Once-niche sectors continue to be the top place to find your new job this week with senior appointments in life sciences and data centres leading Mingtiandi’s review of personnel moves, while retail makes a comeback in Australia.
Life sciences platform Vita Partners announced this past week that it has appointed Thomas Viertel as managing director of projects and construction, based in Singapore. Viertel joins the joint venture between Warburg Pincus and Lendlease from design and engineering consultancy VTU Group in Austria, where he had served as managing director of the company’s life sciences group for the past three years.
Darren Ansell has joined regional data centre heavyweight AirTrunk as senior director for real estate, based in Singapore, according to a LinkedIn update. Ansell joins the Australia-based firm after just under and year and half at ESR Group, where he had served as senior director for investment with its data centre division. The University of Auckland graduate also has previous experience with Google and Xander Investment Management.
After more than two decades as a broker and advisor, Vivek Dahiya has gone over to the client side, joining Vantage Data Centers in Singapore as vice president for site selection and acquisitions for Asia Pacific, according to a LinkedIn update. Leading acquisitions of site and facilities for the portfolio company of US private equity firm DigitalBridge, the former Cushman & Wakefield broker joins Vantage as the company is reported to be closing in on one of Asia’s biggest data centre acquisitions of the year with its move to acquire a Yondr project in Johor for $1.6 billion.
Sino Group has promoted both David (pictured) and Alexander Ng to deputy chief executive officer roles with the company this month, with the twin promotions taking place less than a month after the Hong Kong-listed developer announced that Robert Ng was stepping down from his chairman role with the company. David and Alexander are the younger brothers of Sino Land chief executive Daryl Ng, who took over the chairman role from 1 September, according to the company’s earlier announcement.
ASX-listed Region Group announced on 1 September that it has hired Greg Chubb as chief executive officer and managing director with effect from March of next year. Chubb will take on the leadership role with the convenience retail landlord after more than three years with Hong Kong’s Link Asset Management, where he was promoted to chief operating officer for the company’s overall business in November of last year after being hired as COO of its international operations in 2022.
CPP Investments said this past week that it has hired Kevin Bong as managing director and head of portfolio design and construction with its Total Fund Management department. Set to be based in CPPIB’s Toronto office, Bong joins Canada’s largest pension fund manager from Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo), where he had served as chief investment strategist and head of Singapore from 2023 through February of this year.
8M Real Estate, a unit of the Washington State Investment Board, announced on 1 September that it has appointed Jocelyn Hao as chief executive officer with effect from 15 October. Specialising in Singapore shophouses, 8M has hired Hao after the graduate of Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines spent more than seven years at Starbucks Asia Pacific, where she had served most recently as general manager for licensing in the region. Hao also has previous experience with Crocs and Cushman & Wakefield.
Knight Frank said on 1 September that it has appointed Dan Dixon as head of capital markets for Asia Pacific, based in Singapore, with effect from that same day. Having spent the past decade with Knight Frank’s capital markets team in London, Dixon is credited with having advised British Land and GIC on their sale of a half-stake in the Broadgate office complex in the City of London to Abu Dhabi developer Modon for around $800 million, among other deals. Dixon takes over the Asia role from Neil Brookes, who is understood to be leaving Knight Frank.
CBRE said on 4 September that it has hired SiangEe Lim as a senior director with the Asia Pacific division of its capital advisors unit. Based in Singapore, Lim joins CBRE after previously holding senior roles with JP Morgan, Macquarie Capital and Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC in both Singapore and London. In his previous experience Lim was involved in managing real asset investments, as well as in mergers and acquisitions across the Asia Pacific region, according to a statement.
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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