Managing Director & Co-Founder
Hospitality - Commercial Mixed-Use - Ski Resorts - M&A
James (Jim) Sleeman is a highly experienced and accomplished institutional real estate investment management executive, with over 25 years of experience in real estate development, investment, and asset management.
James worked for Shinei Commercial Real Estate Business in Tokyo for 13 years as a senior executive and continues to work for Shinei as a corporate advisor to the Board of Directors. While at Shinei, James managed operations, enhancing property values, and advised the strategic direction of more than 150 million sm of commercial real estate holdings in Japan and Asia.
James has been based in Tokyo since 2008, when he sold Renaissance Real Estate Advisors and moved to Japan to live with his wife. James was CEO of Renaissance Real Estate Advisors, which focused on working closely with Australia's top 10 real estate developers. He formed Renaissance in 1999, when he left the Raptis Group with the support of Jim Raptis, President of The Raptis Group, one of Queensland's largest real estate developers. Jim had been with the Raptis Group since 1993 and had progressed from an investment research analyst to Director.
James successfully negotiated directly with many of Australia's largest real estate developers the exclusive project marketing rights on projects totaling over AUD$9bn over 9 years.
Jim has led numerous special projects throughout his career, working with clients that include numerous Fortune 500 companies along with many top real estate developers in Australia and Japan on project that include:
Jim is also a senior corporate advisor to the board of directors and co-founder of Kindly Impact, a humanitarian-based project co-founded by one of the largest food relief charity programs in the world called Food For Life Global (FFLG).
Jim has sat on the board of both private and public companies as a director and advisor. He holds a BA Comm, Sydney University (Econ Politics) and a graduate diploma in applied finance from Kaplan University.
He is a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia (Finsia), All Japan Real Estate Association (AJREA), The Urban Land Institute of Japan (ULI), and a member of the Real Estate Institute of N.S.W. & Queensland, Australia.
Managing Director & Co-Founder
Hospitality - Ski Resorts - Construction Management
Tom was most recently the Executive Vice President for Seibu Properties in Japan. Tom was recruited by the President of Seibu Group Japan and was offered the position in 2010 due to his hotel development and management experience. During the last 12 years in the Seibu Group, Tom was responsible for the following two key projects:
1. Tokyo Garden Terrace Kioicho (Office tower, Shopping Mall and 5 star Prince Hotel)
2. Prince Hotels in Shinagawa / Tokyo Area (Future development planning)
Tom started his career with the renowned Japanese construction company, Kumagai Gumi, and spent 17 years with them until 1995. During his time with Kumagai Gumi, he worked on the following hotel-related projects:
1. Hyatt Canberra (250 rooms, 5 stars)
2. Hyatt Regency Coolum (150 rooms, 200 luxury villas, 18 hole champion golf course, 5 star)
3. Tasmania Sheraton Hobart (250 rooms, 5 star)
4. Hotel Nikko Sydney (330 rooms, 5 star)
5. Marriott Circular Quay Sydney (500 rooms, 5 star)
6. ANA Gold Coast (370 rooms, 4 star)
7. Hyatt Waikoloa Hawaii (800 rooms, 5 star)
8. Hyatt Wailea Hawaii (1,000 rooms, 5 star)
9. El Conquistador Resort in Puerto Rico (1,800 rooms, 5 star)
In addition to the above, Tom emigrated to Australia in the early 90s to work on the construction of the highly successful Sydney Harbour Tunnel project (the only tunnel that runs beneath the world famous Sydney Harbour Bridge).
Tom was also Project Director and head of development of the Perisher ski resort and the Thredbo / Perisher Ski resorts Tube, Australia’s premier ski resorts.
In 1996, Tom started his own hotel management consultancy in Australia, where he managed the following hotel projects:
1. Holiday Inn Coogee Beach (370 rooms, 4 star)
2. Radisson Manly Beach hotel (80 rooms, 4 star)
3. Marriott Circular Quay Sydney (595 rooms, 5 star)
4. Radisson Gold Coast (308 rooms, 4 star)
5. Sheraton Fiji Resort (297 rooms, 4 star)
In March 2022, Tom moved back to Sydney, Australia, where he is currently based.
Managing Director
Hospitality - Development - Design
Takeshi Ando is a highly experienced architect, developer, and investment real estate professional, specializing in hospitality development and design.
Takeshi is also the founder, CEO, and co-owner of LOCUS, a luxury hotel developer and operator. He believes in the power of collaboration and creativity to create unique hotels that are deeply rooted in culture and tradition. Before founding LOCUS, Takeshi owned a hotel development and management company in Tokyo, and he has been involved in the real estate and hospitality markets in Japan, Hawaii, and Southeast Asia for over 15 years.
With his vast experience in asset management, investment management, project management, brokerage, and design, Takeshi is uniquely qualified to assist clients with their property investment and development needs. He has worked with a variety of domestic and international institutions, including consulting on real estate investment and development projects for well-known hotels such as The Ritz-Carlton, InterContinental Hotel, Trump International, and Six Senses.
Takeshi plays a crucial role in sourcing third-party management contracts and new equity opportunities, as well as maintaining relationships between the operator, property owners, and equity investors. He started his career as an architect and interior designer for international hotels, such as Starwood, Hyatt, and IHG. Takeshi is highly involved in international hotel development in Japan, the US, and Southeast Asia, making him a global real estate and hospitality investment specialist in Japan.
Aside from his work in hotel development, Takeshi also acts as a broker and advisor on international real estate investment projects for real estate companies and joint venture projects. His previous experiences in domestic expansion projects for foreign-affiliated resorts and city hotels, as well as the development of Walmart stores in the United States, demonstrate his versatility and expertise in various aspects of real estate development and management.
Managing Director & Co-Founder
Sustainability - Project Management - Investments
Adrian Bernard is a Co-Founder and Global Head of ESG and Officer of Social and Environmental Impact for Kindly Impact – The World’s First Measurable Social and Environmental Impact Charity Aggregator Platform. https://kindlyimpact.com
Adrian is very passionate about the impacts of investment and structuring ESG compliant real estate assets and portfolios. As an ESG specialist, Adrian is always looking at ways to manage real estate assets make them ESG certified and compliant while having a positive impact on society and the environment. For this reason, he is dedicated to developing programs and investment initiatives that have measurable positive social and environmental impacts.
For the last 5 years, Adrian has been a Co-Founder developing the OM Guarantee (Output Measurable Guarantee). Our mission with OMG is to create an ecosystem of conscious ESG compliant organizations contributing to measurable social impact. The organization is a humanitarian and environmental effort currently working on three big ambitions to end child hunger, animal abuse, and deforestation. Adrian's aim is to expand these initiatives and grow partners in measurable social and environmental impact.
Adrian was previously CEO of ABH International Real Estate Ltd. and ABH Finance Financial Services Pty
Ltd. Asia.
Adrian has twenty-two years of industry experience in real estate, private equity, investment and ESG.
Adrian has maintained his own advisory firm ABH Finance and Real estate since 2005, while having experience as a non-executive director of public companies and a strong awareness of corporate governance maintaining an authorized representative status from AMP Financial Planning Australia’s Oldest Fund manager.
Adrian developed a platform with ASSOB to provide the only trading platform In Australia that offered liquidity for over AUD $20 billion dollars of unlisted real estate property trust assets that had frozen redemption's in 2009. Previously, Adrian was CEO of AMJ Property Group that focused on the acquisition, development and sale of commercial property assets, building his companies ownership in over 150 real estate assets. Adrian merged the company with Australia Consolidated Planning and Insurance group licensed by Australia's largest retail financial services company in 2005.
Adrian holds a B.Int.Fin, Griffiths University, Diploma Finance and Risk Management at Deakin University Diploma of Financial Services FNS50804 at Kaplan University.
Harvard University - ESG Sustainability and Impact Investments. CPD 2020 European Sustainability Academy ESG Impact and Sustainable Real Estate Investing. CPD 2020 BlackRock – ESG Climate Change Investment Risk CPD 2021 Janus Henderson Investors- Decarbonisation and Transformation CPD 2021 Macquarie Bank – How to Build an ESG Real Estate Portfolio CPD 2021 Fidelity – Vital ESG Themes for 2021 CPD Investor Daily ESG Summit Course 2021 Janus Henderson Investors- The Future of Sustainable Finance ESG in Action CPD 2021 FASEA Exam Certified 2021 - Financial Adviser Standards and Ethics Authority Real Estate Institute of Queensland Australia Principal License (REIQ)
Managing Director & Partner
Real Estate Investment - Development - M&A - Strategic Partnerships
With an extensive 25-year tenure in the commercial real estate landscape spanning Australia and Asia, Steve Smith has a steadfast presence in the Japanese real estate market since 2010. Specializing in real estate investment, Steve has expertise across Japan, Australia, HK, Singapore, Europe and the USA.
At the core of Steve's competency is his unique ability to seamlessly connect family offices and high-net-worth investors with exclusive off-market mixed-use and hospitality deals. His track record shines, particularly in originating large-scale commercial mixed-use and luxury hotel developments, coupled with his adeptness in assembling super-site amalgamations within the luxury hotel and resorts sector.
Steve has demonstrated his prowess by successfully sourcing and negotiating strategic large mixed-use development super-sites for industry giants like Mirvac and Meriton in Australia.
His specialization extends to luxury hotel developments, fostering collaborations with global industry leaders such as Accor, Starwood, and Hilton across the United States, Asia, and Europe.
From 2012 to 2015, Steve served as the Head Business Development Officer at Shinei Commercial Real Estate in Tokyo, Japan, further enhancing his expertise in the intricate Japanese commercial real estate market.
With a rich professional background, Steve has consistently demonstrated strategic leadership and a keen understanding of the industry. His notable roles include serving as the Chief Investment Officer (CIO) for InLand Real Estate Developments QLD, Managing Director of Sun Coast Investment Real Estate, and Head of Special Projects for Knight Frank Gold Coast. Steve's contributions as the Head of Commercial Real Estate Amalgamations for Renaissance Real Estate Advisors showcased his proficiency in orchestrating complex large scale property consolidations and developments.
Steve's impact in the brokerage arena is evident through his roles at Colliers International in commercial real estate and investment. Additionally, his recognition as a serial entrepreneur and real estate developer underscores his innovative and dynamic approach within the industry. Steve Smith's multifaceted career path, marked by leadership roles, entrepreneurial endeavors, and a proven track record in commercial real estate development and investment, positions him as a respected figure in the commercial real estate landscape of Japan and Asia.
Steve's educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in History from Auckland University. Beyond his professional pursuits, Steve is a dedicated practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for an impressive 35 years, holding the prestigious Coral 8 belt. Additionally, Steve played rugby league at a top professional level selected in the first 13 squad representing Fiji. Currently, Steve actively engages in the BJJ community in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Yokohama, and, Nagano, Japan.