The former boss of DTZ North America, Robert Shibuya, has wasted no time making a headline-grabbing move at his new home, Australian services business UGL.
The multinational firm, which began life as a construction company in Perth in the 1970s, has long been rumoured to be making a bid for DTZ.
DTZ confirmed in May that it was in takeover talks with its 55% shareholder SGP (and French bank BNP Paribas) tabling a £160m bid. A successful bid from UGL would give the firm that appears to do almost everything a push into real estate agency, which is exactly where 50-year-old Shibuya’s roots lie.
Shibuya joined the £1.5bn UGL earlier this year ago following a one-year, client-side stint leading a western regions expansion for New York investment company EMMES.
The new role gives him global responsibility for UGL Services.
A takeover of DTZ could add a further 5,000 employees to UGL’s current head count of 44,000, and would expand it out of Australia, New Zealand, Asia, North America and the Middle East into the UK and Europe for the first time.
It would also massively boost its Asia-Pacific business.
Property veteran Shibuya certainly has the commercial real estate experience to lead such a business. With more than 28 years in the industry – including a three-year stint as chief operating officer of DTZ’s North America business – the father of two has played key executive and advisory roles, taking responsibility for strategy, corporate development, recruitment, operations management and client relations at leading global property services firms.
Prior to DTZ, he was a managing director and principal with Dallas-based Trammel Crow, where he oversaw the firm’s leasing and investment sales business in the US, which included more than 600 brokers who generated $400m in revenue in 2007.
Shibuya was also instrumental in establishing Insignia ESG’s western region operations from the mid-1990s until 2003, creating one of the region’s largest commercial property management and brokerage businesses, with an 80m sq ft portfolio and 200 brokers.
Prior to that, he served in senior management and development positions with other property services firms, including CB Richard Ellis and Cushman & Wakefield.
The keen sportsman, who graduated from the University of Pacific in Stockton, California, with a BSc in business administration and finance, has also served as an advisory board member of CresaPartners – the largest dedicated corporate real estate firm in the US.
DTZ has always maintained that SGP is not running in a one-horse race for a potential takeover, and last month again reiterated that it “continues to review approaches of interest in the company’s shares” alongside the SGP talks.
With the revelation of a new entrant from Down Under, the industry, and DTZ’s 5,000 employees, await the next twist in the firm’s future.
