Link REIT Taps Duncan Owen as Next Chairman

Link REIT has appointed Duncan Gareth Owen as independent non-executive director and chair-elect, setting up a transition to culminate in the Londoner’s ascension to the chairmanship in 2025.

Owen, 56, is chairman of Workspace Group, an LSE-listed REIT of British co-working centres catering to small businesses. He also chairs Sellar Property Group, a London-based developer, investor and asset manager.

Asia’s largest listed property trust looked to the outside to find a successor to chairman Nicholas Allen, whose maximum nine-year tenure ends on 31 January of next year, upon which he will retire from Link’s board.

“Link is ready for succession,” Allen said in a release. “I am delighted that we have identified Duncan who has the character, knowledge, commonality of values, and skills to lead Link into a new phase of development.”

Prior CEO Roles

Owen’s most recent management role was as the inaugural CEO of Immobel Capital Partners, a London-based investment manager, from 2022 to 2023.

He served as global head of real estate at Schroders from 2012 to 2020 and as CEO of Invista Real Estate Investment Management from 2006 to 2011.

Before those appointments, Owen was managing director of Insight Investment Management and co-founder of Gatehouse Investment Management. He also worked at JLL and LaSalle Investment Management in various posts from 1990 to 2001.

Owen holds membership in the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a bachelor’s degree in urban land economics from Sheffield Hallam University.

Executing 3.0 Strategy

Owen’s appointment comes after Hong Kong-listed Link in December hired former BlackRock Asia Pacific real estate boss John Saunders to fill the newly created role of group chief investment officer.

The new recruits have arrived as the REIT continues to diversify its portfolio and expand its roster of capital partners under its Link 3.0 strategy. The $30 billion trust has been working to extend its portfolio beyond Greater China and now holds 12 retail and office assets in Singapore, Australia and Britain.

“With his global real estate investment expertise, including exposure to both Hong Kong and the broader Asia Pacific region, together with his solid track record in growing business and substantive listed board experience, I have no doubts Duncan will play a pivotal role as we transition to Link 3.0,” Allen said.