ESR reshuffles exec team amidst privatisation move

The company delisted from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 3 July.

ESR has appointed a new leadership team following the group’s delisting from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

The group was bought by a consortium including Starwood Capital Group, SSW Partners, Sixth Street, Warburg Pincus, Qatar Investment Authority, and ESR’s founders.

Brett Robson has been appointed as independent board chair following his appointment as senior advisor to the consortium last April. He most recently served as Global Head of Macquarie Asset Management Real Estate. During his 21-year tenure at Macquarie, he held numerous leadership roles, including Global Head of Macquarie Capital Real Estate Investments, and served on various boards of its portfolio company investments and investment committees of its real estate funds.

Phil Pearce has been appointed President, overseeing the day-to-day execution of ESR’s strategic priorities and operations. Pearce joined ESR in 2017 and since then has held the positions of Group Deputy CEO, ESR and CEO of ESR Australia & New Zealand (ANZ), where he played a pivotal role in driving strategic growth and operational excellence.

Matthew Lawson was appointed CFO effective 1 June 2025. Lawson, who joined ESR in 2020, most recently served as Group Chief Operating Officer, and prior thereto as CFO of ESR Australia. Earlier in his career, Lawson was CFO of Hong Kong & Shanghai Hotels Limited, and Managing Director and Head of Real Estate Investment Banking at JPMorgan.

Josh Daitch has been appointed CIO-ISI, focusing on supporting ESR’s clients through investor engagement, capital raising, product development, and fund management.

David Matheson will join ESR in July 2025 as CIO–GSI, focusing on corporate strategy, balance sheet investment management and capital allocation. Matheson previously served as Co-Head of Europe at Starwood Capital Group and Executive Vice President, of Europe and Asia Pacific at Oxford Properties.

Karine Scelles joined ESR earlier this year as Chief People Officer. Scelles held senior HR leadership roles for multiple leading multinational companies, including Otis, General Electric, and Alstom.

Meanwhile, John Marsh has been appointed Group Head of Development. He will lead group-wide strategic initiatives, drawing on his deep industry experience to drive customer, investor, and major development projects across ESR’s markets. Marsh co-founded LOGOS, which was fully integrated into ESR in 2024. Marsh continues to serve as Chairman of ESR ANZ.

ESR was delisted with a 99.97% shareholder approval.