Jul 14, 2026 – 4.28pmSingapore’s ESR Group is the hot industrial property player to watch, with $29 billion invested after just eight years in Australia. But it’s been without one key ingredient: a dedicated Australian chief executive.Following its $10.8 billion privatisation and delisting from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in mid-2025, ESR Australia chief executive Phil Pearce was promoted to group president, overseeing the Australian business from Singapore. It’s been a long 12-months, but the wait appears to be over.Sarah Thompson has co-edited Street Talk since 2009, specialising in private equity, investment banking, M&A and equity capital markets stories. Prior to that, she spent 10 years in London as a markets and M&A reporter at Bloomberg and Dow Jones.Kanika Sood is a journalist based in Sydney who writes for the Street Talk column.Emma Rapaport is a co-editor of the Street Talk column. Prior to that, she was a markets reporter at The Australian Financial Review.Angira Bharadwaj is a co-editor of Street Talk. She covers IPOs, capital raises, mergers and acquisitions and other breaking news in Australia’s capital markets. Previously, she covered financial services, state, and federal politics. Send tips to @angirab.60 on encrypted messaging platform Signal.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber?