Savills bolsters its property management operations in Asia with Merx Group acquisition

Merx Group Savills William Forwood
Merx CEO William Forwood will also serve as Managing Director, Savills Project Management Asia

Savills acquired the Merx Group of companies as it ramps up its property management operations in Asia while adding to its real estate consulting capabilities. Merx has more than 20 years of experience in the region and has worked with a number of blue chip clients.

“Savills existing project management platform across APAC already consists of approximately 350 professionals located across Mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand,” Christian Mancini CEO Asia Pacific (ex-Greater China), explained. “Project Management, as a service line in its own right, is key to our strategy for the region, as well as providing support and technical input to other service lines: transactional, property management and consulting services.  We recognize the knock-on value which this partnership will deliver for Savills and our clients.”

As part of the deal, Merx CEO William Forwood has been appointed as Managing Director, Savills Project Management Asia while continuing in his role of Group CEO. Forwood led a team of some 50 professionals with vast multi-sector experience covering workplace, data centers, industrial, hospitality and retail requirements across Asia.

“The joining of forces between Merx and Savills represents a significant next step for the business that we have built and nurtured for more than 20 years. The business and its reputation are something which all our staff are incredibly proud of. In Savills, we identified a group which understands and reflects the same ethos of high-quality client service, care and professionalism that has supported our own growth and longevity,” Forwood said.


He continued, “With the combined resources of an expanded project management platform in APAC and the global reach of Savills, I am extremely excited about the opportunity to provide a more comprehensive service to our clients across a wider geography.”

Read More: “New Normal” sees retailers rethink their real estate approach in Thailand