China’s sovereign fund leads Mingtiandi’s review of personnel moves from around Asia this week with news that CIC’s head of infrastructure has resigned from the Beijing-based organisation. Also making the list is a new CFO of Singapore’s Elite Commercial REIT and a top level change in Goldman Sachs’ Japanese operation.

China Investment Corp has lost its head of infrastructure investment, with Mi Tao having recently resigned from his role with the mainland China sovereign fund, according to media accounts. Mi had been with CIC since 2010 and had built the institution’s infrastructure division. Prior to joining CIC in Beijing, the University of California at Irvine graduate served stints with Ernst & Young in New York and KPMG in China’s capital.

The manager of Elite Commercial REIT announced on 23 November that it has appointed Michael Tong Meng Chong as its chief financial officer with effect from that same day. Tong takes over from Joel Cheah Zhuo Yue who had resigned in August. Tong joins the SGX-listed trust after more than 11 years at Lendlease in Singapore, where he had served since 2019 as general manager for finance covering Singapore and the rest of Asia.

Goldman Sachs Japan president Masanori Mochida will be retiring at the end of this year after nearly four decades with the US investment bank, according to a Reuters report this past week citing an internal memo. The bank has yet to formally announce new leadership for its Japan operation, with Mochida said to be remaining with the firm as a senior director. Mochida had earlier been reported to be leaving Goldman next year with the bank said to be eager to put in place new leadership as competition intensifies in Asia’s second-largest economy.

Raymond Fok has joined Chinachem Group in Hong Kong as a director with the privately held developer’s CEO office, according to a LinkedIn update. Fok took on his new role this month after having served more than three years with Sun Hung Kai Properties in the city, where he had most recently worked as a general manager heading the developer’s neighbourhood retail portfolio. Fok also has previous experience at Sun Hung Kai’s Ion Orchard joint venture with CapitaLand in Singapore.

The manager of Mapletree Industrial Trust announced on 21 November that Michael Smith is leaving the board of the SGX-listed REIT after resigning from his role with its sponsor Mapletree Investments. Smith will be leaving the trust’s board on 30 November after last week being named as chief executive of Hongkong Land. He had previously served as head of Mapletree’s US and European businesses.

US data centre REIT Equinix said this past week that it has appointed Cheam Tat Inn as managing director of it Malaysia business, based in Kuala Lumpur. Equinix, which recently announced data centres in the Kuala Lumpur area and in Johor State, near Singapore, said Cheam will lead Equinix’ expansion in Malaysia after previously working with tech firms including EMC, Sun Microsystems and Nortel Networks.

CapitaLand Ascott Trust Management said on 22 November that it has appointed Max Loh Khum Whai to a non-executive independent director role on its board with effect from the following day. Now 61, Loh, is also joining the board of CapitaLand Ascott Business Trust Management, with the two units of CapitaLand Group jointly managing CapitaLand Ascott Trust. Loh served as managing partner of Ernst & Young Singapore from 2011 through 2022.

Industrial giant Prologis said earlier this month that it has appointed Carter Andrus (pictured) as its new chief operating officer as part of a leadership overhaul. As part of the same set of appointments, Joseph Ghazal will take on the chief investment officer role and chief energy and sustainability officer Susan Uthayakumar will join the company’s executive committee. Current COO Gary Anderson will move to a senior advisor role from 1 January.

If you know of other Asia real estate professionals changing their jobs, getting promoted or just doing something exciting, please contact us here at Mingtiandi.