Asia Real Estate People in the News 2019-05-20

In this week’s edition of People in the News, there is a change at the top for a mainland developer as well as some fresh moves in the co-working sphere in Shanghai, while Colliers brings in new blood to boost its Hong Kong capital markets and investment services, and JLL poaches a WeWork community leader for its facilities management team. Elsewhere, a former Arch Capital senior investment analyst starts a new venture in the Land of Smiles, and a fluent Japanese speaker is hired by a Hong Kong-listed conglomerate.

China Evergrande Group has installed Qian Yonghua as Managing Director and Chairman of its China Calxon Group subsidiary, according to a recent announcement by the Shenzhen-lised developer. Formerly an Evergrande vice president, Qian takes over as Calxon chairman from Huang Tao, who held the role for one year, with Qian also becoming a member of the nomination, remuneration and appraisal committee.

Ethan So has been appointed by Colliers International as a director of with its Hong Kong capital markets and investment services (CMIS) team. So leads the strata-title sales team at Colliers after parting ways with JLL, where he worked for three years, most recently as director of capital markets, notching up up a HK$702 million ($89 million) deal in the Bank of America Tower and a HK$384 million deal in the Argyle Centre. Holding a bachelor’s degree in surveying from Hong Kong Polytechnic University, So also served as a deputy sales director at Centaline and an account manager at Midland IC&I following four years as an assistant quantity surveyor at Sino Group and Penta-Ocean Construction.

Jeffery Hsia has made the step up to community director for WeWork after serving as senior regional community manager since June 2018. In his new role, Hsia will be responsible for leading WeWork’s community management teams in eastern Shanghai to help ensure that WeWork communities are operating smoothly and profitably. A business graduate of the University of California, Riverside, and a holder of an MBA from Peking University, Hsia was a senior project manager for Dell EMC on its global leadership development programme for two years before joining WeWork in 2016. Prior to this, he spent six years as an enterprise sales director for computer parts manufacturer Team Group in California’s Silicon Valley.

Kelly Huo makes the step up to community director for WeWork in Shanghai in her third year working for the co-working provider. Holding a BBA in Marketing from Auckland University of Technology, Huo worked as a senior leasing manager for office developer Soho China for eight months before joining WeWork in 2016. Prior to this, she spent seven years with serviced office operator Apollo Business Centre in various roles including area sales manager.

Cindy Chan has joined JLL in Hong Kong as a facilities manager for the company’s JP Morgan account after parting ways with WeWork. Chan’s move follows four years in the flexible office environment, most recently as WeWork’s community lead, but prior to this as Naked Hub’s associate community head from 2017 before the company merged with WeWork, and as a centre manager for Compass Offices. After graduating from Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School in Australia, Chan worked in the hotel industry for eight years, including four years as a business leader for Hyatt’s global contact centre in Hong Kong, and eight months for Marco Polo Hotels Group as an assistant reservations manager.

Daniel Yu has co-founded Capstone Asset Company Limited, a new developer backed by investors from Hong Kong and Thailand, while he continues to serve as director of Bangkok-based Tonson Development Company Limited, the company behind Tonson One Residence. Formerly based in Hong Kong, Yu was an associate at private equity investment firm LimeTree Capital Partners from 2016 until 2017 where he specialised in hotel asset repositioning and land sub-division investments in Japan. Prior to this, he was a senior investment analyst at Arch Capital Management for eight months in 2016 after spending two years as an investment manager for Minor Hotels in Bangkok.

Levine Lao has joined Shanghai-based Fosun as a senior human resources manager in Shanghai after parting ways with her former employer, recruitment company Bole. The business graduate of the Chinese University of Hong Kong worked for Bole as a team leader responsible for recruiting senior executives for the real estate industry. A fluent Japanese speaker, Lao studied Japanese Language and Literature, as well as Finance, at Tianjin Foreign Studies University.

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.