Top-level moves at a pair of Asian government funds lead this week’s edition of People in the News, with China’s CIC set to name a new leader and Malaysia’s EPF ready for a new CEO to take over next month. Also making the list is a new leader for Prologis in China and a retirement at one of India’s largest developers.
China Investment Corporation is preparing to name Liu Haoling as its new vice-chairman and president, according to local news reports, after the world’s second largest sovereign fund announced the organisation veteran as deputy Communist Party secretary on 20 January. Liu, who has been with CIC for 16 years and currently serves as executive vice president and chief risk officer, is said by mainland news outlet Caixin to be replacing Ju Weimin in the top leadership roles with the sovereign fund after taking his spot as deputy party secretary.
Malaysia’s Employees Provident Fund said on 26 January that it has appointed Encik Ahmad Zulqarnain Onn as its new chief executive officer with effect from 19 February. Onn is joining the state-backed Malaysian pension fund manager from Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) where he had served most recently as president and group chief executive after first joining the government investment institution in 2014. Onn is succeeding Amir Hamzah Azizan, who was appointed as second minister of finance in December.
Prologis said on 22 January that it has appointed Eddie Huang as its president of Greater China with the investment veteran having already settled into his new desk in Shanghai. Huang joins the world’s largest industrial developer from Chinese express delivery and logistics firm SF Group, where he had served as chief strategy officer and assistant chief executive officer. Huang, who also previously served as a McKinsey partner, replaces Thomas Liu, who left the company last year.
Godrej Properties announced on 23 January that its non-executive, non-independent director, Jamshyd Godrej, would be resigning from the company the next day, as he would be reaching 75 years in age. A great-nephew of Godrej Group co-founders Ardeshir Burjorji Sorabji Godrej and Pirojsha Burjorji Sorabji Godrej, Jamshyd Godrej had served on the board of Godrej Properties since 1990.
Mah Sing Group declared to the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange on 23 January that its group chief executive officer, Ho Hon Sang, had resigned from the top leadership role with immediate effect. Now 63, Ho will continue to serve as an executive director of the Malaysian developer until 31 March. In a separate announcement that same day, Mah Sing said that Lionel Leong Jihn Haur, 35, had been named deputy chief executive officer with effect from 2 February, and would also become an executive director.
John SC Wong has joined MEC Global Partners Asia as development director, based in Singapore, according to a LinkedIn update. Wong joins the private equity investment advisory unit of Mitsubishi Estate Group from CLSA Capital Partners in Singapore, where he had served more than 15 years, including working most recently as development director with the company’s FUDO Capital pan-Asian real estate investment fund.
Stephanie Yang has joined Clarion Partners in Hong Kong as a vice president with the real estate fund manager, per a LinkedIn update. Yang signed up with the New York-based firm after more than five years with CBRE in the city, where she had served most recently as an executive director with the company’s global capital markets team. Yang also has previous experience with Emerge Capital Partners and with APREA in Beijing.
Austin Xu has joined China Life Investment Management in Beijing as a vice president for investment, according to a LinkedIn post. Xu started his role with the state-owned insurer this month after having worked for more than five years as head of the China desk for the UK with Knight Frank in London. Xu, who was also an associate partner with the London capital markets team at the property consultancy also has previous experience with Deloitte in the UK.
Colliers announced on 24 January that it is handing additional responsibilities to Sankey Prasad, with its India chairman and managing director now also leading the company’s project management business in the Middle East. Having headed project management firm Synergy before that company was acquired by Colliers in 2019, Prasad now carries the additional titles of chairman and managing director of Colliers Project Leaders Middle East.
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