Board reshuffles at some of China’s largest developers lead this week’s collection of job changes in Asia Pacific, with Guangzhou R&F promoting a company veteran and Modern Land appointing a new non-executive director. There are also two senior-level shifts in Guangzhou and a pair of former WeWork team members find new roles in Shanghai and Singapore.
On 16 September Hong Kong-listed Modern Land (China) announced that Tian Jiong had resigned from his position as a non-executive director of the company. Tian, who is a managing director and head of real estate with Great Wall Asset Management has been replaced by Zeng Qiang, who will now represent the mainland investment firm on Modern Land’s board, with Zeng joining the board on the same day as Tian’s resignation.
Hong Kong-listed Guangzhou R&F Properties has nominated Xiang Lijun to join the mainland developer’s board as an executive director, as detailed in a notice to the HKEX on 16 September. Now 48, Xiang is a 15-year veteran of R&F, has been a vice president of the firm since 2016 and began serving as chairman of its northwestern China operation in 2018. Xiang’s appointment is to be voted on by shareholders at an extraordinary meeting on 9 October.
Ben Lai has signed up with Zhongtai International Holdings in Guangzhou, where he stepped aboard this month as a deputy general manager with the mainland investment bank. Lai came to Zhongtai from logistics developer Logos Group, where he had spent nearly three years as its general manager for southern China. Prior to joining Logos in 2017, the Guangzhou University graduate had spent nine years with GLP.
Andrew Song has joined Kingold Group in Guangzhou as a vice president of real estate with the privately-held conglomerate. Song joins the Guangzhou-based firm after more than three years with Country Garden’s Hong Kong operation, where he had served as a director and vice president. The graduate of Beijing’s Tsinghua University and the University of Hong Kong also has previous experience with New World and Tsinghua-affiliated business park developer Tus-Park.
Andrew Deng is now Head of Transactions for West China at JLL, having joined the firm from its arch-rivals CBRE. Based in Chengdu, Deng had previously served as regional managing director with CBRE for more than three years. The graduate of the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies also has previous experience with Savills, where he spent more than eight years, before leaving the firm as head of retail for western China in 2017.
Peter Ballantyne-Barrell is now site selection coordinator with data centre specialist AirTrunk in Singapore after joining the Sydney-based private firm in Singapore this month. Ballantyne-Barrell, who is currently enrolled in the Master of Science in Real Estate program at the National University of Singapore, had left WeWork in December of last year after spending nearly three years with the co-working comet, and also has previous experience with JLL in Shanghai.
Lila Li has joined Knight Frank in Shanghai as an associate director on the tenant representation team. Now part of the property brokerage’s office leasing team, Li had left WeWork in December of 2019, after spending just over one year with the flexible office provider. The graduate of Shanghai Normal University also has previous experience with Colliers International and Savills in China’s commercial capital.
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.
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