MetLife Investment Management has promoted Chris Aiken to head of real estate equity strategies.
Aiken assumes the role after serving as managing director and head of acquisitions since 2022 and will report to Andrea Drasites, recently appointed global head of the firm’s $106bn (€93bn) real estate and agricultural finance platform.
In his new position, Aiken will lead Metlife’s direct property investment platform and oversee all investing activities on behalf of insurer parent MetLife’s general account, as well as third-party institutional investors. His remit covers core, core-plus, build-to-core, value-add and opportunistic strategies.
Aiken is a member and co-chair of the membership committee for the real estate executive council and a member of the Urban Land Institute’s urban development mixed-use council.
Prior to joining MetLife in 2022, he was a managing director at Safanad, where he led the investment lifecycle across multiple property sectors.
Aiken brings more than two decades of real estate investment experience to the role, including nearly 12 years as a director at BlackRock, having begun his career at Salomon Smith Barney.
Brian Funk, president of Metlife Investment Management, said: “Chris is an integral part of our real estate platform and has consistently demonstrated strong leadership skills, deep market expertise and a commitment to delivering value for our clients.
“His experience across acquisitions, development and portfolio strategy, combined with his collaborative style, positions him well to lead our real estate equity strategies business as we continue to advance the platform.”
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