman of Cathay Capital, said:
“Cathay Capital is one of the few private equity firms with a strong and fully integrated presence across Europe, China and North America. Our ambition is to leverage this platform to execute a shared strategy focused on control investments, buy-and-build and the international transformation of businesses.
Wei Zhou’s arrival strengthens not only our capabilities in China, but also the depth of our global expertise. His experience will provide our European teams with direct access to a rapidly evolving market and create new opportunities for portfolio companies pursuing cross-border growth initiatives.”
Wei Zhou, Partner at Cathay Capital, added:
“Cathay Capital’s strength lies in its ability to combine deep local market knowledge with a truly global platform. I am delighted to join the firm to further develop its strategy in China while working closely with teams across Europe and North America, sharing market insights and creating additional opportunities for portfolio companies across the platform.”
Wei ZHOU – Partner at Cathay Capital
Prior to joining Cathay Capital, Wei ZHOU served as a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley Private Equity, where he oversaw private equity investments in China. With over 18 years of experience in private equity, he participated in the investment and management of four Asian funds, and led the successful investment, management, and exit of more than 20 transactions. The projects under his leadership have received honors from institutions such as Asia Venture Capital Journal (AVCJ) and ChinaVenture Ranking on multiple occasions. Mr. ZHOU holds a Bachelor degree of Engineering and a Master Degree of Management, both from Tsinghua University.
