Sheffield Haworth, the global executive search and talent advisory firm, has named Sun-Sun de Swaan as managing director of its real estate practice in the United States, effective July 2026. The appointment marks a strategic bet by the London-headquartered recruiter on the real estate sector as a growth priority, with de Swaan tasked with building and strengthening the firm's global search and advisory capabilities alongside its international real estate teams.
Alex Cormack, chief executive of Sheffield Haworth, said de Swaan's deep sector knowledge, track record in real estate search, and strength of relationships across the market would be invaluable as the firm grows its U.S. and international capabilities. Julian Bell, global head of banking and markets and head of Americas at Sheffield Haworth, noted that real assets represent a significant growth opportunity in the region and that de Swaan's sector knowledge and market relationships would strengthen offerings from the New York office. The firm did not disclose involvement of a search consultant in the recruitment.
De Swaan brings more than 25 years of experience in real estate across multiple functions. She joins from McDermott and Bull, where she was a partner in the New York office leading the firm's real estate practice. She spent more than a decade leading real estate practices in executive search before that. Her career trajectory spans principal-side investment and asset management roles at Hersha Hospitality Trust and Denihan Hospitality Group, as well as transaction advisory work at Ernst and Young Real Estate Group and PKF Consulting. She also served as director of acquisitions for Highgate, a real estate investment and management company. De Swaan holds an MBA from IESE Business School.
Sheffield Haworth, founded in 1993, is a global talent consulting firm with 10 offices across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. The firm operates across executive search, interim consulting, and leadership advisory services for clients in financial services, technology, consulting, and professional services. It has 30 years of experience working with leading financial services organizations and was recognized as a leading recruiter by the Financial Times. The firm recently expanded its Asia-Pacific presence by acquiring Tony O'Leary's executive search business.
The appointment reflects a broader market opportunity in real estate leadership. According to Sheffield Haworth's own commentary, the sector is navigating significant change driven by shifting capital flows, higher financing costs, evolving occupier demand, and rising expectations around sustainability. The quality of leadership has become a decisive competitive factor across investment, development, financing, and property management functions, creating increased demand for specialist search and advisory services. De Swaan's move signals that Sheffield Haworth views this moment as an opportune time to invest in deepening its real estate capabilities rather than maintaining its existing footprint in the sector.
