David Yu

Professor David Yu, PhD, CFA, Senior ISTAT Certified Aviation Appraiser, is President and Chief Investment Officer of Inception Holdings and Chairman of AAVA Group, Lidara Capital. He is also a professor of finance at New York University Shanghai and Stern Schools and is a recognized expert and thought leader in cross-border investing, financing, valuation, real assets, and aviation.

Prof. Yu is the only Senior ISTAT (International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading) Certified Aviation Appraiser in China and N. Asia and one of ~20 globally. He is an experienced entrepreneur, PE investor, lessor, banker, advisor, and appraiser. He also acts as an active operator and board director or advisor of companies and funds.

Previously, he managed a PE fund, was a C-suite executive, the China Chief Representative, Head of Asia, and a Senior Executive Committee member at Libra Group, a large Greek family investment conglomerate. Prof. Yu was based in 10+ countries on four continents, including Asia and China. He started his career as an investment banker at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He writes as a contributing writer and has been interviewed by many leading industry publications, including Forbes, Nikkei Asian Review, Bloomberg, FT, WSJ, etc. His book titled “Aircraft Valuation: Airplane Investments As An Asset Class” was recently published by Palgrave Macmillan and has been featured by the Wall Street Journal, among others. Prof. Yu is a fellow of the Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health, and the Study of Business Enterprise at Johns Hopkins University and an Adj. Professor of Biology (Full) at Temple University.