REAL ESTATE - Credit Suisse has appointed Claudio Rudolf as a director in charge of acquisition and sales for its Swiss Real Estate Asset Management business.

“As a director, he will directly report to Markus Graf, head of Real Estate Asset Management Switzerland,” the bank said in a statement.

Rudolf joins from UBS Fund Management (Switzerland) AG, where he was head of acquisition and disposition.

“A recognized real estate specialist, he was elected chairman of RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) Switzerland in 2003,” Credit Suisse added.

Rudolf has also advised CUREM (the Center for Urban & Real Estate Management) and has sat on the board of directors of Realis (the Swiss Real Estate School).

“Thanks to the dynamic development of innovative products, Credit Suisse’s asset management business has successfully established itself as the leader in the Swiss real estate market over the past few years,” Rudolf said.

“I am delighted to have been given the opportunity in my new role to deploy my specialist knowledge and skills in this professional environment.”

Graf added: “We are very happy to welcome on board someone who possesses as rich and as in-depth an experience of the real estate business as Rudolf does.

“Thanks to his good network of contacts in the market, he is the ideal candidate to further enhance our acquisition team.”

Earlier Credit Suisse issued more than 350,000 new shares in its international real estate fund to raise capital for expansion in North America and Eastern Europe.

The CHF 375m (€238m) issue would also fund the acquisition of commercial property in Asia.