Cushman & Wakefield has signalled its intention to ride the growing wave of investment in data centres, healthcare, life sciences and new housing assets such as build-to-rent and student accommodation with the appointment of Noral Wild to a role heading its Australia and New Zealand operations.

Ms Wild, rival agency JLL’s head of alternatives for 12 years and head of the same sector for Cushman & Wakefield since August, starts her new role next week – reporting to Asia-Pacific chief executive Matthew Bouw – as the company also expands to create a 25-strong alternatives team, and shortly after it created a consultancy arm called Advisory+.