People on the Move – 4 July 2018

Emma Thunder joins the Property Council’s executive in Perth, AMP Capital, the Australian Logistics Council and Domain make appointments and we mourn the passing of property pioneers Sidney Londish and Di Jones.

The Property Council has a new deputy executive director in Western Australia. Qualified planner Emma Thunder (pictured) takes on the role, after a stint as the Property Council’s strategic policy and communications advisor. Prior to this, Thunder held senior advisory roles with two former state planning ministers and was an independent planning advisor to the Director General of the Department of Planning.

AMP Capital has announced new appointments in its real estate business, including a new role focused on growing its real estate capabilities in international markets. Kylie O’Connor has been appointed chief operating officer for real estate. Currently fund manager for AMP Capital Diversified Property Fund (ADPF), the business’ largest pooled real estate fund, O’Connor has also worked with Lendlease.

Merran Edwards takes on a new role as head of international strategy for real estate. Edwards was instrumental in AMP Capital’s investment into US-based real estate investment manager PCCP. Edwards has 16 years of experience in real estate and corporate advisory including eight years at UBS in the investment banking division.

And as AMP’s managing director of office and industrial, Luke Briscoe will assume a broader role with accountability for office and mixed-use development. This includes the delivery of office development including the iconic Quay Quarter Sydney project.

The Australian Logistics Council has appointed Lachlan Benson as interim chief executive officer, following the departure of long-time managing director Michael Kilgariff. Benson is currently managing director of Blue Arcadia, a consultancy specialising in transport and logistics issues and sits on a number of industry boards. He previously spent five years heading up industry relations and logistics at the Sydney Ports Corporation. Kilgariff is moving to Roads Australia as its new CEO, replacing long-standing leader Ian Webb, who retires later this year.

The World Green Building Council has appointed Tanya Cox to the position of vice chair. Cox has served as the Green Building Council of Australia’s chair and is currently on its board of directors. She was previously the chief operating officer at Dexus for 11 years, and is a non-executive director of proptech companies Equiem Holdings and BuildingIQ. In sad news, two property pioneers have passed away.

Development veteran Sidney Londish passed away last week at the age of 94. Londish constructed his first supermarket at Sydney’s St Ives in 1960, kick-starting a 60-year real estate career that included city towers and factories, golf courses and shopping centres. The Governor Phillip and Macquarie towers in Sydney’s CBD are among Londish’s legacies. He championed the construction of Sydney’s third runway while chairman of the Sydney Convention and Visitors Bureau, and established Australia’s first bulky goods warehouse at Sydney’s Moore Park in 1993. The chairman of Prestige Lifestyle Estates, Londish continued working and building until his death.

Meanwhile, the passing of real estate trailblazer Di Jones has been mourned by the real estate fraternity. Jones opened her first agency in Woollahra in 1992, expanding to four agencies in Sydney and Bowral. Paying tribute to Jones, the company’s chief executive Rob Ward said “Di was one of the first women in real estate to own and operate her own agency. With husband, Bill, she revolutionised marketing in the real estate space”.

Knight Frank and Woolcock Partners Real Estate are merging in Tasmania to one of the largest real estate businesses on the Apple Isle. Woolcock Partners director Sam Woolcock will join Knight Frank’s Tasmanian board.

And finally, Jason Pellegrino is moving from Google to head up Domain. Pellegrino has been managing director of the tech giant’s Australia and New Zealand operation since 2016, and will step into the role of managing director and CEO at Domain in August. Pellegrino has also worked for Dakota Capital Partners, LEK Consulting, PepsiCo International and KPMG. He replaces Antony Catalano, who left Domain in January.