In this week’s edition of People in the News, a top executive at a formerly troubled Shenzhen developer is joining the board of another builder in the southern Chinese megacity, while an asset management expert is upgrading his title at a global pension giant. A number of property brokerage pros are also making career moves, and a luxury hotel executive in Beijing just got a promotion. Read on for more details.
Ying Chi Kwok, a co-founder of Kaisa Group, has been appointed to the board of directors of US-listed Chinese developer Nam Tai Property as an executive director as of October 30. Kwok has served as a senior advisor to Kaisa, the Shenzhen-based developer chaired by his brother Ying Shing Kwok, since 2015, and was vice-chairman and a director of Kaisa from 2009 to 2014. Kaisa is now the largest shareholder in NYSE-listed, Shenzhen-based Nam Tai, holding a 22.75 percent stake after buying into the firm since July. Nam Tai’s CEO Julian Lin has also been appointed to the board as executive director.
Bobby Chin Yoke Choong will take the reins as Chairman of Frasers Centrepoint Asset Management (Commercial), the Singapore-listed office trust announced, succeeding Chua Yong Hai, who is retiring as Chairman (non-executive and independent director). As part of the board shake-up, effective November 30, Chang Tou Chen (a non-executive and independent director) will also be appointed as Chairman of the Nominating and Remuneration Committee, replacing Tan Guong Ching. Choong, currently a non-executive and independent director of the company, has also served as Managing Partner of KPMG Singapore from 1992 through 2005 and is on the board of Singaporean developer Ho Bee.
Brian Hung has been promoted to Senior Portfolio Manager at APG Asset Management, based in Hong Kong, this month after holding the title of Portfolio Manager since early 2014. Prior to joining the Dutch pension fund asset manager, where he specialises in private real estate investments in the Asia Pacific region, Hung worked in the roles of Associate and Analyst at Merrill Lynch and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. The graduate of the University of Michigan – Stephen M Ross School of Business also serves on the board of directors of Scape, an Australian builder of student accommodation, as well as Malaysian mall developer Suria KLCC.
Yvonne Yung has joined JLL this month as Senior Manager for Transaction Management with the company’s Corporate Solutions for Asia Pacific. Yung previously held a variety of roles at rival agency Colliers starting in September 2010, most recently as a Manager with the Corporate Solutions team since July 2015. In that role, Yung served as the single point of contact globally or regionally for managing real estate assignments including leasing, acquisition and disposition of properties.
Kiran Chalke is now Associate Director at Colliers International India, based in the Mumbai area, having worked since April 2015 as a General Manager heading the Mumbai residential division for sales and leasing. Prior to joining the global real estate brokerage, Chalke held a variety of roles at property firms including Milestone Realty Venture, Knight Frank India, and Tata Housing Development. The residential sales and corporate leasing pro has picked up degrees in the UK and Hong Kong.
Steven Tay has joined engineering consulting firm WSP in Asia as Senior Principal, based in Singapore. The professional engineer previously worked for Singaporean urban consulting firm Surbana International Consultants as Director M&E Engineering (China) & Regional GM, based out of Chengdu, China for over three years. Tay’s engineering-focussed career has also included senior positions at DTZ Facilities & Engineering, UGL Services PREMAS Operations, and DSTA in China and Singapore since 2000.
Nicholas Emery has been promoted from General Manager to Managing Director at Regent Beijing. Since joining the team at the 500-room hotel in the Chinese capital in December 2015, Emery has boosted the Regent Beijing’s performance and is now orchestrating an extensive three-year renovation program in tandem with the property’s owner, the Fu Wah Group. Emery has spent over 30 years working in the luxury hospitality sector, with stints at Hilton International, Fairmont, Raffles, Anantara and Renaissance.
As usual, if you know of other Asia real estate professionals changing their jobs, getting promoted or just doing something exciting, please feel free to share with the rest of the community here at Mingtiandi.
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