James Weaver is a property executive with over 20 years experience in the real estate industry. 

 

Beginning his career as a lawyer first with Corrs Chambers Westgarth and then later with Freehills, James took up a position with the emerging Macquarie Bank property funds management business in 1996.

 

In his capacity as State Manager for Victoria, South Australia and the ACT, James was part of a global team that grew the business from $300 million in property assets under management in 1996 to over $14 billion at its height in 2007. Before transferring to Charter Hall in 2010 as part of the sale of Macquarie’s business, James built up the Victorian team to 12 staff and oversaw an investment and development portfolio of over $1 billion in value.

 

James’s significant expertise covers most property disciplines including asset management, capital transactions, leasing, development and corporate activity. Some of the keynote transactions which James has either led or had a significant involvement in throughout his career include:

 

• Merger of the Celsius House Trust with Property Income Investment Trust to form the Macquarie Office Trust (now CHOT);

• The public float of what has now become Ardent Leisure Group;

• The acquisition and syndication of a 50% interest in No. 1 Martin Place, Sydney;

• The establishment of several stand-alone office property syndicates and their subsequent merger into what is now the Charter Hall Direct Property Fund.

 

James has also been responsible for the acquisition, leasing, management and in some cases, development of a number of significant buildings across the markets for which he was

responsible including:

 

• The iconic Orica Building at 1 Nicholson Street, Melbourne;

• Argus Centre, 300 Latrobe Street, Melbourne;

• 200 Queen Street, Melbourne;

• 17 Moore Street, Canberra;

• ISIS Centre, 5 Queens Road, Melbourne;

• The Riverside Centre, North Terrace, Adelaide; and most recently

• The development of BHP Billiton’s new world headquarters at 171 Collins Street, Melbourne

 

Past clients of James’s at both Macquarie and Charter Hall include many household names,

among them:

 

• Telstra Corporation Limited

• Australian Taxation Office

• Various Commonwealth, Victorian and South Australian Government Departments

• Orica

• Optus

• Zurich Insurance

• Transurban

• Barristers Chambers Limited

• Leighton Contractors

 

Throughout his lengthy career James has been, and continues to be, actively engaged in a number of property industry and broader community initiatives. He has also developed strong technical property skills across all disciplines and sectors of the market and enjoys excellent relations with his colleagues in the industry which he has developed over many years.

 

James holds a double degree in commerce and law from the University of Queensland.