Cundall announces new APAC leadership team

Global multi-disciplinary sustainability and engineering consultancy Cundall has announced new leadership for the Asia-Pacific region and its Australian business. The new appointments reflect the rapid evolution of the region’s real estate markets, as asset performance, electrification, net zero transitions and increasing digitisation become core for asset owners and investors.

Partner Alex Saez has been promoted to the role of Asia-Pacific Managing Director. He will replace outgoing APAC Managing Director Julian Bott.

“As nations including the Philippines, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam scale up developments in sectors including energy infrastructure, transport, aviation, data centres,
education and healthcare, the need for net zero, environmentally sustainable and human-centric
design and asset operations advisory services is acute,” Saez says, adding that Cundall is well placed to play a role in the transition.

Among the promotions is Hong Kong-based structural engineer Dong Chen, who will become a partner. Chen has led the evolution of Cundall’s Asia structures team into a digital-first, multidisciplinary design service with specialties in structural design optimisation to reduce embodied carbon, parametric modelling to resolve site and buildability challenges, and design for resilience to future climate changes.

In Cundall’s Australian business, Director David Collins is taking up the role of Managing Director, replacing Garrit Schot. Collins has an extensive track record in energy efficiency, environmentally sustainable design and implementing green rating schemes. He has also more than 15 years of history with the company, having worked with Cundall’s clients in both Australia and Asia across sectors including commercial office property, residential, health, aged care, industrial, retail, education and master planning.

“For over 20 years, Cundall Australia has been at the forefront of sustainable design, green
construction advisory and asset optimisation strategy, with breakthrough projects that have
shifted the goalposts, including multiple firsts for Green Star, NABERS, Living Building
Challenge, WELL and Fitwel rating schemes,” Collins says.

“We know that net zero means every building, everywhere, as soon as possible, and I look
forward to working with our team, our clients, and our peers to accelerate progress and
momentum.”

Image (left to right): Dong Chen, Alex Saez and David Collins.