London Diocesan Fund, Kingmead Homes, Informa, Commerz Real, JLL, ID Logistics, Heitman, Blackrock, AKF Holding, ATP Real Estate, HSBC Global Asset Management, LGIM, BNP Paribas Real Estate, ULI, Glenhawk, Octopus Property, St. Modwen, HIG Capital, PIMCO

HSBC Global Asset Management Shantini Nair has been appointed senior product specialist for infrastructure debt investments in the alternatives team. Nair will focus on developing and expanding the team’s infrastructure debt product offering. She joins from Legal & General Investment Management where she was responsible for product establishment and growth of the global private credit platform across its infrastructure debt, real estate debt and corporate credit capabilities. Before joining LGIM, Nair held senior roles at AMP Capital Investors, Janus Henderson Investors, Pendal Group and Pall Mall Partners. 

Cording Real EstateMerel Versteegh has joined the industrial team as fund financial controller. Versteegh will operate from Amsterdam and will work in Cording’s finance team alongside the fund management teams. A particular focus of Versteegh’s role will be to work on Cording’s newly launched open-ended European light-industrial fund. Prior to joining Cording, Versteegh was a senior fund secretary in the fund legal services team at CBRE GI. Prior to this role, she worked as tax advisor in the M&A team at PwC. Before joining PwC, Versteegh began her career with Loyens & Loeff N.V. in Amsterdam as a tax lawyer.

HIG Capital – The global alternative asset manager has appointed Tareck Safi managing director and head of real estate debt. Safi is based in HIG’s London office. Prior to HIG, Safi was head of commercial real estate debt investments for EMEA at PIMCO. He previously held senior positions at Societe Generale and RBS.

Glenhawk – The specialist property lender has appointed Sophie Watson as portfolio manager. She joins from Octopus Property. Watson will be responsible for post-completion administration as well as providing support and efficiency of process for all borrowers, from loan enquiry through to redemption. Her previous roles include property servicing assistant at Octopus, redemptions officer at Amicus Finance and collections and litigations agent at The North View Group.

Newcore Capital Management – The alternative real estate investment manager has appointed Will Hagger as associate director, investment management, and Jasmine Ruske as investment manager. Hagger is responsible for the sourcing and underwriting of investment opportunities while leading on specific portfolio management mandates. Ruske will use her development expertise to ensure high-quality results across the planning, refurbishment and development assets. Hagger was previously head of property investment for the London Diocesan Fund. Before that, he was a director at CBRE, latterly in CBRE’s real estate finance department and formerly in the valuation and advisory services team. Ruske joins from Kingmead Homes, where she was an assistant project manager. Before that, she trained as a geotechnical engineer at Byrne Looby Partners. 

AKF HoldingLars Gjørret has left his job as property investment manager at ATP Real Estate and been appointed as property director at Danish commercial property developer, AKF Holding. He left ATP in March for the newly-created role at AKF Holding. A spokeswoman for ATP said the Danish pension fund is currently in the process of hiring within the real estate investment team. Gjørret has also previously worked within the property arm of PensionDanmark and at construction firm Skanska.

Heitman – The real estate investment management firm has appointed Irene Yartey-Onyango as senior vice president, head of product strategy and design. In the newly-created position, Yartey-Onyango will be responsible for developing and overseeing Heitman’s product design across the globe. Prior to joining Heitman, Yartey-Onyango held several roles across product management and strategy at Blackrock, most recently holding the title of director, alternatives product manager within the firm’s strategic product management group. Prior to Blackrock, she also held positions at Morgan Stanley, within its equity capital markets group, and at JP Morgan Asset Management, in a variety of analyst roles.

St. Modwen – Rupert Joseland has been appointed managing director of industrial and logistics. This newly established, dedicated business unit has been formed to drive forward the company’s ambitious industrial & logistics growth plans.

Commerz RealVolker Höntsch has joined the company as head of sustainability. Most recently he was group sustainability and reporting manager at events group and publisher Informa.

Urban Land Institute – Vanessa Hale, director of research at BNP Paribas Real Estate, will become chair of ULI UK from July for a two-year term.

JLL –  The real estate services firm has appointed Sven Schürer as a business development director in its EMEA industrial and logistics business. In this newly created role, and based in Frankfurt, Schürer will strengthen JLL’s existing team and growing logistics and supply chain advisory business. Schürer joins JLL from French supply chain specialist ID Logistics where he was director of business development in Germany. Prior to this, he held positions at international firms including Miebach Consulting and Siemens Mobile.