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Following the resignation of Ken Morrison late last year, the Property Council of Australia (PCA) has named its fifth chief executive in its 54-year history.
Mike Zorbas takes on the role effective today (25 January) — having previously been the Property Council’s group executive for policy and advocacy.
Having jointly acted in the chief executive role at the PCA since December, Mr Zorbas brings a wealth of experience to the top job, having previously held the role of Lendlease Australia’s group head of government, media and industry, Grocon’s group head of strategy and corporate communications, and Stockland’s general manager of government relations.
He has also previously served as the PCA’s chief advocate to the Australian Parliament.
For Mr Zorbas, the appointment is a “great honour” that he said has been built on the generous mentoring of generations of property CEOs and other leaders, such as the late Jim (James) Service AO, and the two preceding PCA chief executives, Peter Verwer AO and Ken Morrison.
He said he is “honoured to accept this role and will ensure we continue to be the strongest voice for our members in challenging times”.
“With our three-year strategy in place, I look forward to working with members, allies and all levels of government to unlock the potential of our great Australian cities,” Mr Zorbas said.
According to him, “Australia needs to harness the insight and thought leadership of the property industry to get the next decade right for our communities.
“We need better planning for our cities and significantly more domestic and overseas investment.
“We must continue our globally recognised leadership on sustainability, and we must help governments get smarter about creating more new and more efficient homes across the housing spectrum and across the country.”
In conclusion, he shared that he is looking forward to working with the team “to make our increasingly diverse industry and our own organisation great places to work”.
According to David Harrison, the national president of the PCA, the board of directors “felt Mr Zorbas possessed the required industry insight, track record of positive policy outcomes and people leadership, and a deep understanding of members’ interests needed to deliver the Property Council’s ambitious three-year strategic plan”.
Calling Mr Zorbas “a strong and respected voice for our industry”, he continued: “He is knowledgeable and passionate about the role property plays in shaping our cities for the better, and he understands and champions members’ interests across the country.
“Mike has the vision to lead our industry forward in challenging times, and his ability to engage with governments at all levels is a significant asset as the regulatory environment becomes increasingly complex.”
Both Mr Harrison and Mr Zorbas have also taken the time to pay tribute to the work done by previous CEO Ken Morrison, who stepped away from the role in December to pursue new opportunities, having spent eight years as CEO and 25 years as an employee.
“We are grateful to him for his outstanding advocacy and commercial achievements and his loyal service, and we wish him well for the next phase of his career,” Mr Harrison concluded.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Grace Ormsby
Grace is a journalist across Momentum property and investment brands. Grace joined Momentum Media in 2018, bringing with her a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) from the University of Newcastle. She’s passionate about delivering easy to digest information and content relevant to her key audiences and stakeholders.
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