Founder & Chairman of KaiLong Elected as Chairman of ULI China Mainland

Mr. Hei Ming Cheng, Founder and Chairman of KaiLong, has been appointed Chairman of China Mainland for the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

Since KaiLong was founded in 2004, Mr. Cheng has built and led the team as one of the leading players in the investment and asset management market in Greater China and Asian Pacific region as well as the London market. Under Mr. Cheng’s leadership, KaiLong is recognized as one of the most successful and competitive regional real estate investment management firms. To date, KaiLong has raised a total of 13 domestic and overseas funds and invested over US$3.5 billion in 51 real estate projects. Of these, 30 have already been exited, with excellent risk-adjusted returns. KaiLong is one of the few pioneers which has successfully raised RMB real estate private equity fund. Since 2010, we have established five funds totaling RMB3.3 billion. The fifth fund, launched in 2016, is the first RMB-denominated open ended core fund in China, investing income generating assets with an initial AUM of RMB3.3 billion. 

“It is an honor and a privilege for me to be invited to be Chairman of ULI China Mainland,” said Mr. Hei Ming Cheng. “China is a huge country with many big cities. Finding effective and efficient ways of growing ULI’s activities and contributions in the country will be a big challenge but promises to be immensely rewarding. I hope to build on the past and to build an organization that real estate professionals will continue to find value from and be proud to be associated with.”

As Chairman of ULI China Mainland, Mr. Cheng will lead the Executive Committee and focus on three key priorities:

- Expanding local engagement, especially within the local developer community

- Expanding the focus beyond Shanghai, to Beijing, Chengdu, GBA and other cities in Mainland China

- Enhancing content offerings, and creating a more cohesive community, through organizing more interactive events, producing more and varied types of quality content and through further encouraging knowledge-sharing and networking

About the Urban Land Institute

The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the institute has more than 45,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines, including more than 2,600 in the Asia Pacific Region.