OREANDA-NEWS. KKR has announced the appointment of Rob Yang as Managing Director and Head of Greater China in the Firm's Real Estate team, effective June 1, 2016. In the role Mr. Yang will be responsible for sourcing investments and continuing to build KKR's real estate platform in China. He will also work in close partnership with Bryan Southergill, Managing Director in the Real Estate team, to advance KKR's broader regional real estate investment strategy across the region.

Mr. Yang will be based in Hong Kong and, like Mr. Southergill, will report to Ralph Rosenberg, Global Head of KKR Real Estate, and Joseph Bae, Managing Partner of KKR Asia.

"We are very excited to have an investment professional and real estate expert of Rob's caliber join our Asia team. His track record and expertise will be a great asset to KKR and will better enable us to pursue compelling opportunities in Greater China and further our strategic goal of building a leading real estate platform in Asia," said Mr. Bae.

"China is a very attractive market for real estate given the broader macroeconomic dynamics. The credit environment combined with shifting demographics has created a need for financial solutions and restructurings across commercial, residential and mixed-use properties. By leveraging Rob's extensive network of developers, property owners and investors in China we are well-positioned to provide these capital solutions to strong local partners," said Mr. Rosenberg.

Mr. Yang joins KKR from The Blackstone Group in Hong Kong, where he was a Managing Director in its real estate group. Mr. Yang joined Blackstone in 2007 and was one of its earliest joiners in Asia. He helped to establish the firm's China real estate investment platform, manage a team of real estate professionals, and led the investment processes for a number of key transactions, with a focus on Greater China.

Prior to Blackstone, Mr. Yang was a member of The Carlyle Group's real estate team in Hong Kong. He holds a Master of Business Administration from INSEAD and Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Mr. Yang said, "It is a great opportunity to join such a world-class firm at this exciting time for the real estate market. KKR has cultivated a reputation as an innovator by providing differentiated and holistic financial solutions to real estate owners and developers. I look forward to working with the KKR team to source new investment opportunities."

KKR's real estate business mandate globally is to make control or influence investments and transactions across the capital structure. KKR has been investing in real estate in Asia Pacific since 2011 and has deployed more than US$700 million in equity and debt across approximately 20 real estate transactions in Australia, China, India and South Korea.