Asia Real Estate People in the News 2021-04-17

A top level moved at one of Southeast Asia’s largest developers leads this week’s collection of personnel changes around the region, as Cheng Hsing Yao takes over the controls at GuocoLand. There’s also been a board-level departure at a Beijing developer and some fresh talent has joined the team at Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund.

Singapore-listed GuocoLand has chosen a new group managing director and chief executive, according to an announcement to the stock exchange. Cheng Hsing Yao, currently the developer’s head of Singapore, will take over the top positions in the group on 1 July. Now 49, Cheng first joined GuocoLand in 2012 as chief operating officer for Singapore. The graduate of the National University of Singapore will be taking over from outgoing CEO and president, Raymond Choong, who will be retiring on 30 June.

Guorui Properties executive director Li Bin has resigned from the board of the Hong Kong-listed developer, according to an announcement to the stock exchange. Li, who had served as head of the company’s Beijing office, left Guorui on 11 April to devote more time to personal commitments, the company said. Now 49, Li had been with the firm since 1997, and the Beijing-based developer has yet to name a replacement.

Cushman & Wakefield has appointed Christopher Carver to lead its Vietnam business, according to an announcement by the property consultancy. The graduate of the University of Western Sydney takes over from Alex Crane, who left the company earlier this month. Carver, who has been with C&W in Singapore since 2017, will continue in his existing role as head of valuations for Southeast Asia, while also adopting the title of managing director for Vietnam. Ben Gray, who heads capital markets for Cushman in Vietnam, will also take on the additional title of general manager.

Chris Currie has been promoted to head of occupier services at Colliers International in Hong Kong, according to an update on his LinkedIn page. Currie, who has been with Colliers in the city since 2016, is now responsible for integrating the company’s office services, project management and industrial services offerings in Hong Kong, after formerly serving as head of tenant representation for the property consultancy.

Wendy Chen has joined Khazanah Nasional Berhad in Kuala Lumpur as an assistant vice president for investments with the institution’s private funds group. Chen found her new desk at the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund after more than six years with the Employees Provident Fund of Malaysia, where she had served most recently as a deputy manager responsible for global real estate after joining the pension manager straight out of her program at the London School of Economics.

Laurence Zhu has been named head of research and consultancy for China at Knight Frank, according to an announcement by the consultancy. Now a senior director at Knight Frank, Zhu has more than 20 years of experience in China’s real estate industry, including previous stints with Colliers International and CBRE. Most recently, Zhu was an executive vice president with NYSE-listed New Oriental Education and Technology Group.

Jean Tao has joined managed office platform Gee to lead the Shanghai-based company’s marketing efforts, Mingtiandi has come to understand. Formerly head of marketing for East China at JLL, Tao will be reunited at Gee with Eddie Ng, who led the property consultancy’s Shanghai-based operation until leaving earlier this year to become Gee’s chief operating officer. With Tao’s departure, Susan Yu has been given responsibility for East China marketing at JLL as of 16 April.

If you know of other Asia real estate professionals changing their jobs, getting promoted or just doing something exciting, please contact us here at Mingtiandi.