PulteGroup, Eastdil Secured, Slättö, Unispace, Fusion Group, ULI, KDC, Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, Denham Capital, Savills, Lendlease, Lendlease, CBRE, JLL
Lendlease — Tony Lombardo will step down as group chief executive officer in August following the group’s full-year results. Lombardo, who has been with Lendlease for 18 years and served as CEO for the past five, is leaving to pursue a new opportunity in Southeast Asia. During his tenure, he led a strategic reset focused on simplifying the portfolio and restoring the balance sheet amid a comprehensive restructuring to focus on the firm’s Australian home market. The global real estate group has appointed Claire Johnston as chief executive officer, development. Johnston currently serves as CEO Americas at Lendlease and will relocate to Australia for the new role. During her tenure in the US, she oversaw key projects including the Google Development Venture and military housing partnerships with the US Department of Defence. She succeeds Tom Mackellar, who joins AirTrunk after nearly 20 years with the firm to lead its Asia Pacific expansion.
Denham Capital — The global private equity and credit infrastructure investment firm has appointed Rick Drescher as an operating partner within its sustainable infrastructure business. Drescher joins from Savills, where he was the co-founder and technical lead of the North American data centre practice. In his new role, he will support the firm’s strategy of deploying on-site power solutions for data centre developers and hyperscalers, working closely with teams currently screening projects totalling over 10GW of capacity. He previously held senior technical positions at Studley, Pangaia Partners, and Everest Broadband Networks.
Unispace — The workplace strategy, design and construction leader has appointed Paul Saville-King as group chief executive officer. Saville-King joins from CBRE, where he was most recently chief product officer of global workplace solutions and previously global president of project management. In his new role, he will lead Unispace through its next phase of global growth, focusing on the firm’s integrated delivery model and sector partnerships. He previously held leadership positions at Norland Managed Services and Honeywell.
Fusion Group — The firm has announced the passing of co-founder and chairman Nigel Henry, who died on 7 February. Henry co-founded the Fusion Students brand in 2012 and served as CEO until September 2025, during which time he was credited with shaping the student housing industry.
Savills Earth — The firm has appointed Emily King as director and co-head of its strategic impact advisory team. King joins from her previous senior advisory roles to Savills, bringing more than 20 years of experience across infrastructure and the built environment. In her new role, she will work alongside co-head Tom Hill to advise clients on integrating environmental, social and economic impact with financial metrics. She previously held senior positions advising on complex investment challenges and long-term value creation.
JLL — The global real estate services firm has appointed Lauren Hetherington as senior director, living capital markets, Asia. Based in Singapore, Hetherington will lead the firm’s expansion into the regional living investment sector, including multifamily, student housing, and senior living. She previously served as a director in the UK living capital markets team focusing on senior living, care homes and residential healthcare assets. Her career includes investment sales, financing and equity raising across the UK, US, Middle East and Australasia.
KDC — The US real estate development and investment firm has appointed Robert Child as executive vice president of data centre development to lead its national platform. Child joins from CyrusOne, where he previously held leadership roles managing global enterprise accounts and digital transformation programmes. In his new role, he will oversee strategy, site development and capital alignment as the firm expands its mission-critical facility pipeline. He previously held business development positions at Structure Tone and has over 15 years of experience in the hyperscale and enterprise sectors.
Urban Land Institute — The institute has appointed Simon Durkin as chief executive officer for Europe. Durkin joins from BlackRock, where he served as global head of real estate research and strategy. He succeeds Lisette van Doorn, who recently stepped down after a decade in the role. In his new capacity, Durkin will focus on member value and aligning European operations with ULI’s global platform. He previously held senior leadership and investment committee positions at BNP Paribas and DWS.
Morgan Properties — The US multifamily owner has appointed Jonathan Morgan and Jason Morgan as co-chief executive officers. The brothers, who previously served as co-presidents, will lead the firm’s real estate, equity and credit strategies. Jonathan Morgan previously worked at Apollo Real Estate Advisors, while Jason Morgan joins from Sculptor Capital Management (formerly Och-Ziff Capital Management). Founder Mitchell Morgan will continue as chairman. The firm has also elevated eight leaders to its C-suite, including Greg Curci as its first chief operating officer. Other appointments include Stephen Waters as chief capital officer, Rimas Petrulis as chief investment officer, Marina Dikos as chief financial officer, Michael Schecter as chief legal officer, Samantha McQuown as head of property management, Andrew Orloff as chief strategy officer, and Jessica Sachs as chief people officer.
PulteGroup — The US homebuilder has appointed Kristin Gannon as an independent director to its board. Gannon joins from Eastdil Secured, where she serves as managing director and global co-head of the corporate advisory and M&A group. In her new role, she will join the firm’s nominating and governance and audit committees as the company focuses on long-term shareholder value. She previously held senior investment banking positions at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust — The US hotel real estate investment trust has appointed Nina P Jones and Bill Bayless to its board of trustees. Jones joins from T Rowe Price, where she most recently served as vice president and portfolio manager of the US real estate equity strategy. In her new role, she will leverage over 15 years of real estate investing experience and her background in public-company governance. She previously held a senior associate position at KPMG and currently serves on the boards of Simon Property and Equity Residential. Bill Bayless is expected to join the board during the fourth quarter of 2026. He joins from Maslow Campus Communities, where he serves as chief executive officer, and was the co-founder of American Campus Communities. In his new role, he will advise on M&A, capital markets and operational execution following a 35-year career in the sector. He previously held leadership roles at Nareit and the National Multifamily Housing Council.
CME — The ultra-fast electric vehicle charging platform has appointed Tanguy Giroud as managing director to help lead its expansion across France and Europe. Giroud joins from Q-Park, where he led commercial teams and major EV charging tenders. In his new role, he will work alongside Laurence Batlle, who was appointed to the position of chair of CME’s partnership committee in September 2025. Together, they are tasked with delivering approximately 8,000 charging stations by 2030 as the firm, backed by Morrison and EDF, targets the decarbonisation of the transport sector. Giroud previously held positions at Vinci, while Batlle joins from Foncia, having previously served as CEO of RATP Dev.
