Having wrapped up China’s Qingming festival, and with nearly two weeks to go before Easter, Asia’s real estate investment executives, property brokers and other leaders seem to be making use of the interval to find new roles for spring. In Singapore, a management renewal round at the country’s sovereign wealth fund sees GIC introducing a new COO, while in Beijing a veteran investment executive finds a new home at Taikang Insurance and in Hong Kong, the head of retail at one of the agency giants has jumped ship after just three months in his latest role. Keep reading for the details on these moves and more.
Singapore’s Government Investment Corporation (GIC) has appointed Tay Lim Hock as its new Chief Operating Officer, according to an announcement last week by the company. Tay, who currently serves as the sovereign wealth fund’s Deputy Chief Investment Officer, will retain that role as he steps up to the COO slot to replace Goh Kok Huat, who is retiring after a decade with GIC, according to the announcement. Tay is returning from London to Singapore to assume his new duties.
Alex He has joined Taikang Life Insurance Group in Beijing this month, taking a Director role with China’s fourth-largest life insurer by premium income. He joins Taikang after just over one year with European private equity fund manager White Peak Real Estate Investment in the city. He had previously spent more than two years with Taikang Asset Management from 2015 through 2017 when he left to become a director at the Riverside Group before joining White Peak in January last year. He also has previous experience with Colliers and CBRE.
James Assersohn has joined DFS Group in Hong Kong as a Vice President, according to an update to his LinkedIn profile. The long-time retail broker is joining Hong Kong-based DFS, which operates duty free stores in 11 major airports as well as 20 downtown luxury goods stores under the Galleria name, after three and a half years at JLL, where he had been appointed Senior Director and Head of Retail for Hong Kong in January of this year. The University of Nottingham graduate also has previous experience with Cushman & Wakefield in Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Colliers International has brought on board Ana Ballesteros to lead its workplace strategy team in South Asia, according to an announcement by the real estate agency. Out of the workforce for the last few years Ballesteros will be based in Singapore to advise clients on office design, workplace strategy and organisational change as leader of Colliers’ Workplace Solutions business line. In her new role, the former CBRE and M Moser executive will report to Truddy Cheung, Head of Workplace Solutions for Asia with the company.
Former Savills broker and Walt Disney corporate real estate executive Julian Milne has headed back to Sydney after thirteen years in Hong Kong, joining Cushman & Wakefield as a Director with the company’s Tenant Advisory Group in Sydney, according to an update on his LinkedIn profile. Milne had spent the last four years with the office leasing team at Savills in Hong Kong and also has experience with Bank of America Merrill Lynch in the city, in addition to his time with Disney.
Clara Tsang has joined JLL in Hong Kong as a Manager with the company’s Hong Kong Markets team after just under two years with high-end serviced office provider the Executive Centre. The graduate of Hong Kong Polytechnic University also has previous experience with Swire’s Coca-Cola operation in the city as well as having served internships with PR firm Brunswick Group and advertising agency J Walter Thompson.
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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