India leads this week’s collection of personnel moves from around the region, as Apollo Global Management is said to be witnessing some turnover. Also making the list are new directors at Guangzhou R&F Properties and Hong Kong’s Swire Properties.
Nipun Sahni, who heads India real estate investment for Apollo Global Management, is leaving the company, according to a Bloomberg report on Friday. The Apollo partner is headed for the exit after joining the private equity firm in 2015, with the US-based investment manager having last year begun shifting its real estate strategy in Asia to focus on debt and special situations over equity investments.
Swire Properties is appointing China real estate veteran Yan Yan to its board as an independent, non-executive director, with effect from 7 May, according to an announcement to the Hong Kong stock exchange on 22 April. Currently a managing director with Rava Partners, the real estate division of private equity shop Hillhouse Investment, Yan was also previously a managing director with Blackstone after having served as president, chief financial officer and chief operating officer during a 22-year tenure with mainland developer Soho China. Now 60, Yan replaces Lily Cheng, who will resign from the board at the same juncture.
Guangzhou R&F Properties announced to the Hong Kong stock exchange on 23 April that it proposes to appoint one of its regional leaders to the company’s board at its annual general meeting on 31 May. Zhao Feng is currently a vice president at the developer and chairman of its Hainan division, with the company proposing to name him to an executive director position. He has been with Guangzhou R&F since 2004.
Chinese data centre operator VNET Group said on 22 April that its chief executive officer, Jeff Dong has resigned for personal reasons. With Dong’s departure, company founder and co-chair Josh Sheng Chen (pictured) has stepped in as interim chief executive, with the company indicating that it will name a permanent CEO once a replacement has been confirmed. In November, Chen led a buyout of VNET which brought the company under the control of a state-owned company in China’s Shandong province.
CapitaLand Investment informed the Singapore stock exchange on 25 April that Kee Teck Koon was resigning from his position as a non-executive, independent director on its board with effect from that day. Now 67, Kee left the board at its annual general meeting after having served as part of the group since June 2021. With his retirement Kee also ceases to serve as chair of the board’s remuneration committee and is no longer a member of its executive committee.
Goldman Sachs announced on 25 April that it has appointed Hidehiro Imatsu as president and representative director of its Japanese business, with effect from 3 June. Currently based in the investment bank’s Hong Kong office, Imatsu will be relocating to Tokyo for his new role. In addition to leading Goldman Sachs Japan, Imatsu will continue in his current positions as co-head of global interest rate products trading and co-head of the company’s Asia Pacific fixed income, currency and commodities franchise.
CBRE has promoted Linh Tran to senior director for Pacific and Southeast Asia with its capital advisors unit, according to a LinkedIn update this past week. Based in Singapore, Tran takes her step up after just over a year as a director with the same team, and the National University of Singapore student has now been with CBRE since joining the property consultancy from competitor JLL in 2021.
Colliers announced on 25 April that it has promoted Tridiana Ong to head of tenant representation for Singapore. Ong takes charge of the tenant-focused side of the property consultancy’s office leasing business just over three years after joining Colliers as an executive director. The graduate of Jakarta’s Universitas Tarumanagara also has previous experience with Cushman & Wakefield.
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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