A global real estate company has announced the launch of a debt origination and loan servicing business in the Pacific.
CBRE Group, Inc. has announced that Martin Priestley, ex-director of Australian investment group Moss Capital, has joined CBRE’s expanding Capital Advisors team to launch the business.
Priestley has close to 30 years’ experience in the finance and funds management sector and presently holds directorship, committee and board member roles with various property development and funds management companies, including BB Retail Capital Funds Management, Timpetra Resources (ASX TPR) and Ord Minnett.
“This is a hugely exciting opportunity to provide commercial property borrowers with real alternatives to bank financing,” said Priestley.
“In North America and Europe borrowers have greater options including the matching of loan durations to tenancy lease terms or syndicate trust maturities for up to ten years. CBRE will now be able to offer similar solutions to its clients across the Asia Pacific region.”
Rob Blain, CEO & Chairman, CBRE Asia Pacific, said Priestley’s recruitment represented the next evolution for the firm’s Capital Advisors business, which launched in Asia Pacific early last year.
“We have already made significant inroads, assisting our clients with executing investment strategies and sourcing capital, in the form of both equity and debt,” Blain said.
“Martin’s recruitment signals the extension of this offering to incorporate all forms of secured and unsecured debt origination and loan servicing in line with the highly successful platforms operated by our real estate finance groups in the U.S. and EMEA.”
In the 2013 calendar year, CBRE’s U.S. and EMEA finance teams were responsible for nearly US$26.9 billion in debt originations (including loan sales). As at December 31, 2013 the combined teams were responsible for managing approximately US$134 billion in loans.
Priestley has extensive experience in funds management, lending technologies, mergers and acquisitions and corporate advisory services, including senior executive roles at BankWest and Ashe Morgan Winthrop, where he served as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for six years.
In 2005, Priestley founded financial advisory and strategy services business Bamford Partners, which was responsible for the launch of financial services software provider the LTX Group of Companies. After Bamford merged its activities into Moss Capital in 2012, Priestley was appointed Managing Director.
