ArkMalibu is pleased to announce that ZW Koo has joined the firm as a Senior Advisor, bringing over three decades of global experience in investment banking, private equity, and venture creation.
ZW currently serves as Managing Partner of Boston Healthcare Ventures (BHV), where he sponsors and advises emerging companies in healthcare, education, and technology. BHV also provides cross-border financial and business development advisory services to growth-stage ventures across the U.S. and Asia.
Throughout his career, ZW has been deeply involved in launching, funding, and scaling new ventures across multiple sectors, including green technology, energy, plastics recycling, and smart transportation. He previously served as President and CEO of American Higher Education International (AHEd), a venture incubation company that played a key role in establishing New York University’s branch campus in Abu Dhabi. Under his leadership, AHEd founded and operated subsidiaries focused on nurse and English language training, expanding to over 25 centers across India.
Earlier in his career, ZW co-founded and served as Managing Partner of Cambridge Capital Partners (CCPL) in Seoul, Korea—an M&A and restructuring advisory firm formed in joint venture with The Sakura Bank of Japan and serving as the local partner for The Blackstone Group. CCPL played a vital role in Korea’s post-financial-crisis restructuring efforts, advising major corporations and acting as a court-appointed trustee.
Prior to founding CCPL, ZW was Managing Director at BT Wolfensohn, where he worked closely with The Hon. James D. Wolfensohn and The Hon. Paul A. Volcker. Over more than 14 years, he advised Fortune 500 companies and high-growth clients on M&A, IPOs, joint ventures, and strategic alliances, completing more than $30 billion in transactions globally. His clients included American Express, Marriott, Daimler-Benz, Ford, Samsung, and POSCO, among others.
ZW began his career as a systems consultant at Logica, Inc. and in marketing and sales with Procter & Gamble AG in Switzerland. He also served in the Republic of Korea Army.
He holds A.B. (Engineering and Applied Sciences), S.M. (Applied Mathematics), and M.B.A. degrees from Harvard University. ZW is fluent in Spanish and Korean and conversational in Mandarin. Outside of work, he is a private pilot, avid cyclist and golfer, and active member of the Harvard Club of New York.