BOARD OF TRUSTEES
NEWS The Pennington School welcomes seven new members to its Board of Trustees.
Minsoo Kim ’99 Kim is the founder and CEO of New Era Partners (NEP) Investment, a private equity firm specializing in real estate development and mergers and acquisitions projects with assets under management of $50 million. Kim is enthusiastic about bridging gaps between the law and digital platforms; he founded Legalsos Inc. (expected to launch its service in North America in 2022) to make legal matters easier to navigate. 48
Soopakij “Chris” Chearavanont ’83
John S. Biddiscombe ’63 The former director of athletics and chair of the physical education department at Wesleyan University, Biddiscombe has been an active member in NCAA governance. The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) presented him with its James Lynah Award for Distinguished Achievement in 2013. He is a graduate of Springfield College and received his M.S. degree from Slippery Rock State College. Biddiscombe served as president of the Pennington School Alumni Association from 2014 to 2021 and also as an ex officio member of the School’s Board during that time.
His prior experience includes being the investor relations manager of Shinhan Financial Group, a company dual-listed in Korea and on the NYSE. Kim was in charge of filing regulatory and IR reports to SEC/FSS and managing investment conferences with top executives. He also worked as an investment consultant to Shinhan Bank, where he operated the corporate accounts of multinational enterprises and financial institutions including Goldman Sachs and Bank of America. Kim completed his military service in the Republic of Korea Marine Corps, and he holds a B.A. in Asian studies and political science from University of Michigan and an M.B.A from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. Kim is a proud 1999 graduate of The Pennington School. Swati Navani P’16 ’21 Navani is a longtime Pennington parent whose sons are both “lifers.” She has been an active volunteer on the Pennington development committee and
Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021
Chearavanont is the group chairman of Charoen Pokphand Group Company Limited and a respected businessman in Asia. He also holds chairman and director titles for some leading international public conglomerates. In addition to his professional achievements, he has served as an advisor to government committees in Thailand, China, and Russia and has received numerous official honors and decorations for his wider contributions to both business and the community.
with the parents association. Navani is a senior oncology account manager at Seagen, where she has been committed to bringing innovative care to cancer patients over the course of her career. She is a member of the board of trustees of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of New Jersey and is passionate about the mission of LLS. Navani co-founded the Vida Global Foundation, which raises funds for a variety of causes. She graduated from Marshall University with a degree in chemistry.