This week China’s community of real estate professionals sees a private equity veteran gunning to disrupt the brokerage world, a new chief take the stage at a major property agency, and an old friend find a new role back home. Read on for all the details.
Gavin Lu has founded Uban, an online brokerage for commercial real estate in China. Uban, described by some as an Uber for offices, allows online users to book commercial space. After a successful fund raise, the Uban team, which is said to also include veteran commercial brokers from DTZ, is said to be busy signing up commercial landlords to list their space on its platform. Prior to launching Uban, Lu, who received a master’s in urban planning from the Harvard University School of Design spent eight years with the Carlyle Group’s Real Estate Fund, and a year with US commercial developer Hines.
David Hand has taken the reins as CEO for the Asia Pacific region for Colliers International, a move that was first announced on Mingtiandi in February of this year. Hand, who previously spent more than 18 years with JLL, is taking over from Piers Brunner, who resigned from his post with the property agency in August 2014. In an announcement on its website, Colliers said that Hand will focus on further integrating Colliers’ services across geographic markets and industry verticals.
Anny Zhang has been promoted to the role of Regional Director with JLL, based in Shanghai. In her new role, Zhang will have regional level responsibility for office leasing services with the property consultancy, after previously serving as a National Director. This latest position is the latest in a series of leadership roles for the East China Normal University graduate, who first joined JLL in 2007.
Paul Ark has joined PYI Ltd in Bangkok, as a Director with the Thailand-based management consulting firm. Ark, who previously served as Director of Retail Real Estate for Greater China at Microsoft in Shanghai, returned to Bangkok from China late last year. The Kellogg MBA graduate also spent several years in China as Director of Retail Real Estate & Development for Asia with Apple, and previously served with Thai retail developer Central.
Paul Dwyer has joined Cushman & Wakefield in Hong Kong as an Associate Director with the property consultancy’s Data Centre Advisory group. Dwyer will be covering data centre services across Asia Pacific for C&W after previously covering data centres in Hong Kong at Colliers International. In addition to spending more than two and a half years with Colliers industrial department, the New Zealander also worked with Bricks Capital in Hong Kong for two years.
Roy Ding has joined Shui On Land in Shanghai as an Investment Manager. The graduate of the Cass Business School at the University of London came to Shui On from Lend Lease, after spending 17 months with the Australian real estate investment firm as an Assistant Investment Manager. Ding also had more than four years experience with Ping An Real Estate in Shanghai as a Deputy Investment Manager.
As usual, if you know of other China real estate professionals changing their jobs, getting promoted or just doing something exciting, please feel free to share with the rest of the community here at Mingtiandi.
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