Darren Soo

General Manager, Land Development

Darren is a property development and construction professional with over 25 years of experience delivering large-scale residential and urban regeneration projects in New Zealand and internationally. He is currently leading land development initiatives at Templeton Group, driving sustainable and community-focused housing solutions

Qualifications

 – Bachelor of Surveying, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

– Registered Surveyor

– Licensed Cadastral Surveyor

– Registered Professional Surveyor

– New Zealand Institute of Management (Managing Non-performance | Business Coaching Skills | Presentation and Communication Skills| Fundamentals of Project Management)

– Auckland Chamber of Commerce – The Art of Influence and Assertion

– Columbia Business School – Building and Leading Effective Teams

Expertise

Land Development Leadership: managing large-scale residential and urban regeneration projects in New Zealand and internationally.

Strategic Project Delivery: Skilled in land acquisition, feasibility analysis, due diligence, and securing project funding.

Design & Construction Management: Extensive experience overseeing civil design, operational requirements, and contract administration for complex developments.

Stakeholder Engagement: Proven ability to manage relationships with councils, government agencies, and community stakeholders to achieve project approvals and infrastructure agreements.

Financial & Risk Management: Expertise in budgeting, cost control, and risk mitigation for multi-million-dollar projects.

Urban Planning & Master planning: Delivered high-yield residential subdivisions and mixed-use developments, including plan changes and rezoning processes.

Leadership & Team Development: Trained in business coaching, project management, and team leadership through NZIM and Columbia Business School programs.