Hilton, KKR, CREAL and Pegasus to Unpack Hospitality Strategies at Singapore Forum

Some of the biggest names in hospitality investment and management will discuss regional strategies for navigating the operationally-driven asset class in a panel discussion at the Mingtiandi Singapore Forum on 13 May.

Regional hotel performance continues to gain momentum on the back of increasing international tourism flows, with asset management a key element as rebranding and property conversions rise in popularity, according to CBRE.

To shine a light on opportunities in Asia Pacific hospitality markets, moderator Sebastian Busa of Baker McKenzie will sit down with decision makers from hotel colossus Hilton, fund management giant KKR and Japan-focused players CREAL Asia and Pegasus Capital.

The panel is part of a series of expert-led talks at the full-day event, which is sponsored by Yardi and takes place at the Conrad Centennial Hotel in Singapore. More than 45 speakers are due to take the stage at the event, with over 250 executives expected to attend. Tickets to the forum are still available at the link above.

Checking In at the Conrad

The panellists include Gisle Sarheim, who oversees the Hilton APAC real estate portfolio as well as the company’s feasibility and investment analysis group as vice president. Sarheim’s duties include asset and portfolio management, acquisitions and dispositions, and capital strategy and investments at Hilton, which has a portfolio of 8,600 properties and 1.3 million rooms worldwide.

Joining Sarheim will be Jeremy Chee, principal and member of the Asia real estate team at private equity giant KKR, whose regional hotel investments include the Hyatt Regency Tokyo in partnership with Hong Kong’s Gaw Capital. Chee was previously with Swiss fund manager Partners Group in Singapore, where he focused on real estate investments across APAC.

From CREAL Asia comes Calvin Sin, who spearheads the firm’s strategic expansion in the region. Sin specialises in helping affluent individuals and institutional investors deploy capital in the Japanese real estate market, with an emphasis on maximising risk-adjusted returns.

Finally the panel welcomes Perry Tan, the founder and managing director of Pegasus Capital, a dedicated Japan real estate investment manager focused on the living sector. Tan got his start in real estate investing in Japan with his own capital in 2016, and his early successes and networking led to the creation of Pegasus in 2018.

Regional Heavyweights to Speak

In addition to the hospitality session, a keynote panel will feature Oxford Properties’ Asia Pacific head Alessandro Fiascaris, George Agethen of CDPQ, Knight Frank Singapore chief executive Galven Tan and Hilton Asia Pacific president Alan Watts for a look at the biggest challenges facing the real estate sector in the year of trade wars and tariffs.

Also on the schedule are panels on student housing, Asia Pacific industrial and infrastructure assets, Singapore’s role as a global capital hub, Australian living strategies, India investment opportunities and residential investment across Asia Pacific.

Mingtiandi will also interview top industry executives on stage, including a spotlight session with Nicholas Bischoff, chief executive of Stonepeak-backed logistics specialist Equalbase, who will be appearing together with Jon Sim, investment director of the company’s Northmod fund management affiliate.

Another interview will feature Bart Price, the newly minted CEO of Vita Partners Real Assets, a life sciences real estate joint venture between Warburg Pincus and Lendlease. Joining Price will be Warburg Pincus principal Tag Yuxiang, who developed the Vita Partners venture from its early stages, and CBRE consultant Rimon Ambarchi, who advised the JV on its purchase of a $1.2 billion Singapore portfolio from a Blackstone partnership late last year.

A third interview will bring on stage Stephen Gaitanos, founder, group CEO and managing director of Asia Pacific’s largest student accommodation provider Scape, for a discussion of the future of Australia’s residential market and how investors can benefit from helping to address the country’s housing challenges.

Full details of the event are available on Mingtiandi here.