GACQ

Definitive Agreement

Ascense Brands (GP Global / Luminex)

Global Consumer Acquisition Corp

Raised
$200M
CIK
1846288
SPAC Ticker
GACQU
Merger
Ascense Brands (GP Global / Luminex)
Focus
Consumer, Unicorns
External link: SEC Filings

SPAC Team

Leadership

Mr. Rohan Ajila has been our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors since inception. Mr. Ajila is a business leader with over 20 years of experience in investment management, mergers and acquisitions, as an entrepreneur, operator and private equity investor for both privately held and public companies. Since January 2016, Mr. Ajila has been serving as the Managing Partner of FIDES Business Partner, a private equity firm based in Zurich aimed at acquiring majority stakes in European companies and proactively assisting them in areas such as strategy, cost management and operational implementation. From January 2007 to May 2018, Mr. Ajila served as the Managing Partner at Capvent AG, a private equity manager which he helped build to over US$ 1.2 Billion AUM and has offices in Switzerland, India, China and the US. The firm invested in 120+ PE funds across strategies and geographic regions and met with more than 1000 GPs. At Capvent, Mr. Ajila also served as the Managing Partner of a direct PE fund set-up to invest in consumer companies in Asia, particularly China and India, with Unilever Corporate Ventures as a strategic investor in the fund. Mr. Ajila is also the Founding Director of an Indo-German joint venture with the Heinz Group set up primarily to bring in the global capabilities to manufacture high-end cosmetic glass in India for global cosmetic companies/brands since December 2015. In 1993, Mr. Ajila received his MBA degree from the University of Houston, TX. In 1991, Mr. Ajila received his BBA degree from the University of Houston, TX.

Mr. Gautham Pai will serve as our Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors commencing upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. Pai is a business leader with over 20 years of operational experience overseeing multiple businesses with global operations and global leadership teams. Mr. Pai has been serving as the Managing Director and Executive Chairman of The Manipal Group since May 2006. Throughout his career, Mr. Pai guided the rapid scale of his portfolio companies and built a conglomerate with business interests in consumer industrials, consumer products, Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) that includes payment & identification solutions, financial and digital inclusion, with operations spanning across North America, Asia and Africa. Mr. Pai has been at the forefront and led the inorganic growth initiatives of the group in the consumer industrials market by acquiring companies in adjacencies, strengthening the leadership team, scaled the revenue by 2x, thereby enhancing shareholder value by 2.3x. In the last 15 years, Mr. Pai has played a significant role in the Manipal Group’s revenue growth of over 20x. He has brought in stringent financial governance, built a strong management team with industry expertise, a professional management board, and a strategic direction. Mr. Pai also has a vast amount of knowledge in raising growth capital through cross-border deals, advocated business translocations, and strategic JVs with partners from the US, Italy, Colombia and Thailand. This has helped rapid scale up of businesses to gain leadership position in their respective sectors. Mr. Pai has incubated ventures in the technology and financial technology sector. He has been an active angel investor in the dynamic Indian start-up landscape with over twenty investments and mentors early-stage entrepreneurs. In 1996, Mr. Pai received his bachelor’s degree in Printing Technology from the Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT).

Mr. Sanjiv Das will serve as one of our independent directors commencing upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. He is a seasoned CEO with transformational accomplishments in Consumer Banking, Payments and Capital Markets. He has significant US & Global banking experience and a proven track record of operating experience and leadership in taking companies public. Mr. Das was a member of Vikram Pandit’s executive leadership team at Citi, broadly regarded as one of the principal architects in the turnaround of Citi during the peak years of the financial crisis from 2008 to 2013. Mr. Das has been serving as the Chief Executive Officer of Caliber, a Lone Star Company in the USA, since January 2016. Mr. Das built the IPO team from the ground up, designed and delivered the market exit strategy to the Board to transition to a Consumer Finance Company, delivered over $30B in origination volume to compete against leaders such as Quicken & Lending Club. He developed and launched an effective M&A strategy; acquired First Priority Financial in Northern California to increase Caliber footprint in this market. From April 2014 to January 2016, Mr. Das served as the President of First Data Corporation. In October 2015, Mr. Das took First Data Corporation public. He actively managed all international business - Merchant & Global Financial Solutions business in 35 countries with over $2B in revenue and $650Min EBITDA. From January 2008 to December 2013, Mr. Das served as the President and Chairman of Citibank in New York. In 1986, Mr. Das received his MBA degree in Marketing and Finance from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. In 1982, Mr. Das received his Bachelor of Science’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Delhi.

Mr. Art Drogue will serve as one of our independent directors commencing upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Since January 2011, Mr. Drogue’s extensive experience in the Consumer industry from an operational, strategic and investment management perspective working closely with several private equity groups in the consumer sector in the US coupled with his deep management experience in senior leadership roles across SPAR, Best Foods, Unilever, Nabisco and General Mills, make him a valuable addition to our board of directors. Since 2011, Mr. Drogue has served as director of Ruiz foods, a leading U.S. Mexican Frozen Food Brand. Since 2011, Mr. Drogue has also been serving as founding partner for the Resource Team, a consumer packaged goods consulting practice. During his stint with Unilever, Mr. Drogue led the $18 billion Americas sales organization in theU.S., Canada, Latin America. Mr. Drogue is also board chairman and director at several early-stage consumer businesses. Mr. Drogue was awarded the William H. Albers award for his many years of leadership in the consumer industry. Mr. Drogue completed the food executive program from Cornell University in 1981 and received his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Stetson University in 1970.

Mr. Tom Clausen will serve as one of our independent directors commencing upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. Clausen has over 30 years of global investment experience. Since February 2016, Mr. Clausen has been serving as the Managing Partner and Shareholder of FIDES Business Partner, a private equity firm based in Zurich where he helped execute the direct investment strategy with a focus on Swiss SME companies and consumer companies. Mr. Clausen helped build and cultivate the cross-border bridge between Switzerland and India/China, leveraging his network. Mr. Clausen co-founded Capvent AG and has been serving as the Managing Partner since July 2000, private equity manager which he helped build to over US$ 1.2 Billion AUM and has offices in Switzerland, India, China and the US; the firm invested in 120+ PE funds across strategies and geographic regions and met with more than 1000 GPs. Since January 2016, Mr. Clausen has also been serving as the Head of Business Development and shareholder of FlowGen Development & Management AG, a Swiss renewable energy company that offers turnkey decentralized power generation systems combining its proprietary small wind turbines with solar and storage. Mr. Clausen served as the Executive Director of Societe Generale in Zurich and London from 1998 to 2000 and served as the Member of Senior Management of Credit Swiss First Boston in San Francisco, USA from 1991 to 1998, focusing on rapidly growing technology companies. In 1996, Mr. Clausen received his Executive MBA degree from the University of San Francisco with Beta Gamma Sigma Honors. In 1988, Mr. Clausen received his bachelor’s degree in Law from the University of Zurich.

Mr. Denis Tse will serve as one of our independent directors commencing upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. Tse has more than 20 years of investing experience in private equity and venture capital, and his extensive experience in the areas of finance, strategy and investing, particularly in the technology sector, makes him a valuable addition to our board of directors. Mr. Tse has been serving as the CEO of ACE Equity Partners International Pte. Ltd. since March 2020, an Asian cross-border technology private equity firm with over US$1 billion of assets under management. Since May 2020, Mr. Tse has been serving as the co-founder and director of ACE Convergence Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ:ACEV), Asia's first private equity-sponsored technology-focused SPAC listed in the US. Mr. Tse has more than 20 years of investing experience in private equity and venture capital, including six years (2009-2015) as the Head of Asia for Private Investments with Lockheed Martin Investment Management Company, where he was named "40 under 40"by the company’s Chief Investment Officer. Mr. Tse was also the first Kauffman Fellow from an Asian venture capital firm. Mr. Tse currently chairs the Investment Committee of the board of directors at the Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation. He also serves on the China Leadership Board of the School of Global Policy & Strategy at University of California, San Diego, as well as on the Advisory Board of the School of Education & Social Policy at Northwestern University. Mr. Tse earned his MBA degree from INSEAD in 2003, and his BSc. with Honor from Northwestern University in 1998.