Caleb Chu

Caleb Chu is a Managing Director of TrueNorth Capital Partners LLC. His primary role is servicing both buy and sell side clients domestically and internationally while expanding TrueNorth’s global footprint.

Prior to joining TrueNorth, Caleb started his career at Esselte, a Prospect Hill Growth Partners (formerly 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 holds the Series 63 and 79 securities licenses. He 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 long-term unions rather than short-term transactions.