Benny Hu to take charge of Taipei 101

China Development Industrial Asset Management Corp chairman Benny Hu (胡定吾) took office Monday as the new chairman of Taipei Financial Center Corp (台北金融大樓公司), builder of the Taipei 101 office tower and shopping center.

The 101-story skyscraper, in Taipei's premium Hsinyi district, is slated to open its shopping mall in October of this year and its office tower one year later.

"Last Friday, the company's board nominated Hu to replace former chairman Lee Chung-ying (李仲英), who resigned due to personal health reasons," the company's statement said.

Before assuming the three-year chairmanship, Hu had worked as the corporation's vice chairman since its founding in 1997.

"Hu has long taken part in the company's policy-making procedures on many projects," the company's statement said.

According to the Lend Lease Pty Ltd Taiwan (聯盛國際), the leasing and marketing agency for the mall, the 23,000-ping (76,027m2), four-floor mall has so far signed up 141 commercial tenants, representing 87 percent of the entire space.

Starting in July, the company will begin leasing spaces in the office tower.

Hu, 54, was formerly president of China Development Industrial Bank (中華開發銀行) -- the banking unit of China Development Financial Holding Co (中華開發金控).