APREA Webinar COVID-19 Disruption: Session 1A – The Australian regulatory response (Including FIRB, tax and leasing changes)

Sigrid is the Chief Executive Officer of Asia Pacific Real Assets Association (APREA). Based in Singapore, she is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction, initiatives and operations of the association across Asia Pacific. Under her leadership, APREA repositioned to an industry trade group focusing on real estate and infrastructure.

Sigrid joined APREA’s executive team in January 2019.

Prior to APREA, she served as Managing Director of Asia Pacific Research and Advisory Services of Cushman & Wakefield (C&W) from 2010 through 2018, where she was responsible for research, thought leadership, strategy formulation and client management.  Before relocating to Singapore, she was based in Washington, D.C. and led C&W’s U.S. research group in the Mid-Atlantic region, overseeing all aspects of market research activities in the Washington, DC; Virginia; Suburban Maryland, Baltimore; and Philadelphia areas. Prior to joining C&W, Sigrid served as a Senior Economist for the National Association of Realtors (NAR). In that position, she developed NAR’s office, warehouse, retail, multi-family housing, and international research programs.

A recognized expert in global economic, public policy and real estate issues, Sigrid is a frequent speaker at industry events.  Her commentary on commercial and residential real estate markets is also regularly featured in a wide array of global publications, including the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Bloomberg, New York Times and Reuters. Additionally, she has made several television appearances on financial networks and radio such as CNBC, Bloomberg, CNN, National Public Radio and Channel News Asia.

Sigrid holds a Master of Business Administration from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management and a Master’s degree in Economics from Pennsylvania State University. She is a member of several civic groups including the Rotary Club of Raffles City in Singapore, where she has served in various leadership positions, and serves in the Executive Committee of the Crohn’s & Colitis Society of Singapore.

Trevor Cooke is one of South Australia’s most highly regarded property and finance leaders.

As CEO of Commercial & General, Trevor has an outstanding track record in funds management and developing profitable real estate, infrastructure and securities businesses in the Asia Pacific region.

His previous roles include former Managing Director - Global Head of Real Estate Asia Pacific for UBS and Managing Director of AMP Capital Brookfield, a globally listed joint venture with $8 billion assets under management. In addition to his directorship of two Japanese real estate investment trusts with assets under management in excess of $10 billion and Executive Director (International Capital and Markets Division) of the Property Council of Australia.

Trevor has a Bachelor of Laws Hons (LLB) from the University of Adelaide and currently sits on the Board of Junction Australia and the South Australia Division Council of the Property Council of Australia.

Simon was a partner with Herbert Smith Freehills and KPMG. His time with KPMG included 5 years in Singapore ending in December 2018. Most of his career involved dealing with real estate transactions. He has worked with listed entities, fund managers, private equity investors, family offices and developers. In the Australian context, he was involved in the initial development of the MIT rules as an industry advocate and remained involved in their ongoing development.

He has now retired from partnership but remains a strategic consultant to KPMG, a global SWF and several proposed real estate platforms across the industrial, education, medical and debt sectors.

Wissam is a corporate M&A partner with a specialist focus on the real estate industry, acting for both domestic and international clients. In particular, the establishment of incorporated and unincorporated joint ventures, consortia, capital partnerships and wholesale funds with a real asset focused investment mandate as well as on the acquisition, disposal and restructuring of real assets.