Gaw Capital Partners, through its funds under management, and its consortium partners, acquired 29 Hong Kong-based community shopping centers and associated facilities in March 2018 and March 2019.
Gaw Capital Partners officially started to operate over 29 assets and facilities near the public estates and established “People’s Place”. “People” stands for the public and the residents, whereas “Place” here is an allusion to the idiomatic Chinese term for a location of virtue and tradition, as well as a well-governed community; “Place” also connotes the solidarity of the local neighborhood. All in all, “People’s Place” stands for a place rich in sentiments and compassion, bringing strangers together in constructing a vibrant, cozy living environment. People’s Place aspires to transform obsolete commercial facilities into vibrant community hubs by creatively utilizing its space and bringing brand new experiences to residents, tenants and community stakeholders.
In partnership with experienced educators in China, Gaw Capital has invested in the development and operations of Stellart International School of Arts (SISA), an international arts education platform in China. The platform is initially seeded by a commercial site conveniently located in Sanshan New Town in Nanhai, Foshan, which has excellent connectivity nationally via the Guangzhou South Station. The site has a GFA of c.50,000 sqm in total. Operating under the SISA brand and developed by Gaw Capital Partners, the school houses up to 600 full-time high school students in its 6-storey tall academic block and 7-floor dormitory. 
Co-founders Goodwin Gaw and Kenneth Gaw have extensive experience in real estate management and investment in North America and Asia prior to the founding of Gaw Capital Partners.
In 1995, Goodwin took the opportunity to acquire the bankrupted Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angles, and consequently founded Downtown Properties. Downtown Properties is responsible for the acquisition and management of property investments in the United States with Goodwin serving as Managing Principal of the firm currently. Under his direction, the portfolio extended to California, New York, Georgia and Hawaii, including 70,000 square meters of carrier hotel space, 2.5 million sq ft of office buildings, hotels of over 1,000 rooms, two 18-hole championship golf courses, and a ski resort.
Goodwin’s interest in re-positioning distressed heritage properties reflects in Downtown Properties’ portfolio. These included the renovation of the iconic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles and conversion of over 456,000 square feet of empty historical buildings into hip residential lofts in downtown Los Angeles including the acclaimed Douglas Building. Other heritage building conversions include award-winning One Bunker Hill Building, 818 W. 7th Street Building and Bradbury Building also in downtown Los Angeles.
In 1994, Kenneth joined Pioneer Global Group Limited (listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange) as Executive Director and was appointed Managing Director in 1999. In late 1999, Kenneth and his family re-strategized the operation direction and led the partial privatization of the Group’s banking and shipping assets as well as its US real estate portfolio. Today the company is primarily focused on real estate and hotel investments in Hong Kong, Macau, China, and Southeast Asia. Notable transactions with Pioneer Global Group in recent years included acquisition and repositioning of the Pullman Hotel G Pattaya and Pullman Hotel G Bangkok, Thailand; AIA Tower in Macau; Global Gateway Hong Kong, 68 Yee Woo Street, Club Lusitano building, and Kowloon City Plaza in Hong Kong.
In 2005, Kenneth and Goodwin initiated and co-founded Gaw Capital Partners (formerly known as Gateway Capital), a real estate private equity firm focusing on Greater China and other high-entry-barrier markets.
Humbert Pang was appointed as advisory consultant to the newly-founded Gaw Capital Partners in July 2005 prior to becoming Managing Principal and Head of China in 2006. Prior to GCP, Humbert worked for international property firm Healey & Baker / Cushman & Wakefield in London before joining Savills China as Director and founding Head of China Investment for more than 10 years. While being Executive Director of Shanghai Hotel Investments Ltd. and Shanghai Lixing Hotels Ltd., Humbert was involved in private equity investments, pre-IPO PRC real estate company investments, and many other acquisition transactions in China.
Christina Gaw joined in 2008 as Managing Principal and Head of Capital Markets in time for further growth of the company. Christina possessed 15 years of investment banking experience with Goldman Sachs and UBS as Managing Director, with a career in Equities and Alternative Assets Advisory business where she led regional teams covering global institutional clients. At Gaw, aside from her main role in capital raising for multiple products, she also leads corporate marketing and capital markets division of Gaw Capital and work closely with our limited partners.