CapitaLand disbands special opportunities team
The group will still look at special situations deals if opportunities emerge, said a person familiar with the matter
Published Mon, Jul 13, 2026 · 06:33 PM
[HONG KONG] Singaporean asset manager CapitaLand Investment has disbanded its special opportunities team, bringing an end to a dedicated unit that was set up to pursue investment strategies that typically came with higher risks.
The five-person team was led by Gabriel Fong, who left in December 2025 after less than two years at the firm. He joined Ares Management around a month later.
Two other members of the team headed for the exit in June, while the remaining two have been reassigned to other areas within CapitaLand Investment, according to people familiar with the matter.
The move is a reversal for CapitaLand, which recruited Fong as part of a wave of hires for its private funds business.
It underscores the challenges firms face attempting to generate profitable business from so-called special situations, where sellers are often willing to accept a discount during periods of uncertainty.
CapitaLand will still look at special situations deals if opportunities emerge, one of the people said. A representative declined to comment.
The team had explored opportunities across Asia, according to people familiar with the matter. That included discussions with Hong Kong billionaire Henry Cheng’s family regarding New World Development, Bloomberg previously reported.
Fong said last year that the firm was considering providing rescue capital to listed Hong Kong companies, betting they would be among the earliest beneficiaries of a recovery in the city’s troubled property market.
CapitaLand has been grappling with challenges in its core markets. Its workforce in China shrank by about 10 per cent last year as the country’s property slump raged.
Headcount in Singapore also declined, although the city-state still accounted for 24 per cent of the company’s global workforce.
The property-focused manager, which is majority owned by Singapore state investor Temasek, raised US$320 million for an Asia-Pacific real estate credit fund in April.
The fundraising attracted a diversified investor base, mostly from Asia-Pacific. BLOOMBERG
