Benjamin Cha starts at Grosvenor Asia

Benjamin Cha has formally taken up the role of the chief executive at London-based property firm Grosvenor’s Asia operations.

In late September last year, Cha was appointed as managing director for Grosvenor Asia Pacific, following the announcement of the departure of the firm’s long-standing Asia chief executive, Nicholas Loup. After 25 years of service with Grosvenor, which involved building up the firm’s Asian operations, Loup announced his plans of leaving the firm after a six-month handover period.

The handover period, in which Cha spent the first three months in London and later moved to Asia, has now ended.

Cha was formerly the head of global real estate for Greater China, and a managing director at UBS Global Asset Management, as well as the co-chief executive officer of UBS/Gemdale, a joint venture real estate private equity platform created by UBS in China.

Previously, he also worked for HKR International, a Hong Kong-based developer for eleven years in different roles, including being the executive director and head of the firm’s Asia Pacific business unit.

“I am delighted that in Ben Cha we have appointed such an excellent successor and I look forward to working with him,” Mark Preston, Grosvenor’s chief executive, had said at the time of Cha’s appointment in September 2014. “We will remain fully committed to the Asia Pacific region. By leveraging on our past achievements and the strong partnerships we have forged throughout the region, we are in a solid position to continue to expand our Asian presence.”

Loup, meanwhile, will now be heading Chelsfield, a UK-based property company, to lead its operations in Asia. His appointment was confirmed by the firm in January this year.