Jones Lang LaSalle's Guy Hollis is leaving to head up CB Richard Ellis’s Irish business.

Hollis, who heads up the China and Thailand operations, has been poached to replace Pat Gunne who is moving aside to become deputy chairman. Hollis will work on the expansion of the company's operations in Ireland. He previously worked for CB Richard Ellis in its Belfast team.

Hollis said he had decided to leave to return to Ireland to be closer to his family.

Mike Strong, president of CBRE’s EMEA business, said Gunne’s position would ‘enable him to spend more time focussing on Irish clients and the wider European capital markets’. 'Our Irish business is one of the most significant operations within our wider European business. Guy’s return to Europe offers a tremendous opportunity to reunite him with the firm and to enable Pat Gunne to move to a new role, after ten very successful years as our Irish CEO,' said Strong.

Pat Gunne, deputy chairman, said: 'I am really delighted that Guy has chosen to re-join us in such an important role, and at such an exciting time for our Irish business.'

Jones Lang LaSalle said it would replace Guy Hollis through internal transfer or external recruitment and will continue to expand its cross-border capital markets capability in Asia and elsewhere.