Caleb Chu

Caleb Chu is a Managing Director of TrueNorth Capital Partners LLC. His primary role is expanding TrueNorth’s global footprint and providing buy and sell side clients with access to international deal opportunities.

Prior to joining TrueNorth, Caleb started his career at Esselte, a J.W. Childs Associates portfolio company. At Esselte, Caleb led geographic, channel, brand and product expansions within China and the rest of Asia. As Managing Director Asia, he drove operational improvements directly impacting EBITDA, working capital and service levels. Esselte was later acquired by ACCO Brands, a NYSE-listed consumer brands company. At ACCO, Caleb led the integration of Esselte Asia into ACCO Brands Asia, and as Managing Director India, drove triple-digit sales growth while overseeing the setup of ACCO’s India subsidiary. After completing his assignment with ACCO India, Caleb founded Denarius Consulting, which advises private equity portfolio companies, family businesses and startups in Asia.

Caleb has received a B.Sc. in Medical Sciences from Western University in Canada and an MBA from Columbia Business School and London Business School. He also earned a Ph.D. from Singapore Management University, researching corporate teams in India and providing evidence on how resources generate incremental and radical creativity via cultural tightness-looseness. As an operating executive and consultant, Caleb observed how creativity is vital to increasing productivity, from driving lean on the factory floor to making deals with customers. His academic research has provided insights into how different types of creativity can be unlocked by using resources to change culture.

As an investment banker, Caleb combines his unique background with his global network – having lived in Hong Kong, Sydney, Toronto, Shanghai, Singapore and now Connecticut – to bring clients niche opportunities from around the world. With buy-side clients, he provides an operational perspective to the acquisition process, highlighting synergies and flagging risks to post-merger integration. For sell-side clients, he provides support through the financial, operational, relational and emotional journey from entrepreneurship to value-capture. Caleb recognizes that each merger is unique in its power and culture dynamics and, when navigated correctly, can yield unions rather than merely transactions.