KNIGHT Frank has bolstered its industrial logistics team with the appointment of Darren Benson at the helm.
He will replace James Templeton, head of Victoria, who had been acting in the role in the interim. Benson brings nearly 20 years’ experience having previously worked in leadership and agency roles at Colliers, JLL and CBRE, within Australia and throughout Asia Pacific.
He began his career at Colliers South Sydney before moving to Beijing with JLL and Hong Kong with CBRE, where he led the Asian industrial platform and sat on the global industrial and logistics board.
He will relocate to Australia for his new role at Knight Frank from France, where he and his family have been based whilst restoring a castle and converting it into a successful boutique hotel.
Knight Frank partner and national head of agency Ben Schubert said Benson had a wealth of experience.
“After a short sejour in France Darren is keen to re-enter the Australian industrial market, and we are thrilled to have him joining Knight Frank,” he said. “His appointment to the role of national head of industrial logistics was made due to his lengthy experience in the industrial logistics sector, his proven performance-based strategic leadership capabilities and his strong alignment to the values of Knight Frank,”
“During his career in Australia’s industrial property industry Darren completed deals of up to 85,000 sqm with major institutional clients, and is well equipped to lead our industrial team going forward.
“The industrial market has been one of the most resilient this year, despite the challenges of COVID-19, with demand continuing to grow largely due to the rise in e-commerce, and we look forward to providing the best solutions and service to our clients for the remainder of this year and beyond.” Schubert said.
Benson said he was excited to resume his career in industrial property with Knight Frank. “This is a great time to be re-entering the market, with the industrial market buoyant in the face of COVID-19,” he said. “I look forward to leading the team to navigate the changes taking place in the wider property market, and to ensure our clients receive the best opportunities and advice to add value.”
