Jonathan Davis Takes on Business Operations Role with JLL in Singapore

Long-time China real estate executive Jonathan Davis headed south this week from Shanghai to Singapore, where he will start work as JLL’s new National Director for Business Operations in Southeast Asia starting from March 1^st.

Davis, who served most recently as head of Cushman & Wakefield’s China business, will now be charged with helping JLL grow its Southeast Asia operations, starting with residential property services, according to a statement from the company.

The role is a newly created one at JLL and Davis will report directly to Chris Fossick, the company’s Managing Director for Singapore and Southeast Asia. In addition to helping to enhance JLL’s residential division, Davis is expected to help grow the company’s Malaysia business and to help guide the implementation of technology to increase productivity and drive growth.

“Jonathan’s appointment comes at a crucial time as JLL’s Southeast Asia business has grown significantly over the past five years, with revenue growth of over 50 per cent and headcount increasing by over 30 per cent during the same period,” Fossick noted.

In addition to the two years that Davis spent at Cushman & Wakefield, the UK native has also served in senior management roles in China for more than 15 years, including stints at Morgan Stanley, Sun Hung Kai Properties and CBRE.

At Morgan Stanley Properties China, Davis was Executive Director for Asset Management, managing a diverse portfolio of Morgan Stanley Real Estate Funds (MSREF) properties with an aggregate value of US$1 billion. As Morgan Stanley sold down its residential assets on the mainland, Davis moved on to Sun Hung Kai Properties, where as Regional Director for Residential Assets, he oversaw the development, launch and asset management of a new service apartment portfolio in China.

Davis’ departure from Cushman & Wakefield follows just a few months after the company was acquired by rival DTZ in a private-equity led merger. In China, where DTZ was much larger than Cushman & Wakefield before the merger, the company has adopted the DTZ | Cushman & Wakefield brand, while in most other countries worldwide it is now known as Cushman & Wakefield.