There were too many new faces in new places this week to fit into this column, so the news about a regional real estate downturn doesn’t seem to have put a lid on new job opportunities in Greater China. This week a global design firm makes its Asia chief a partner, one of Shanghai’s most iconic developments gets a new boss, and the former head of a global agency decides to spend more time with his roses. Read on for all these moves and more.
Eric Phillips is now a partner with NBBJ Design, based in Shanghai. The US architect takes on his new role after having been with the design firm since 2000. Phillips has served in NBBJ’s Shanghai office since 2008, most recently as its Principal and Regional Market Leader for Asia. The Rice University graduate oversees NBBJ’s day to day business operations in the region, as well as managing business development opportunities and guiding the long term growth strategy for the office.
Andy Zhang is now General Manager for Shui On Land’s Taipingqiao projects in Shanghai, where he takes on responsibilities for the developer’s properties in the Xintiandi area. Zhang assumes his new role after previously serving as GM for Shui On’s Ruihongxincheng project in Shanghai, as well as head of office leasing the company’s China Xintiandi subsidiary. In his new position, Zhang will be responsible for overall asset management for Xintiandi and other Shui On projects within the Taipinqqiao area.
Sanjay Verma is now officially on gardening leave from his role as Chief Executive for Global Occupier Services in Asia Pacific with Cushman & Wakefield, according to an update on his LinkedIn profile. The change in status signals Verma’s departure from the agency where he formerly served as CEO for the Asia Pacific region from 2010 until C&W was acquired by DTZ last year. Verma has been with the property consultancy, which has now been relabelled DTZ | Cushman & Wakefield in China, since 1999.
James Yu has joined China Vanke in Shenzhen as National Director for Business Development. The former Goodman executive will take responsibility for growing Vanke’s venture into warehouse development as the residential developer enters China’s lucrative logistics sector. Yu had previously served with Goodman for over two years, and also has prior experience as a manager with Global Logistic Properties (GLP). Vanke has been ramping up its foray into logistics after reportedly receiving backing from private equity giant Blackstone.
Long-time CBRE executive Helmut Weih has moved back to his native Germany to become Head of Corporate Real Estate Management at GEA Group, based in Düsseldorf. Weih will be looking after all corporate real estate functions for the food processing industry supplier in its more than 400 hundred locations globally. Weih left CBRE in January this year after more than seven years with the firm where he had served most recently as the head of its Global Workplace Solutions division for China.
Jie (Luna) Li has joined Sunshine Insurance Group in Beijing as a Senior Investment Manager, as China’s state-owned investment giants increase their acquisitions of property assets globally. In her new role, Li will be responsible for overseas commercial property acquisitions, REIT investments, and equity investment. The London School of Economics graduate previously served as an investment manager with Ping An Trust.
James Gibson has joined E-Shang Redwood in Tokyo as a Financial Analyst with the recently merged logistics real estate platform. Gibson joins E-Shang Redwood from JLL in New York, where he had previously spent more than one year as an analyst with the property consultancy on its financial analytics team. Shanghai’s e-Shang and Singapore’s Redwood Group merged in January this year to form one of the largest Asia-based logistics platforms and the company is said to be headed for an IPO in the range of $2 billion within one year’s time.
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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