Big changes in Australia lead this week’s review of personnel moves from around Asia Pacific, with Lendlease naming a new head of development after losing a top executive to AirTrunk. That Blackstone-backed data centre player also makes the list with its hire of capital raiser Hugh Baggie from Goodman, and a Warburg Pincus-backed life sciences venture expands its team into Sydney.
Lendlease announced this past week that it has appointed Claire Johnston as chief executive officer for development, in a shift from her current role as the company’s CEO of the Americas. Johnston will be taking on her new job in April, according to the announcement, as Lendlease’s current head of development Tom Mackellar is leaving the company, reportedly to lead data centre operator AirTrunk’s regional expansion.
In addition to bringing on board Mackellar from Lendlease, AirTrunk has hired Goodman executive Hugh Baggie as vice president for capital partnerships, according to an announcement this past week. AirTrunk tied Baggie’s new role to its creation of a new capital partnership platform to provide long-term capital, with their latest hire having previously served as managing director for data centres and capital raising for Asia at Goodman.
Vita Partners said this past week that it has expanded its life science real estate venture into Australia and has hired a pair of experienced property executives to lead its business in the country. Russell Meacham has been appointed managing director for Australia at Vita Partners while Hannah Shariff joins the company as senior investment manager. Both executives join Vita Partners in Sydney from local advisory firm JGS Property.
Barings Real Estate has appointed Charles Griffith as head of client portfolio management for Asia Pacific, where he will support the expansion of the firm’s regional platform and development of new real estate products for the global asset manager. Based in Singapore, Griffith has more than 20 years of experience in real estate fundraising, investor relations and capital markets and joins Barings from Macquarie Asset Management, where he led capital raising and client coverage across Asia Pacific, and also has previous experience at Savills Investment Management, Aetos Capital Real Estate, Cushman & Wakefield and JLL.
Johnny Shao has joined Centrin Data Group in Shanghai as group vice president with the data centre developer and operator. With Beijing-based Centrin having established Yantai, Kunshan and Wuhan in addition to its home city, Shao has signed up with the two decade old company after more than three years as managing director at CITIC’s CPE Funds private equity unit and also has previous experience as a managing director with Gaw Capital Partners.
Mark Mullen has been promoted to chief executive officer at Gurner Qualitas, a build-to-rent residential joint venture between luxury developer Gurner Group and fund manager Qualitas, per a LinkedIn update. Mullen took his step up this past month after more than a year and a half as executive general manager for funds management with Gurner where he led the group’s services to living sector investors. Mullen also spent more than a decade at Lendlease, including serving as the company’s head of build to rent.
David Tibbott has moved up to chief operating officer at IOI Properties Singapore, according to a LinkedIn update. Tibbott received his upgrade with the developer of Singapore’s IOI Central Boulevard just over two years after joining IOI as a managing director. Tibbott also spent two years as head of Singapore and regional head of asset management at UK investment firm Chelsfield and has earlier experience with Hongkong Land in the region.
Savills announced this past week that it has hired Alice Crowley as a director with its Asia Pacific Capital Markets team, based in Singapore. Crowley joins the property consultancy after more than two years as director of international capital at Knight Frank in Singapore. The University of Technology Sydney graduate also has previous experience with Lendlease and GPT Group.
If you know of other Asia Pacific real estate professionals changing their jobs, getting promoted or just doing something exciting, please contact us here at Mingtiandi.
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