Schroders has appointed CBRE Global Investors EMEA CEO and CIO Sophie van Oosterom to replace Duncan Owen as its real estate head.

Schroders said Van Oosterom will join in January 2021 as global head of the €19.2bn real estate business to oversee the direct and indirect property portfolio. Owen will step down in December and become a special advisor.

Before joining CBRE GI she was a managing director and European head of asset management of the Lehman Brothers Real Estate Partners private equity funds which is now Silverpeak Real Estate Partners.

Schroders said after almost 9 years at Schroders, Owen has decided to step down from the role of global head of real estate. He will continue with the business as a special advisor to Schroders Real Estate, with a focus on continuing to advise the Schroders UK REIT and the Schroder Real Estate Investment Management board in relation to the newly acquired Schroders Pamfleet entity in Asia, where he will sit on the board.

Georg Wunderlin, global head of private assets at Schroders, said Van Oosterom joins Schroders with a strong track record of building successful private assets businesses.

“She will be a key partner in our strategy to become a market leader in this field. This is an exciting time in our journey, and Sophie brings a wealth of relevant experience which will help us achieve the next phase in our growth for our real estate and broader private assets platform.”

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