International recruit to head CBRE’s NZ GCS team
CBRE has appointed highly experienced real estate professional Tim Rookes to oversee the firm’s expanding Global
Corporate Services (GCS) team in New Zealand.
CBRE New Zealand Managing Director Brent McGregor said Mr Rookes’ extensive real estate background, market knowledge and
broad contact base would add considerable strength and leadership to CBRE’s GCS team nationally.
In his new National Director role Mr Rookes will be based in Wellington and will be tasked with growing CBRE’s New
Zealand market share in this increasingly active market segment, working closely with the firm’s Australian and Asian
businesses.
“Tim has 16 years of local and international real estate experience having commenced his career with Colliers Jardine in
Wellington before moving to Ernst & Young’s Real Estate Advisory team and transferring to their London team in 2001. During his time at Ernst & Young, Tim was an advisor to numerous blue chip companies and government organistions and it is this experience we want
to bring to our clients” Mr McGregor said.
More recently, Tim held a global role with Barclays Capital, where, notably, he was involved in the Lehman Brother’s
acquisition and integration. He joins CBRE from Standard Bank in London where he was tasked with establishing the firm’s
International Real Estate function across 16 countries.
“Tim’s extensive experience will provide tremendous benefits to our clients as we continue to grow our GCS platform,” Mr
McGregor said.
The GCS team provides professional property advice to occupiers of commercial real estate through a dedicated account
management structure, ensuring the right expertise is provided to meet client needs. The team offers a range of services
ranging from Portfolio Management and Lease Administration Services to Tenant Advocacy, Transaction Management,
Strategic Property Advice, Facilities Management and Project Management.
Mr Rookes said; “It is fantastic to be back in New Zealand, and I am in the great position of having been a client of
CBRE’s GCS team for the past five years. There were not many challenges that I faced as a client that CBRE hasn’t
encountered somewhere across their global network and that has given me great insight as to what value can be derived
from having the right support team on board.”
Mr Rookes added; “With real estate typically the 3rd highest cost behind remuneration and IT, it is not the sleeping
giant it once was. It needs to be strategically managed and integrated within a business’s strategy. Whether a corporate
or government occupier, the fundamentals remain the same and in the current climate more and more is being asked of
in-house real estate teams to offer up effiencies and savings. This isn’t going to change and will make for challenging
times ahead. The key is how equipped your business is to respond.”
ends