Some of Asia’s biggest real estate investors are reshuffling their boards just before the spring festival break sends much of the region home for a few days. This week there are new independent directors at warehouse specialists ESR and ARA Logos Logistics Trust, as well as at Alibaba’s hypermarket division Sun Art. Also, one of Korea’s biggest investors adds to its team in Singapore and Schroder Pamfleet staffs up in Hong Kong.
ESR Cayman has appointed JD.com executive Hu Wei as a non-executive director as of 2 February, according to an announcement to the Hong Kong stock exchange. JD, through its JD Logistics unit and other subsidiaries controls over 7.6 percent of the logistics developer and fund manager, and Hu’s appointment follows the resignation from the board of former JD Logistics chief executive Wang Zhenhui, who left the board in January. Hu serves as chief executive of JD Property, the e-commerce provider’s real estate unit.
The manager of ARA Logos Logistics Trust has appointed Low Poh Choo as a non-executive director on its board as of 5 February, according to an announcement to the Singapore stock exchange. Low is a senior director of ARA Financial Pte Ltd, the corporate finance arm of ARA Group, which controls the trust’s manager. The one-time DBS Bank executive has been with ARA since 2006 and the manager said that her appointment would add to the breadth of expertise, knowledge and experience on the board.
Alibaba-controlled Sun Art Retail Group has appointed veteran Hong Kong finance executive Charles Chan Sheung Wai as an independent, non-executive director on its board, effective from 31 January. Chan, who formerly served as a partner with PWC from 2002 through 2012, will now serve as chairman of the hypermarket retailer’s audit committee, as well as joining the nomination and remuneration committees. In the same announcement, Sun Art revealed that Desmond Murray and He Yi had resigned as independent, non-executive directors on its board.
Keppel Pacific Oak US REIT Management has named Soong Hee Sang as lead independent director on its board effective 1 February. Soong has been an independent, non-executive director with the manager of Keppel Pacific Oak US REIT since October 2017 after previously spending a decade with GIC Real Estate, including three years as managing director of the London office for the property investment wing of Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund.
Kenny Sim has joined IGIS Asset Management in Singapore as director of investments for Asia Pacific, according to an update to his LinkedIn profile. Sim joins the South Korean investment firm after spending six years with Straits Real Estate, and also has previous experience with TIAA Henderson Real Estate and Henderson Global Real Estate (both now known as Nuveen Real Estate), where he was involved in the company’s China outlet mall joint venture.
Mabel Lau has joined property fund manager Schroder Pamfleet as an asset manager based in Hong Kong. Lau will be helping the Asian arm of the UK firm manage its portfolio in the region through leasing, tenancy management and repositioning. The University of Reading graduate takes on her new role after a decade with Savills in Hong Kong, where she served most recently as a senior manager with the property consultancy’s team.
Linh Tran has joined CBRE’s Capital Advisors team as an associate director based in Singapore, according to an update to her LinkedIn profile. Tran, a graduate of the National University of Singapore, takes on her new role after more than seven years with JLL in the city, where she had served most recently as a director with the property consultancy’s capital markets division. The native of Vietnam is also a chartered financial advisor.
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.
Note: this story has been updated to replace the image of Loh Poh Choo of ARA. An earlier version included an incorrect image. Mingtiandi regrets the error.
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