Knight Frank has announced Craig Shute as the new CEO of Asia Pacific (APAC), starting in 2025.
The Announcement:
Knight Frank has appointed Craig Shute as CEO of Asia Pacific (APAC), effective 1 April, 2025.
Mr Shute is currently CEO of the Greater China business and will be taking over from Kevin Coppel who will retire from the partnership in March 2025.
He will be based in Singapore.
Mr Shute joined Knight Frank last year and has more than 25 years of experience in the real estate industry, having held senior leadership roles across Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong SAR, and the USA.
Prior to joining Knight Frank, Mr Shute served as the managing director of JLL in Victoria, Australia, and previously led CBRE’s operations in Hong Kong SAR and Taiwan from 2008 to 2016.
Knight Frank’s Asia Pacific region consists of 11,000 people in 300 offices across 16 markets.
William Beardmore-Gray, senior partner and group chair, Knight Frank commented on the appointment.
“With a proven track record of driving growth and delivering strong results across multiple markets, Craig’s leadership will play a key role in shaping the next phase of our APAC strategy,” Mr Beardmore-Gray said.
“His appointment is testament to the partnership’s commitment to strengthening our presence across APAC, ensuring sustained and organic growth across the region.
“Kevin’s contributions to the success of our Asia Pacific operations have been significant.
“Under his leadership, the region has become one of the fastest growing and most dynamic areas of our global business, as illustrated recently by our acquisition of the McGrath business in Australia.
“As we look forward, I am confident that Craig’s extensive industry experience and strategic vision will help us continue our growth trajectory in this important region.”
Mr Shute said he was excited for the new role.
“I am honoured and excited by this opportunity to work with our valued clients, exceptional people, and businesses across Asia Pacific,” he said.
“We are different. Knight Frank’s entrepreneurial, unique partnership structure ideally positions us to provide superior services and advice to our clients and attract the best talent in the industry.
“This powerful combination will continue to see our brand expand throughout this diverse and ever-evolving region.”