European investment fund manager and real estate debt business DRC Savills Investment Management has appointed Steve Willingham as Head of Asia.
Based in Hong Kong, Willingham will report to Dale Lattanzio, managing partner of DRC Savills IM when he officially joins the firm in November.
The appointment underlines the investmentr management firm’s commitment to strengthening its platform in Asia, and continuing to provide investors in the region access to global real estate investment opportunities. In his new role, Steve will work closely with local investment teams, assisting them with origination, transaction management and asset management. The firm’s first debt initiative in the region will focus on the Australian market and will be launched imminently.
With over 30 years’ experience in real estate, Willingham joins DRC Savills IM from HSBC, where he was most recently Global Head of Real Estate Finance, based in Hong Kong. Previously, he held senior roles in Infrastructure and Real Estate Finance in London for HSBC. Willingham has also worked in senior executive and portfolio management roles at leading real estate and investment management firms.
Of his appointment, he says: “DRC Savills IM has a proven track record and enviable reputation across the global real estate industry. I look forward to spearheading its work in Asia alongside the global investment team and wider Savills IM group to further develop our proposition in the region and continue to effectively serve our investors’ needs.”
Dale Lattanzio, managing partner, DRC Savills IM, adds: “Steve’s extensive knowledge and experience across real estate, and particularly within real estate debt, will prove invaluable as we look to further enhance our product offering and client relationships across the Asian market.”
Alex Jeffrey, Chief Executive, Savills IM, comments: “We are delighted to welcome Steve to our business. His demonstrable track record in debt investment and asset management will be key to growing our platform in Asia, a key market and one that we expect to experience significant growth over the coming years.”
