Former Property Council CEO Peter Verwer AO will head a new federal government taskforce to lure exceptional talent to Australia in a week of high-profile people movements.
Former Property Council CEO, Peter Verwer AO, will head a new federal government taskforce established to lure exceptional talent to Australia. The Global Business and Talent Attraction Taskforce will bring together experts from across the three tiers of government and the private sector, as part of the Government’s JobMaker plan. Verwer will be known as the Prime Minister’s special envoy for global business and talent. Verwer’s strike team will initially focus on three key sectors: advanced manufacturing, financial services (including fintech) and health. Verwer left the Property Council in 2014 after 28 years, 22 of them as CEO. He was CEO of the Asia Pacific Real Estate Association, APREA, for four-and-a-half years, and was most recently executive chairman of Fractal IQ, a start-up think tank that explores trends in the digital economy, urban issues and the capital markets.
International real estate advisory firm Pembroke has appointed Jo-Ann Hawkings to lead its Australian portfolio and business operations as regional director. She joins the business from Dexus where she spent six years working across transactions, asset and funds management. Hawkings’ appointment is part of Pembroke’s new regional leadership model, which sees Matthew Knight, who previously led the Australian team, relocate to London for the newly-created role of vice president, European development. The firm has also appointed Akira Shimizu head of Asia Pacific, based in Tokyo, where he will oversee Pembroke’s Japanese and Australian portfolio and business operations. Gordon Hatton, part of the team delivering Pembroke’s redevelopment of the T&G Building in Melbourne, is now vice president of Asia Pacific development.
AVID Property Group has made two key hires. Karen Wells takes on the role of chief financial officer after holding senior positions with Macquarie Group, KPMG, Société Générale, Port of Brisbane and Axicom. Richard Amos has been appointed group general counsel. He has held senior and executive leadership positions at Myer, Lion, MARCS and Vodafone (UK).
Paul Harrison joins Buchan’s Adelaide studio as principal. With more than 15 years in retail, hotel and hospitality and mixed-use architecture, Harrison started with Buchan’s Melbourne studio in 2005 before moving to the Adelaide studio in 2010. He has made a significant contribution to many Buchan developments, including the upcoming SkyCity redevelopment and expansion, Burnside Village and Rundle Place.
Darren Benson comes on board as national head of industrial logistics at Knight Frank. He will replace interim head James Templeton, who returns to his role as partner and head of Victoria. Benson began his career at Colliers before moving to Beijing with JLL and Hong Kong with CBRE, where he led the Asian industrial platform. Benson will relocate to Australia for his new role at Knight Frank from France, where he and his family have been based while restoring a castle and converting it into a boutique hotel.
Credit Suisse has named Rahul Bharara its new head of real estate. Bharara has been with the investment bank’s property team for the past seven years. Bharara will report to Credit Suisse’s co-heads of investment banking: James Disney and Angelo Scasserra, who was the bank’s head of real estate until his promotion in March.
Sydney-based McConnel Smith & Johnson Architects has merged with Conrad Gargett. A series of strategic mergers since 2012 has seen Conrad Gargett grow in size, expertise and geographic footprint, and the architecture firm now has 176 employees. MSJ directors Ian Moon, Mark Willett and John Zadro will join Conrad Gargett as principals in the Sydney studio, which will be located at Jones Bay Wharf from mid-October 2020.
Icon Construction has made some leadership changes in New South Wales, with Edward Whiting appointed director and Michael Read executive director for the state. Whiting has been with Icon for nearly three years, most recently as new business manager. He spent the first 11 years of his career with Lendlease, working on several large projects at Victoria Harbour. Read was with Cockram Construction for nearly two decades before the business became part of Icon in 2018.
CBRE Hotels has strengthened its Pacific capital markets team with the appointment of Vasso Zographou. An industry stalwart with 30 years of experience acting for owners, financiers and hotel operators, Zographou was most recently a director at Savills Hotels, following a senior role with Radisson Hotel Group. Zographou is the latest in a series of recruits to join CBRE Hotels, following the appointments of former Savills Hotels managing director Michael Simpson and director Raymond Tran, and JLL Hotels vice president Tom Gibson.
Raine & Horne has appointed its head of network, Andrew Brien, as CEO. Brien assumes his new position from outgoing CEO Brian Reid, who retires following seven-years in the top job and a 40-year career in real estate. Brien was previously national head of real estate with Elders.
Jason Cleary joins CBRE’s national valuation and advisory services team in a Sunshine Coast role. Cleary – who has national expertise valuing proposed and going concern manufactured home estates, corporate size caravan, rental, holiday and mixed-use parks, and master planned residential subdivisions – joins CBRE in a director after more than 19 years at Herron Todd White.
The Air Conditioning & Mechanical Contractors’ Association has welcomed Scott Williams as its new CEO. Williams joins the AMCA after eleven years serving as CEO of the Fire Protection Association Australia, where he successfully oversaw the execution of a national strategy while strengthening the organisation’s presence in each state jurisdiction.
An experienced and steady team remains at the helm of Infrastructure Australia’s board, with chair Julieanne Alroe and board members Deena Shiff and Reece Waldock AM reappointed for another year. The reappointed leaders will help guide the Australian Government’s record $100 billion nationwide infrastructure pipeline. Alroe has been the IA chair since 2017 and a board member since 2015, having previously been CEO and managing director of the Brisbane Airport Corporation.
Retail specialist Mainbrace Constructions has promoted Michael Fague to the newly-created role of new business and strategy. Fague’s role will include an increased focus on last mile logistics as the company continues to evolve its services. Mainbrace has completed numerous last mile logistics and customer fulfillment centre projects over the last few years and has fielded increased enquiry in this sector over the last six months. Fague has been part of the Mainbrace team for 19 years and was the driving force behind the establishment of the company’s Victorian operation in 2014. He’s now relocated back to the company’s Sydney head office to take up the new post.