The Urban Developer
AdvertiseEventsWebinars
Urbanity
Awards
Sign In
Membership
Latest
Menu
Location
Sector
Category
Content
Type
Newsletters
Untitled design (8)
25 DAYS UNTIL OUR UNMISSABLE FLAGSHIP CONFERENCE 29-31 JULY, GOLD COAST
25 DAYS UNTIL OUR FLAGSHIP CONFERENCE 29-31 JULY, GOLD COAST
SECURE YOUR SPOTDETAILS
TheUrbanDeveloper
Follow
About
About Us
Membership
Awards
Events
Webinars
Listings
Resources
Terms & Conditions
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Republishing Guidelines
Editorial Charter
Complaints Handling Policy
Contact
General Enquiries
Advertise
Contribution Enquiry
Project Submission
Membership Enquiry
Newsletter
Stay up to date and with the latest news, projects, deals and features.
Subscribe
ADVERTISEMENT
SHARE
print
Print
IndustrialLeon Della BoscaThu 03 Jul 25

ESR Reveals New Team After Hong Kong Delisting

ESR building ESR completes delisting

Asia-Pacific real estate giant ESR has completed its privatisation and delisted from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange as a new consortium of global investors takes control of the company.

The deal brings together Starwood Capital Group, SSW Partners, Sixth Street, Warburg Pincus, and Qatar Investment Authority as the new owners alongside ESR’s founders.

The privatisation enables ESR to accelerate its plan to focus on logistics and data centres across the Asia-Pacific region.

The new ownership structure includes existing shareholders OMERS and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, who elected to roll their equity into the privatised entity.

Former global head of Macquarie Asset Management Real Estate Brett Robson has been appointed independent board chair, while Phil Pearce, who joined ESR in 2017, has been promoted to president while continuing his role as the chief executive of ESR Australia & New Zealand.

The company has also appointed Matthew Lawson as chief financial officer. Lawson previously served as group chief operating officer.

Josh Daitch is now in the role of chief investment officer for investor solutions and investments, focusing on client engagement and capital-raising activities, while David Matheson, former co-head of Europe at Starwood Capital Group, will join ESR as chief investment officer for group strategy and investments.

ESR co-founders Stuart Gibson and Jeffrey Shen said the “appointments underscore our unwavering commitment to building a best-in-class platform to serve our stakeholders”.

The new ownership consortium brings substantial financial backing to ESR’s expansion plans.

Starwood Capital Group manages about $175 billion in assets, while Sixth Street oversees more than $122 billion in assets.

Warburg Pincus has $133 billion in assets under management across its private equity, real estate and capital solutions strategies.

ESR president Phil Pearce
▲ Phil Pearce brings more than 25 years of Asia-Pacific experience from roles at Goodman Group and AMP Capital.

The privatisation positions ESR to pursue long-term value creation in its core businesses across Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Greater China, Southeast Asia, and India, according to the company.

ESR has operations in logistics real estate, data centres and energy infrastructure that supports the digital economy and supply chain networks.

Robson said the leadership changes were an important milestone for ESR, with the “collective ambition to deliver excellence across all aspects of the business”.

The successful privatisation removes ESR from public market pressures, according to a company statement.

ESR has maintained an active development pipeline across Australia while navigating the ownership transition.

The company recently secured approval for a $268-million warehouse and distribution centre at Milperra, one of Sydney’s largest industrial projects.

ESR has also committed to completing Amazon’s stalled robotic fulfilment centre at Craigieburn after builder Roberts and Co collapsed.

The developer continues to expand its footprint with a $170-million warehouse estate planned for Sydney’s Aerotropolis as it positions itself to capitalise on Western Sydney International Airport’s opening next year.

IndustrialAustraliaOther
AUTHOR
Leon Della Bosca
More articles by this author
linkedin icon
ADVERTISEMENT
TOP STORIES
Exclusive

Carparking Correlation: How Parking Fees Provide Office Sector Health Check

Taryn Paris
6 Min
Molti chief Ben Teague out front of 32 Mercer Road Aramadale (rendering)
Exclusive

Buy to the Sound of Cannons: Molti’s Counter-Cyclical Move to Melbourne

Leon Della Bosca
5 Min
Exclusive

Tapping the Bunnings ‘Halo Effect’

Taryn Paris
5 Min
Exclusive

‘Construction Not a Scale Game’: Hutchinson

Phil Bartsch
9 Min
Nation's build-to-rent project Charlie Parker in Sydney's Parramatta where more projects are being located and built outside the CBD.
Exclusive

Foreign Capital Still Dominates BtR but Things are Changing

Marisa Wikramanayake
7 Min
View All >
the four concept towers approved for sydney metro's parramatta precinct
Development

Rush of Approvals Sends Parramatta Skywards

Renee McKeown
Exclusive

Carparking Correlation: How Parking Fees Provide Office Sector Health Check

Taryn Paris
The construction site which will one day become Newcastle Tallest Tower by Urban Property Group
Residential

Urban Property Group Reveals Newcastle Tallest Tower Plan

Renee McKeown
The proposal that would best Thirdi’s Dairy Farmers north tower has moved ahead after being declared state significant …
LATEST
the four concept towers approved for sydney metro's parramatta precinct
Development

Rush of Approvals Sends Parramatta Skywards

Renee McKeown
2 Min
Exclusive

Carparking Correlation: How Parking Fees Provide Office Sector Health Check

Taryn Paris
6 Min
The construction site which will one day become Newcastle Tallest Tower by Urban Property Group
Residential

Urban Property Group Reveals Newcastle Tallest Tower Plan

Renee McKeown
3 Min
Bunnings Clyde North
Markets

Bunnings Sold On as Charter Hall Doubles Down on Retail

Leon Della Bosca
2 Min
View All >
ADVERTISEMENT
Article originally posted at: https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/esr-goes-private-new-leadership-team-2025