Duncan Owen to chair Hong Kong’s Link REIT

Hong Kong-listed Link REIT has appointed Duncan Owen as its chair elect. Owen will become an independent non-executive director with effect from tomorrow (1 February). He will also be a member of the finance and investment committee and the nomination committee of Link Asset Management, which manages the REIT. He will replace Nicholas Allen in the role, whose tenure ends on 31 January next year. At that point, Allen will have served the maximum nine-year term for an independent non-executive director. Owen also chairs Sellar Property Group and the board of directors at Workspace Group. Until 2023, he was chief executive at Immobel Capital Partners. From 2012 to 2020, he was global head of real estate at Schroders. Link REIT said it chose Owen for the role from a shortlist of candidates “of differing ethnicity, gender and geographical [locations]”, following a “series of interviews, psychometric assessments and consideration by the board”. The board unanimously approved his hire. Allen said Owen “brings substantive listed company board and corporate governance experience. [He] will play a pivotal role as we transition to Link 3.0”. Link REIT said the board and management team “look forward to working closely” with Owen and “extend him the warmest of welcomes”.