VivoPower, PwC, Africa50, Proparco, AEW, Long Harbour, Momeni Group, Vantage Data Centers, American Electric Power, Equinix, Marriott International, AMERCO Real Estate, A&G Real Estate Partners, Colliers, Newmark, Barings, ADIC, BlackRock, ESR, Aravest Australia, JLL
Abu Dhabi Investment Council – Edward Winter has been appointed real assets CIO. Winter was most recently based in London leading GIP’s mid-market funds across EMEA and BlackRock’s Middle East infrastructure fund. He previously spent more than 12 years at Macquarie Group, rising to managing director. Starting in September, Winter will report to the executive director, Saoud Al Mulla, and will oversee investing across global infrastructure and real estate, combining fund investments, co-investments and separately managed accounts across energy infrastructure, digital infrastructure, transportation, logistics, hospitality among other sectors.
AEW – Bianca Kraus has been appointed head of investor relations Europe to lead the firm’s European growth strategy and capital raising. Kraus transitions from her previous role as head of investor relations DACH at AEW, where she served as lead for institutional investor relationships across Germany, Austria and German-speaking Switzerland. She previously held the role of head of customer and fund relations at BNP Paribas REIM Germany. In her new role, she will support AEW’s target of expanding its European investment platform and growing its business, focusing on client servicing, capital raising, and executing conviction-themed real estate strategies.
Long Harbour – Ethan Richards has been appointed asset manager to lead the firm’s single-family rental housing strategy. Richards joins from Momeni Group, where he served as real estate asset manager, overseeing leasing and project management for residential and office assets in Central London. He previously held the role of asset management specialist at Helix. In his new role, he will support Long Harbour’s target of scaling its UK single-family housing portfolio, focusing on driving income and value creation across its operational sites.
ESR – Reini Otter has joined ESR as CEO, Australia and New Zealand from Fraser Property where he was most recently CEO of Frasers Property Industrial. Based in Sydney, Otter will focus on strengthening customer and capital partner relationships, accelerating the delivery of ESR’s fund management and development platform in logistics real estate and data centres. Otter has more than 25 years of experience in industrial and commercial property development across Australia and Europe. He succeeds Phil Pearce, who established ESR’s Australia and New Zealand business in 2018. Following ESR’s privatisation in 2025, Pearce was appointed president.
JLL – Matthew Egan has been appointed head of capital markets, JLL Victoria. With 20 years’ experience spanning private equity real estate, private debt, capital markets, investment management, banking and valuations, Egan’s role will be to further grow the firm’s business across that state. Egan joined JLL from Aravest Australia where he served as CEO since 2016.
Vantage Data Centers – Ed Harnaga has been appointed as chief marketing and communications officer to lead brand strategy, corporate reputation, public relations, executive communications and regional marketing across North America, EMEA and Asia Pacific. Harnaga joins from Pfizer, where he served as senior vice president and chief communications officer leading global communications across corporate reputation, media relations, digital and social media, branding and stakeholder engagement, and previously held senior leadership roles at FTI Consulting and Ruder Finn. In his new role, he will support Vantage Data Centers’ target of scaling its platform and deepening its role as a trusted infrastructure partner for global AI and cloud companies, focusing on strengthening market position, supporting customer growth and advancing the global brand.
VivoPower – Syed Muhammad Nouman has been appointed group finance director to lead the firm’s sovereign AI data centre infrastructure strategy. Nouman joins from PwC, where he served as a senior finance professional, overseeing audit and financial reporting across global operations. He previously held the role of senior financial leader at various multinational companies across the oil and gas, real estate and automation engineering sectors. In his new role, he will support VivoPower’s target of scaling its sovereign AI data centre infrastructure business and progressing the business combination of its Tembo subsidiary towards an independent listing, focusing on group financial control, Nasdaq public company reporting and transaction execution.
Africa50 – Djalal Khimdjee has been appointed CEO of the Africa50 Principal Investment Fund to lead the firm’s growth and infrastructure investment strategy. Khimdjee joins from Proparco, where he served as deputy CEO, overseeing strategy execution, investment delivery, and portfolio management. He previously held the role of leadership and investment specialist at International Finance Corporation, as well as positions within AFD Group. In his new role, he will support Africa50’s target of scaling a disciplined investment fund and accelerating infrastructure development across the continent, focusing on delivering sustainable financial returns and mobilising long-term institutional capital.
American Electric Power – David Marriott and Charles Meyers have been elected to the board of directors to support energy infrastructure growth. Marriott joins from Marriott International, where he serves as chairman of the board and previously served as president of US full-service managed operations as well as chief operations officer for the Americas eastern region. Meyers joins from Equinix, where he serves as executive chairman and previously held roles including president and chief executive officer, chief operating officer, president of strategy, services and innovation and president of the Americas region. In their new roles, they will support American Electric Power’s target of meeting unprecedented energy demand while maintaining focus on reliability and affordability, focusing on expanding critical infrastructure, operational discipline and customer trust across dynamic regions.
AMERCO Real Estate – Parul Butala has been promoted to president to strengthen communication across teams, better support field operations and improve property acquisition and development. Butala joins from her previous role as director of land use and planning at AMERCO Real Estate, where she served since 2019, and previously held positions as a staff architect in the construction group and within the risk management team at U-Haul. In her new role, she will support AMERCO Real Estate’s target of managing and expanding the real estate portfolio and development services for U-Haul, focusing on property acquisition, development, and operational support across its self-storage and moving network.
A&G Real Estate Partners – Andrew Jacobs has been appointed as head of the real estate sales division to lead the firm’s sales team and expand its advisory capabilities. Jacobs joins from Colliers, where he served as managing director, and previously held investment sales and capital markets roles at Newmark and Robert K Futterman & Associates. With over 15 years of experience, he also spent several years in middle-market investment sales, where he established a track record of closing more than $1.6bn in aggregate transactions. In his new role, he will support A&G Real Estate Partners’ target of driving growth and strengthening its national presence, focusing on connecting owners, investors, and operators with strategic asset disposition and investment solutions.
Newmark – Akbar Tajani has been appointed as managing director for the UK and European debt, equity and structured finance business, where he will support property-level financings, equity capital raisings, and corporate finance advisory. Tajani joins Newmark from Barings, where he served as managing director on the portfolio management team, and previously held senior investing and capital markets roles at BlackRock, Cantor Fitzgerald and Pine River Capital Management. In his new role, he will support Newmark’s target of expanding its debt and structured finance capabilities and delivering cross-border capital solutions across Europe and the US.
To read the latest IPE Real Assets magazine click here.
