Kwang Pithayachariyakul has been named by Oxford Properties as director in its Sydney office, where she will relocate from her present position in Toronto.

In her new role, Pithayachariyakul will oversee asset management activities in Australia, where Oxford has been expanding its portfolio and operations for the past several years.

Pithayachariyakul has quickly risen through the ranks at Oxford since arriving four years ago from TD Securities. She has spent the past 18 months as director, investments at Oxford’s Toronto headquarters.

“This announcement underscores the importance of Australia to our APAC strategy, and our commitment to deploy capital in new investments. Together with our platform companies, Oxford manages A$15 billion in assets across Australia, where we continue to look for opportunities to drive value,” said Alessandro Fiascaris, head of Asia Pacific for Oxford Properties, in a LinkedIn post announcing the move. 

Prior to joining Oxford, Pithayachariyakul was an investment associate and then vice-president, investment banking at TD Securities in Toronto. She is a graduate of the MBA program at the Ivey School of Business, and holds a bachelor of applied science from the University of British Columbia.

Leadership transition at Choice Hotels

Choice Hotels International (CHH-N) announced a leadership transition under which Patrick Pacious will step down as president and CEO to serve as an advisor to the company through Aug. 31. The company's board has appointed Dominic Dragisich, its chief growth and strategy officer, as interim CEO.

The board and an executive search firm are launching a search for the company's next CEO and will consider all qualified internal and external candidates.

Over the course of his nearly 21-year tenure with Choice Hotels, including as president and CEO since 2017, Pacious has led a period of significant growth and transformation. Under his leadership, Choice Hotels expanded from 11 to 22 brands, grown its presence in the upscale and extended-stay segments through the acquisitions of WoodSpring Suites and Radisson Hotels Americas, established a high-growth direct franchising international platform, advanced franchisee-focused technology and digital initiatives, and more than doubled adjusted EBITDA.

"Leading Choice Hotels has been the greatest privilege of my career," said Pacious in the announcement. "Together, we have built a higher-quality portfolio of hotels, a more accretive, diverse pipeline, and a capital-light model that enables the company to capture significant opportunities ahead."

Before becoming chief growth and strategy officer, Dragisich served as EVP, operations and chief global brand officer, and as chief financial officer. Dragisich has helped lead the Company's strategic evolution, overseeing transformative acquisitions and other major growth initiatives to enhance long-term value.

Lovett takes MD’s role at Avison Young Ottawa

Jordan Lovett has been named principal and managing director in Avison Young's Ottawa office.

“After a careful search to identify the best candidate, I am pleased to welcome Jordan. What sets him apart in our industry is his sophisticated background in finance. As a former commercial banker specializing in complex financing programs, Jordan brings a unique skillset that will serve Avison Young well in Ottawa,” said Mark Fieder, Avison Young’s principal and president, in the announcement.

As managing director, Lovett will oversee a multi-disciplinary team and explore opportunities to expand Avison Young’s offerings within the National Capital Region.

Prior to joining Avison Young, Lovett was a vice-president for another large commercial real estate firm since 2018. Specializing in capital markets, multifamily, land development, and valuations, his total sales volume exceeds $600 million. Before entering real estate, Lovett managed a substantial loan portfolio as a commercial banker, experienced in structuring capital for real estate acquisitions and corporate M&As.

Lovett is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, where he earned an honours bachelor of business administration. 

Two members to leave Plaza board

Plaza Retail REIT (PLZ-UN-T) announced board members Doug McGregor and Jane Marshall have advised they will not stand for re-election at the upcoming AGM on May 27. The moves align with the trust's ongoing focus on board renewal and the continued evolution of its governance, strategic priorities and long-term unitholder objectives.

Marshall joined the board in 2016, and has also served on the boards of BSR REIT (where she is the board chair) and RioCan REIT. She spent the majority of her career in leadership roles with Loblaw Companies, Weston Foods and Choice Properties REIT.

McGregor joined the board in 2020 and also acted as chair. He has also served as group head, RBC Capital Markets and RBC investor and treasury services, and chairman and CEO of RBC Capital Markets.

Boudreau gets director role at Urbandale

Melissa Boudreau has been promoted to director, sales, marketing  and product development at Urbandale Construction.

A part of Urbandale’s sales and marketing team for 15 years, Boudreau has extensive knowledge of the firms homes, communities, customers and the Ottawa new-home market. In recent years, she has also served as operations manager.

In her expanded role, Boudreau will continue to lead sales and marketing, while taking on a larger role in product development and long-term planning.

Promotion at Beedie

Beedie has promoted Josh Dodman to executive vice-president of industrial development at the Vancouver-based firm.

Dodman has helped lead Beedie's design‑build platform and overseen the acquisition, structuring and delivery of complex industrial facilities across Western Canada since joining the firm in 2017. During that time, he has steadily risen into increasingly senior roles.

Under his leadership, Beedie has delivered facilities for clients such as Amazon, Saputo, McKesson, Sobeys, and Aritzia.

Prior to joining Beedie, he spent over six years as finance and operations manager at D&S Consulting. Dodman holds a bachelor of science degree from the University of Alberta.

Send company executive announcements to managing editor, Tania Theriault, tania@renx.ca for consideration for The People Space.