People moves: Bruen joins HIG; Toms named CBRE IM real estate partners MD

Valor Real Estate Partners, Get Living, CBRE IM, Sera Global, HIG Capital, Macquarie Asset Management, Verdion, Argo Infrastructure Partners, Naked Energy, Hy24, Eastdil, IFM Investors

HIG Capital – John Bruen is joining the firm’s infrastructure team in London as managing director. Bruen joins HIG from Macquarie Asset Management, where he spent nearly 10 years, most recently as senior MD and head of transport for EMEA. Prior to Macquarie, he spent eight years at Ferrovial as corporate development director.

CBRE Investment Management – Kilian Toms has been appointed managing director of the global real assets investment management firm’s real estate partners strategy. Based in London, he will be responsible for all aspects of the strategy, which focuses on enhanced return secondary market executions. Toms joins from Sera Global where he was a partner and head of the EMEA liquidity solution business. Previously he worked at Landmark Partners, where he was a principal on the real estate private equity team. Toms has also worked at JP Morgan in its real estate, gaming and lodging investment banking group in New York.

Argo Infrastructure Partners – Susan Gray has been appointed to a newly created role as head of energy transition and sustainability. Gray will lead Argo’s energy transition initiatives within the existing portfolio. Gray joins Argo from S&P Global with almost 3 decades of global infrastructure experience, complemented by long-standing engagement in energy transition, infrastructure investing and sustainability. Her S&P roles were preceded by 20 years at Macquarie, where she worked with Macquarie funds and other investors on assets across the infrastructure and energy sectors around the world.

CBRE – Brendon Frye is joining the firm’s capital markets team as a senior director and will be responsible for coordinating international capital from across the globe into all real estate sectors across the UK. He will report into Chris Brett, head of capital markets, Europe and James O’Neill, head of equity placement, capital advisors, working across CBRE’s multi-functional capital markets division to support clients with direct and indirect real estate investments. Frye re-joins CBRE from Eastdil, where he was a SVP. Prior to that he was a director in CBRE’s international capital markets team, focusing on Asian capital.

Valor Real Estate Partners – Cane Napolitano has been appointed managing partner and CIO. Napolitano, who was previously partner and head of investments, will work alongside Christian Jamison, CEO and managing partner, to lead the growth of Valor’s platform across Europe. Napolitano joined Valor at inception in 2016 and was appointed partner and head of investments in June 2019.

IFM Investors – Cath Bowtell has been appointed chair of IFM Investors. A director of IFM since 2019, she currently serves as the deputy chair, chair of the people and remuneration committee and member of the IFM board audit and risk committee. She has extensive experience across the industry superannuation sector and holds a number of directorships, including as chair of The Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne, Industry Fund Services Group and The New Daily.  She is also a director of the Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation and Industry Super Australia. Her appointment follows the resignation of outgoing chair, Greg Combet, who is leaving IFM following his appointment as full-time chair of the Net Zero Economy Agency. Former Australian finance minister Lindsay Tanner is joining the board of IFM Investors as an independent director.

Get Living – Jon Wood has been appointed chief information and technology officer. Wood joins Get Living from the Medical Protection Society,where he was executive director, member experience, digital and data. In his previous role, Wood was VP and CIO, digital and data at Disney and prior to that he was CIO at Carnival. Wood has also has held senior roles at Merlin Entertainments, Fitness First and Nuffield Health.

Hy24 – The clean hydrogen investment fund manager has hired Guillaume Lesueur, former head of EDF Pulse Ventures, as managing director. Lesueur will head up Hy24’s latest investment initiative dedicated to scaling-up clean hydrogen technologies and equipment manufacturers. Lesueur spent 11 years with EDF Group, including as M&A director and CFO of holding activities at EDF Renewables, and head of EDF Pulse Ventures.

Verdion – The European logistics real estate firm has appointed Viktor Baláž as development manager in Copenhagen. Baláž joins from Logistic Contractor, part of the Wastbygg Group, where he specialised in construction management, including a new distribution centre for DHL in Kastrup. Before that, he worked with Goldbeck International where he was responsible for a new facility for DSV in Jӧnkӧping, Sweden, as well as delivering other logistics assets across northern Europe. At Verdion he will be responsible for project and construction management of new assets in Denmark, covering all aspects planning, budget, procurement and supervision of the construction process until completion. He will work closely with Verdion’s Technical Director in Denmark, Jacob Rasmussen, who will now focus on new investment and development opportunities in the Nordics. 

Naked Energy – The renewable heat innovator has appointed Martin Schwab as non-executive chairman. Beyond his role at Naked Energy, Schwab is a managing partner at private equity firm Pamplona Capital Management where he and his team focus on investments in Europe and the US, delivering highly flexible investment strategies across a broad range of asset classes in both public and private market situations. He is also the founder and trustee of Ocean Born Foundation. Prior to joining Pamplona, he was VP at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, responsible for financial sponsors and telecoms in equity capital markets.