Derek Lai Joins UBS Asset Management’s Real Estate Team in Hong Kong

UBS Asset Management’s Global Real Estate division has appointed Derek Lai as Senior Portfolio Manager, to be based in Hong Kong.

In his new role, Lai will be responsible for defining and implementing strategic initiatives in the region for an investment firm with EUR 67 billion in assets under management across Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific as of the end of 2015. Lai’s responsibilities will include leading the Greater China real estate team, as well as sitting on the global real estate unit’s Asia Pacific Management Committee and helping to develop the firm’s real estate business worldwide.

“We are actively building up our platform in China and Derek’s appointment is an important next step in ensuring that we are in the best possible position to drive our growth in China and the wider region,” Graham Mackie, Managing Director, and Head of Global Real Estate for Asia Pacific for UBS Asset Management said in a prepared statement. Lai’s new boss went on to add that, “He has a wealth of concentrated experience in the Chinese real estate investment market, as well as an in-depth knowledge of the institutional landscape, and we are looking forward to working with him to achieve our ambitions.”

The new red, black and white namecard represents the latest in a series of property-focused roles with top investment managers for the University of British Columbia graduate, who most recently served as Senior Vice President and Co-Chief Officer for China Real Estate with Macquarie Capital.

In his role with the Aussie bank, Lai built on 15 years of experience with ARA Asset Management, Blackstone, Merrill Lynch, The Carlyle Group and Deutsche Bank to advise real estate developers, funds and operators on structuring and capital raising from global institutional investors.