Mid-market investment banking firm Alantra has appointed KPMG’s Hoong Wey Woon as its new UK real estate and hospitality boss.
Woon, who has 20 years of experience in the sector, was most recently co-head of the real estate corporate finance division at KPMG.
He will lead the sector team in London, as part of Alantra’s strategy to set up a “market-leading” real estate corporate finance team in the UK to advise on M&A and portfolio transactions, as well as equity and debt raisings.
Alantra’s real estate arm has advised on more than 100 deals across Europe. These include advising Gladman Developments on its £100m refinancing with Guggenheim Investments; Caledonia Investments on the sale of the Sloane Club; Sigma for the creation of The PRS REIT; and Springfield Properties on its initial public offering.
Woon said: “The fundamentals for the UK and European real estate markets remain robust and we are seeing strong demand from local as well as international investors including North America and Asia.
“The UK real estate market is by far the most mature and transparent market in Europe and sees the highest transaction volumes in the region. It also attracts capital from across the globe and remains one of the key gateway countries of the world.
“For these reasons, Alantra sees a great opportunity to leverage its existing pan-European real estate offering and to continue to build a strong presence in the UK.”
Andy Currie, managing partner of Alantra’s UK advisory business, said: “London is a hub for investment in the sector, which is led by institutional investors that are rethinking their strategy as well as visionary entrepreneurs who are disrupting current practices.”
To send feedback, e-mail pui-guan.man@egi.co.uk or tweet @PuiGuanM or @estatesgazette
