APREA Singapore Conference

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.

Mr John Lim is the Chairman of JL Family Office. He is Chairman of the Asia Pacific Real Assets Association (APREA) and the Consultative Committee to the Department of Real Estate, National University of Singapore. He is also a Patron of the Securities Investors Association of Singapore (SIAS) and a Council Member of Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Mr Lim co-founded ARA Asset Management in 2002 and was its Group CEO for 18 years and Deputy Chairman from February 2021 to January 2022.

Mr Lim has over 40 years of experience in the real estate industry and has received many notable corporate awards. These include the PERE Global Awards 2020 and 2016 Industry Figure of the Year: Asia, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of the Year Singapore 2012 and the Outstanding CEO of the Year 2011 at the Singapore Business Awards 2012. Mr Lim, along with the Board of Directors of ARA, was a recipient of the prestigious Best Managed Board (Gold) Award at the Singapore Corporate Awards 2012. In 2017, he was conferred the Public Service Medal (PBM) by the President of Singapore in recognition of his contributions to the community.

Mr Lim holds a Bachelor of Engineering (First Class Honours) in Mechanical Engineering, a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering, as well as a Diploma in Business Administration, each from the National University of Singapore.

Christian held positions at UBS, Paribas Asia Equity, W.I. Carr Far East Limited and Yamaichi Bank (Switzerland) with almost 30 years of Asian equity experience before co-founding B&I Capital. Christian was involved in many of the first transactions in the Asian REIT market as an Asian Real Estate specialist at UBS. Currently, Christian is responsible for running B&I Capital’s Singapore research office. Christian Bernasconi graduated with BA in Political Economy of Industrial Societies from UC Berkeley. He also holds a rotating board membership with Charles Isaac.

Ronald Tan is the principal responsible for the marketing & business development of attracting Real Estate listings in particular REITs across global markets for Singapore Exchange (SGX) for the last 18 years, where it is now the largest Global REIT hub in Asia. He also leads a team that covers the listing of Infrastructure Business Trusts and Consumer & Services sector, coupled with a regional coverage of Thailand. Previously he also held geographical responsibility for listings from Malaysia, Middle East & Indonesia. He joined SGX in May 2006.

Prior to joining SGX his career included positions with Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) & International Enterprise Singapore (IE Singapore). In SingTel, he was responsible for commercial partnerships in Middle East & South Asia, while he covered international partnerships & international operations (Europe) in IE Singapore. He started his working career as a full time pastor in one of the largest church in Singapore.

Mr Tan graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration Honours (Second Upper) degree from the National University of Singapore in 1997.