:: Liberty Global Leadership
Kevin Johnson, Co-Founder and Managing Partner
Kevin Johnson leads the firm's marketing efforts to North American institutional investors, and co-leads client origination. Kevin has raised capital for funds investing in Africa, Brazil, China, Central and Eastern Europe, India, and Southeast Asia. In addition, Kevin has published extensively on emerging markets, directed several surveys of LPs, and served as an advisor to the Emerging Markets Private Equity Association, which Liberty Global helped to establish in 2003.
Before founding Liberty Global, Kevin worked for the New York-based private equity firm Zephyr Management, focusing on investments in Africa. Kevin has also been a Consultant with Monitor Company, and Director of Latin American Business Development for ontheFRONTIER, a venture-backed information technology company.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Johnson spent nine years in nonprofit development in emerging markets, first as a Peace Corps Volunteer in West Africa, and subsequently with the National Democratic Institute in Indonesia, the West Bank and Gaza, and several countries in Africa. Mr. Johnson earned a BA from Yale University and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business.
Ernest Lambers, Managing Partner
Ernest Lambers is a Managing Partner at Liberty Global Partners and has primary responsibility for the firm’s coverage of European institutional investors. Ernest joins Liberty Global after a 17-year career as an LP specializing in emerging markets private equity. Since 1996, Ernest has made more than 60 investments in and with private equity funds active in Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and North Africa, Australia, and Latin America.
Prior to joining Liberty Global, Ernest served as managing director at Pomona Capital, co-founded EMAlternatives, an emerging markets private equity fund-of-funds, served as Partner and Head of Emerging Markets at AlpInvest Partners and was Executive Director at NIB Capital Bank Asia in Singapore. Ernest has extensive experience leading fund investments, co-investments, and secondary purchases, and he has been an Advisory Board member of more than 40 emerging markets private equity funds.
Earlier in his career, Ernest held positions at NIB Capital Bank and ABN Amro (then Amro Bank) in the Netherlands. He received a MS in Economics from Erasmus University in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Ernest is also one of the co-authors of The Definitive Guide to Private Equity Fund Investment Due Diligence, PEI Media, 2010.
Bryan Stewart, Director
Bryan Stewart is a director at Liberty Global Partners and has been with the firm since 2006. Bryan directs private equity research at Liberty Global Partners, as well as having responsibility for the firm's institutional investor coverage in Asia.
Prior to joining Liberty Global, Bryan began his work in private equity with the Global Horizon Fund, an emerging markets PE fund of funds. Earlier, Bryan worked in international development in Eastern Europe and South Asia with the Peace Corps and Winrock International. Bryan earned a BA from Grinnell College, and a MALD from The Fletcher School with a focus on International Business.