Link REIT appoints former BlackRock Asia Pacific real estate head John Saunders group CIO
Saunders, who will take over the place from March 4 next year, is going to be responsible for Link’s overall financial investment techniques, portfolio management and the critical development of Link’s investment business. He will inform to George Hongchoy, Link’s president.
Hong-Kong noted Link REIT has already announced the appointment of BlackRock’s previous Asia Pacific realty executive John Saunders as team chief investment officer (CIO) in the freshly created function.
“We are happy to invite John, who brings with him a wide range of knowledge and industry experience, to the Link family group. The appointment is going to boost the extent and capability of our managing team and will enhance our ability as we search for brand-new development approaches and lasting returns for unitholders under the Link 3.0 strategy,” says Hongchoy.
Units in Link REIT closed up the same at HK$ 42.55 ($7.25) on the HKEX on Dec 20.
He signed up with BlackRock through its merging with MGPA in 2013 as soon as he was the firm’s CEO of Asia and the portfolio manager of their Asian Property Funds series. Before signing up with MGPA, he worked for CLSA in between 1999 and 2007, running their local property research study effort and was important in starting their Asian Business Fund by which he worked as an investment board associate.
Prior to that, he worked at Hongkong Land from 1994 to 1998 in which he was associated with the development and leasing of several site plans in Singapore and many other Asian nations.
He has over 30 years of experience in the property sector with a solid investment record, most lately at BlackRock where he also functioned as global head of the property consumer service.
