Knight Frank Appoints Shishir Baijal as Non-Executive Chair of Asia-Pacific in Addition to Current Role as Chairman & Managing Director of Knight Frank India
29th November 2024 | Hong Kong
Leading real estate consulting firm Knight Frank has appointed Shishir Baijal as Non-Executive Chair of Asia-Pacific in addition to his current role as Chairman & Managing Director of Knight Frank India. Knight Frank (27/11/24): “Knight Frank is pleased to announce that Shishir Baijal will take on the additional responsibility of Non-Exec Chair of the Asia- Pacific region from 1 April 2025, expanding his remit to reflect the size of the business’ presence in this region as well as its strong growth prospects. As one of Knight Frank’s most senior leaders and a member of the Group Executive Board, Shishir will add the broader Asia-Pacific responsibility to his current role as Chairman and Managing Director of Knight Frank India. He will work closely with Craig Shute, recently announced as CEO of Asia-Pacific, effective 1 April 2025, to support the successful execution of the regional strategy in alignment with the wider group vision. Knight Frank’s Asia-Pacific region consists of 11,000 people in 300 offices across 15 territories.” In 2024 October, Knight Frank hired CBRE 23-year veteran Virginia Huang as Managing Director, North & East China (immediate effect), reporting to Knight Frank Greater China CEO Craig Shute who was recently appointed as CEO APAC starting in 2025 April. Earlier in 2024 October, Knight Frank announced the appointment of Greater China CEO Craig Shute as CEO APAC (2025 April), succeeding Kevin Coppel who will retire in 2025 March. Craig Shute has more than 25 years of real estate industry experience including at Knight Frank, JLL & CBRE. In 2023 April, Knight Frank launched a new Private Office in Hong Kong with formula 1 and Indycar racer Ho-Pin Tung hired as Head of Hong Kong Private Office (2nd private office in Asia).
“ Knight Frank Appoints Shishir Baijal as Non-Executive Chair of Asia-Pacific in Addition to Current Role as Chairman & Managing Director of Knight Frank India “
William Beardmore-Gray, Senior Partner & Group Chair, Knight Frank: “Knight Frank’s presence in Asia- Pacific is growing at pace and delivering exceptional results. Reflecting on the opportunity to be captured, we wanted to ensure our top talent was effectively deployed to best shape the next phase of our development in this exciting region. Shishir stood out as the obvious candidate to support Craig in delivering upon a very clear growth mission, having successfully led Knight Frank India – one of our largest businesses outside of the UK – for the past decade.”
Shishir Baijal, Chairman & Managing Director, Knight Frank India & Non-Exec Chair, Knight Frank Asia-Pacific: “The Asia-Pacific region is already one of the fastest growing and most accomplished areas of our global business, and I’m hugely excited by the opportunity to play a role in driving it further. I have no doubt that Craig’s extensive experience and strategic vision will ensure we maintain our growth trajectory across this dynamic region, and I look forward to supporting him and the wider team on this pivotal journey.”
Knight Frank Hires CBRE 23-Year Veteran Virginia Huang as Managing Director, North & East China, Reports to Greater China CEO Craig Shute Who was Recently Appointed as CEO APAC Starting in 2025 April
22nd October 2024 – Leading real estate consulting firm Knight Frank has hired CBRE 23-year veteran Virginia Huang as Managing Director, North & East China (immediate effect), reporting to Knight Frank Greater China CEO Craig Shute who was recently appointed as CEO APAC starting in 2025 April. Knight Frank (22/10/24): “Knight Frank Hong Kong today announces the appointment of Virginia Huang as the Managing Director, North and East China based in Shanghai, with immediate effect. Reporting to Craig Shute, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Greater China, Virginia will oversee the firm’s operations in both the Beijing and Shanghai offices. Virginia joins Knight Frank with over 27 years of experience and a proven track record of success in the commercial real estate sector, including 12 years in leadership roles where she successfully managed large operations in China. Her extensive background encompasses commercial office, real estate fund management, and sustainable operations during her significant tenures at CBRE and Keppel Land. Additionally, Virginia exhibited her entrepreneurial flair by establishing BIBT, an AI-enabled property technology startup.” Earlier in 2024 October, Knight Frank announced the appointment of Greater China CEO Craig Shute as CEO APAC (2025 April), succeeding Kevin Coppel who will retire in 2025 March. Craig Shute has more than 25 years of real estate industry experience including at Knight Frank, JLL & CBRE. In 2023 April, Knight Frank launched a new Private Office in Hong Kong with formula 1 and Indycar racer Ho-Pin Tung hired as Head of Hong Kong Private Office (2nd private office in Asia).
“ Knight Frank Hires CBRE 23-Year Veteran Virginia Huang as Managing Director, North & East China, Reports to Greater China CEO Craig Shute Who was Recently Appointed as CEO APAC Starting in 2025 April “
Virginia Huang, Managing Director, North and East China of Knight Frank China: “I am honoured to lead the North China and East China teams and look forward to working closely with our talented professionals at Knight Frank. Together, we will build on our strengths, uncover fresh opportunities, and foster innovation to deliver exceptional value to our clients. By leveraging our expertise and local insights to navigate the changing landscape, embracing sustainability, and capitalising on emerging trends, I am confident that we will be strongly positioned for sustained success.”
Craig Shute, CEO of Knight Frank Greater China: “We are delighted to welcome Virginia to Knight Frank. Her extensive experience, entrepreneurial spirit, and proven leadership in the commercial real estate sector make her an excellent fit for this role. Virginia’s appointment heralds an exciting new chapter for our North and East China operations. As we look forward to harnessing the opportunities that lie ahead, we also express our heartfelt appreciation to Ying Shin Lee, Managing Director of Shanghai, for her invaluable contributions over the past five years. Ying, a dedicated leader, has steered us through numerous challenges, including those brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. We wish her all the best in her future endeavours.”
About Knight Frank – Knight Frank LLP is the leading independent global property consultancy, serving as our clients’ partners in property for 128 years. Headquartered in London, Knight Frank has more than 27,000 people operating from over 740 offices across 50 territories. The Group advises clients ranging from individual owners and buyers to major developers, investors and corporate tenants.
Knight Frank Appoints Greater China CEO Craig Shute as CEO APAC in 2025 April Succeeding Kevin Coppel Who Will Retire in 2025 March, Craig Shute Has More than 25 Years of Real Estate Industry Experience Including at Knight Frank, JLL & CBRE
9th October 2024 – Leading real estate consulting firm Knight Frank has announced the appointment of Greater China CEO Craig Shute as CEO APAC (2025 April), succeeding Kevin Coppel who will retire in 2025 March. Craig Shute has more than 25 years of real estate industry experience including at Knight Frank, JLL & CBRE. Knight Frank (9/10/24): “Knight Frank is pleased to announce the appointment of Craig Shute as CEO of Asia-Pacific (APAC), effective 1 April, 2025. Craig is currently CEO of the Greater China business and will be taking over from Kevin Coppel who will retire from the partnership in March 2025. Craig joined Knight Frank last year and has more than 25 years of experience in the real estate industry, having held senior leadership roles across Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong SAR, and the USA. Prior to joining Knight Frank, Shute served as the managing director of JLL in Victoria, Australia, and previously led CBRE’s operations in Hong Kong SAR and Taiwan from 2008 to 2016. Knight Frank’s Asia-Pacific region consists of 11,000 people in 300 offices across 16 markets.” In 2023 April, Knight Frank launched a new Private Office in Hong Kong with formula 1 and Indycar racer Ho-Pin Tung hired as Head of Hong Kong Private Office (2nd private office in Asia).
William Beardmore-Gray, Senior Partner and Group Chair, Knight Frank: “With a proven track record of driving growth and delivering strong results across multiple markets, Craig’s leadership will play a key role in shaping the next phase of our APAC strategy. His appointment is testament to the partnership’s commitment to strengthening our presence across APAC, ensuring sustained and organic growth across the region. Kevin’s contributions to the success of our Asia Pacific operations have been significant. Under his leadership, the region has become one of the fastest growing and most dynamic areas of our global business, as illustrated recently by our acquisition of the McGrath business in Australia. As we look forward, I am confident that Craig’s extensive industry experience and strategic vision will help us continue our growth trajectory in this important region.”
Craig Shute: I am honoured and excited by this opportunity to work with our valued clients, exceptional people, and businesses across Asia Pacific. We are different. Knight Frank’s entrepreneurial, unique partnership structure ideally positions us to provide superior services and advice to our clients and attract the best talent in the industry. This powerful combination will continue to see our brand expand throughout this diverse and ever-evolving region.”
Knight Frank Launches Private Office in Hong Kong with Formula 1 & Indycar Racer Ho-Pin Tung Hired as Head of Hong Kong Private Office, 2nd Office in Asia with Nicholas Keong Heading Private Office in Singapore
14th April 2023 – Knight Frank, a leading global property consultancy group, has launched a new Private Office in Hong Kong with formula 1 and Indycar racer Ho-Pin Tung hired as Head of Hong Kong Private Office (2nd private office in Asia). Nicholas Keong is currently leading the Private Office in Singapore (Head of Private Office in Singapore). Ho-Pin Tung will lead Knight Frank new Private Office in Hong Kong, advising private clients on their global real estate portfolios, focusing on UHNWIs (Ultra-high-net-worth individuals), family offices and advisors in Hong Kong and Chinese Mainland. Through the Private Office, Knight Frank’s private clients can benefit with only one point of contact across both residential & commercial property markets, received high-quality service and a long-term, and consistent relationship globally. Ho-Pin Tung is a Dutch-born Chinese who grew up and was educated in the Netherlands and now returning to Asia to join Knight Frank. With a successful career as a professional racing car driver, Ho-Pin Tung made history as the first Chinese racing car driver in Formula 1 and IndyCar and won multiple international championships, including the 24 Hours Le Mans race (world’s largest automotive endurance race). Ho-Pin Tung was also the co-founder and executive of Jackie Chan DC Racing. Read – Knight Frank Wealth Report 2023 | Knight Frank APAC Real Estate Outlook 2023
Paddy Dring, Head of the Knight Frank Private Office: “We are delighted to have Ho-Pin join the Knight Frank Private Office. We set ourselves an ambitious target to be the market leading, global private client and family office advisor in real estate and Ho-Pin’s appointment takes us a step closer to reaching our goal.
His appointment enables Knight Frank to cater fully to our clients’ needs in the region, advising private clients on all their real estate transactions, no matter where in the world they are taking place.”
Victoria Garrett, Head of Residential at Knight Frank Asia-Pacific: “According to Knight Frank’s latest edition of The Wealth Report, 45% of Asia-Pacific HNWIs are forecasted to experience an increase in terms of wealth in 2023 as compared to 25% in 2022.
With private wealth growing in Asia, expanding our private client teams covering the residential and commercial sectors beyond New York, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East to Singapore and now Hong Kong enables us to capitalise on existing and new relationships with key family offices and ultra-high-net-worth-individuals (UHNWIs) in the region.”
Knight Frank Launches Private Office in Hong Kong with Formula 1 & Indycar Racer Ho-Pin Tung as Head of Hong Kong Private Office, 2nd Office in Asia with Nicholas Keong Heading Private Office in Singapore
Knight Frank: “According to the latest edition of The Wealth Report published by Knight Frank, private investors were the most active buyers in global commercial real estate investment in 2022, and this trend is expected to continue throughout 2023. In Asia-Pacific, 16% of respondents to The Knight Frank Attitudes Survey said their clients are planning to buy a home in 2023. Hong Kong, Singapore, and Sydney rank as part of the top 10 cities for ultra-prime property transactions (US$25m+) in 2022. 345 transactions took place for super-prime (US$10m+) sales and 53 transactions for ultra-prime (US$25m+) in these cities. Residential premises remain the most preferable property investments for UHNWIs in Asia-Pacific, particularly in the Greater China region, with 32% of the total wealth of HNWIs allocated to their primary and secondary homes.”
Knight Frank launches new Private Office in Hong Kong with formula 1 and Indycar racer, hiring Ho-Pin Tung as Head of Hong Kong Private Office (2nd private office in Asia). Nicholas Keong is currently leading the Private Office in Singapore (Head of Private Office in Singapore).
Knight Frank Head of Hong Kong Private Office, Ho-Pin Tung
Ho-Pin Tung will lead Knight Frank new Private Office in Hong Kong, advising private clients on their global real estate portfolios, focusing on UHNWIs (Ultra-high-net-worth individuals), family offices and advisors in Hong Kong and Chinese Mainland. Through the Private Office, Knight Frank’s private clients can benefit with only one point of contact across both residential & commercial property markets, received high-quality service and a long-term, and consistent relationship globally.
Ho-Pin Tung is a Dutch-born Chinese who grew up and was educated in the Netherlands and now returning to Asia to join Knight Frank. With a successful career as a professional racing car driver, Ho-Pin Tung made history as the first Chinese racing car driver in Formula 1 and IndyCar and won multiple international championships, including the 24 Hours Le Mans race (world’s largest automotive endurance race). Ho-Pin Tung was also the co-founder and executive of Jackie Chan DC Racing.
About Knight Frank – Knight Frank LLP is the leading independent global property consultancy, serving as our ‘clients’ partners in property for 126 years. Headquartered in London, Knight Frank has more than 16,000 people operating from 384 offices across 51 territories. The Group advises clients ranging from individual owners and buyers to major developers, investors and corporate tenants. For further information about the Firm, please visit knightfrank.com.
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