Asia Real Estate People in the News 2019-12-02

In this week’s edition of People in the News, Cushman & Wakefield has poached a CBRE executive director to lead its industrial and logistics business in Singapore, while the real estate investment arm of a European insurance titan has hired a senior director in its Shanghai office.

In other people moves around the region, Beijing’s Huamao Group has appointed a vice president, and JLL in Singapore has brought on board an ex-CBRE executive as a regional transaction and industrial portfolio lead.

There were also new hires and promotions at Edmund Tie, 8M, Geyer and Oyo.

Patrick Kuo has been hired by Allianz Real Estate as a senior director in the firm’s China investment department. In his new role, Kuo heads up the company’s Shanghai office to drive its expansion into China. Kuo joins the property investment arm of the European insurer after parting ways with Apollo Global Management Inc where he served as a principal based in Shanghai and Hong Kong for four years. Prior to that, the University of Washington graduate had served as an associate for Callison Inc in the US.

Brenda Ong has been hired by Cushman & Wakefield to lead the company’s industrial and logistics business in Singapore after parting ways with CBRE. Reporting to Cushman & Wakefield’s chief executive of Singapore and Southeast Asia, Dennis Yeo, she leads a team of six brokers. Ong had served as CBRE’s executive director in advisory and transaction services for industrial and logistics for four and half years. Prior to that, the National University of Singapore graduate had served as an executive director for Solutions for Emerging Asia Pte Ltd.

Jie Li has been appointed as as a vice president at Huamao Group in Beijing following 11 months as a president at Beijing Huamao Commercial Management. Before joining Huamao, Li had served for two and a half years as a managing director and head of valuation and advisory services for Colliers’ North China. Prior to that, the Tongji University graduate had served as an executive member of AmCham China from 2015 to 2016 after 15 years with JLL, most recently as a managing director and head of strategic consulting at the firm’s Wuhan office.

Venceslas Joachim has joined JLL in Singapore as the company’s regional transaction and industrial portfolio lead for Procter & Gamble in Asia, Middle-East and Africa, after parting ways with CBRE. Joachim had served as a director in CBRE’s East China industrial and logistics team based in Shanghai for over three years. Prior to that, the University of Nantes graduate had served as a senior manager in Ascendas-Singbridge’s China leasing team.

Alice Tan has been hired by Edmund Tie as a senior director in research and consulting in Singapore after parting ways with List Sotheby’s International Realty where she had served as a director since July. Prior to that, Tan had been served as a director in residential project marketing at Knight Frank from 2018 to 2019, following six years as the agency’s director and head of consultancy and research. The National University of Singapore graduate saw out a six-year stint at Rider Levett Bucknall as senior manager and head of research between 2006 and 2012.

Sara Villarreal has stepped up to director of operations at Singapore-based 8M after a 19 month spell as a director of strategic marketing and operations. Prior to that, Villarreal had served as the company’s head of business development between 2016 and 2018 following a year and a half as head of business innovation with Value Retail China in Shanghai and Suzhou. The Claremont McKenna College graduate served as an NGO advisor for XinXing Aid for Kids in Crisis in 2014 and was the founder and CEO of Shanghai multi-brand fashion store The Villa from 2009 to 2014.

Jori Messer has been appointed as a regional director of APAC for Singapore-based interior design firm Geyer after parting ways with Lendlease where he had served as a workplace solutions director for two years. Prior to joining the Sydney-headquartered property group, Messer had served as the chief operating officer for co-working operator The Working Capitol from 2016 to 2017 following seven years with Regus, most recently as the commercial director for Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.

Jenny Dong has joined Oyo in Shanghai as a corporate communications and crisis management officer after parting ways with WeWork. Dong had served as a senior manager of public affairs for the co-working giant for four months, following just over a year with Naked Hub as a senior PR manager.  Prior to that, the Harbin Institute of Technology graduate had served as a director at FleishmanHillard from 2016 to 2017 and as a senior media / digital manager for IPG.

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.