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People on the move

  • April 01, 2019

Knight Frank appoints industry heavyweight Rod Leaver as its new CEO. Rebecca Smith joins AMP Capital as its new head of real estate debt, while Urbis acquires Élan Property Group.

030419 - People on the Move - Rod LeaverIndustry heavyweight Rod Leaver (pictured) is Knight Frank Australia’s new chief executive officer. Leaver replaces Stephen Ellis who will retire in June after nearly a decade with the agency. Leaver spent eight years at Lendlease holding roles including global head of investment management, CEO of Lendlease Australia and CEO of Lendlease Asia, during which time he secured US$6 billion in new urban regeneration projects in Singapore and Malaysia. Since returning to Australia in 2016, Leaver advised groups on real estate strategy, portfolio governance and urban regeneration projects. Ellis, who was formerly CEO and president of CBRE in Australia and New Zealand, has been a member of the Property Male Champions of Change group since 2015.

AMP Capital has appointed Rebecca Smith in a new role to establish its real estate debt capability in the region. As head of real estate debt for Australia, Smith will report to AMP Capitals’ global head of real estate, Carmel Hourigan, and will join the real estate leadership team. Smith joins AMP Capital from Australia’s sovereign wealth fund, Future Fund, where she held the role of director of property. Her previous roles with Future Fund, PAG, NM Rothschild & Sons, Allco Finance Group and CBRE, where she started her career in valuations, have seen her work in markets across the US, Europe and Australia.

Planning an advisory firm Urbis has acquired Élan Property Group, a boutique property investment company managing more than $1.4 billion of real estate investments in Australia and abroad. Élan’s founder Tony Mount will join Urbis as a director, bringing with him associate director James Ackroyd. Mount was previously the chief investment officer with Becton Property Group and has held roles with MCS Properties, Lendlease, Knight Frank and Deloitte. Ackroyd has worked for well-known UK property companies including Derwent London, Colliers and CB Richard Ellis International.

Graham Boyd has been appointed inaugural chief executive officer for Your Way, an independent retirement village and in-home operator currently housed at Beauty Point Retirement Resort in Padstow Heights in Sydney. Boyd will oversee a growing team and Your Way’s operations in independent living accommodation, including a new village in Peakhurst, and the growing area of community and home care services. Boyd was previously the CEO of Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries in NSW. He has also held previous roles with retirement living operators Bethanie Group in WA and RSL LifeCare in NSW.

Century 21 Australasia also has a new CEO. Warren McCarthy, an industry veteran of 35 years, is the former CEO of LJ Hooker, during which time he grew the network across Australia and South East Asia. More recently he was a member of the McGrath Group in the Sutherland Shire of Sydney. Century 21’s chairman Charles Tarbey will continue to operate in the business. US real estate giant Realogy, the parent company of Century 21, says the franchise boasts 400 offices and more 127,000 independent sales associates in 80 countries.