SINGAPORE (02 July 2021) – Benett Theseira, managing director at PGIM Real Estate and head of Asia Pacific has been appointed chair of the Singapore Council of the Urban Land Institute (ULI). He will succeed Ong Choon Fah who served as chair of ULI Singapore for two years. Benett is also a ULI Global Governing Trustee and a member of the ULI Asia Pacific Executive Committee.
With a global network of over 45,000 members, ULI is a non-profit organization involved in research and education, advocating responsible use of land and creating thriving communities across the globe. The organization focuses on housing and communities, real estate finance and investment, sustainability and economic performance, and innovation in development practice, thereby shaping cities.
ULI Singapore has over 450 members representing both the public and private sector. As chair of the Executive Committee, Benett will guide and support the Council to deliver on ULI’s mission to shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide. He will be supported by Zheng Wanshi, group chief strategy and planning officer at Frasers Property Limited, who will take on the position of vice chair of ULI Singapore.
Looking ahead, Benett will steer ULI Singapore on three focus areas during his two-year term from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2023, including:
- continuing to grow the membership, particularly through increasing youth engagement and fostering diversity;
- providing leadership in understanding the landscape of recovery and re-shaping of real estate post-pandemic and in the context of Singapore’s positioning for this new era; and
- enhancing the ESG agenda, in terms of knowledge, capability and application in real estate and the built environment.
Benett commented: “I am honoured to be appointed to chair ULI Singapore and very appreciative of the efforts of Choon Fah, the Singapore committee members and secretariat team for successfully steering ULI Singapore through a very difficult last eighteen months and achieving such great results. I look forward to working with our committees and members to build on this, and to make a meaningful impact on post-pandemic real estate strategies and ESG application in the industry.”
Outgoing chair, Ong Choon Fah said: “Both Benett Theseira and Zheng Wanshi bring a wealth of diverse experiences in Singapore and the region to ULI Singapore. They have been actively involved in ULI over the years, contributing significantly to our growth. I am confident that they will do great things for our members as they lead ULI in its next phase of growth.”
The outgoing ULI Singapore Executive Committee members who have contributed to ULI’s mission over the past few years, include:
- Charles Griffith, director, Savills Investment Management;
- Professor Khoo Teng Chye, practice professor, School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore;
- Professor Joseph Ooi, vice dean (Academic), School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore; and,
- Darren Sabom, managing director, 8M Real Estate.
For more information about ULI Singapore and its programme of events, visit singapore.uli.org.
ENDS
About the Urban Land Institute
- The Urban Land Institute is a non-profit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the institute has more than 45,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines. For more information, please visit uli.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
- ULI has more than 2,500 members in the Asia Pacific region. For more information on ULI Asia Pacific, visit asia.uli.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.