Hines, Hodes Weill, GAK Capital, Viridis Real Estate, Panmure Gordon, Harrison Street, CPPIB, Franklin Templeton Investments, CBRE GI, Savills, L&G, St Modwen
Hines – The international real estate firm has strengthened its UK development team with the appointment of Damien Hilborne as development director. Hilborne joins Hines from Viridis Real Estate, where he spent eight years as construction director. Hilborne will be joining a development team led by Robbie Pitman, who joined Hines 12 months ago as head of development.
Harrison Street – Amy Tonnessen has joined the firm as a director on the European asset management team, and Vanisha Thakrar has joined the firm as a VP in the transactions group. Prior to joining Harrison Street, Tonnessen was a senior asset manager at Franklin Templeton Investments, where she was responsible for the management of European properties and for overseeing JV investments. Before joining Franklin Templeton, she was a senior asset manager at Heitman in Europe. Tonnessen served in the US Peace Corps in Poland prior to starting her career at Heitman. Thakrar was at Canada Pension Plan Investment Board’s real estate investment group before joining Harrison Street. Additionally, she served on the board of directors for various JV companies and as a board observer for CPPIB’s student housing platform. Prior to CPPIB, Thakrar was a VP on the real estate investment banking team at Macquarie where she focused on M&A transactions, capital raising and principal investments. Both Tonnessen and Thakrar are based in the firm’s London office.
CBRE Global Investors – Heidi Learner has joined the investment management firm as the Americas head of real assets research. Learner will be tasked with further raising the level of the firm’s analysis, forecasting and transaction support across the public and private real assets spectrum, including both equity and debt. She joins from Savills, where she served as chief economist since 2012 and the firm’s thought leader.
St Modwen – The real estate developer has appointed the former Legal & General and CALA Homes executive, James Lidgate, as senior director - strategic land and planning to support the ongoing development of major residential schemes and drive future initiatives. Starting on an initial 12-month contract, Lidgate will join the board of St Modwen’s strategic land and regeneration business unit. Lidgate was most recently CEO of Legal & General Homes, regional chairman of CALA Homes’ Chiltern and South Home Counties business as well as being responsible for Legal & General’s strategic land and major projects business. Before this, he worked at Bellway Homes as a land director and was previously in roles at St George and Berkeley Group.
Hodes Weill – Rima Batal is joining the global real estate advisory firm’s London office as a vice president. Batal will be responsible for covering institutions and family offices in the Middle East and Europe. Batal joins from London-based placement agency firm GAK Capital where she served as VP and head of business development. Prior to GAK Capital, she held positions at BCA Research, JP Morgan Investment Bank and Starcom Media.
IPSX Group – The international property securities exchange has appointed Richard Lester as a senior advisor. In his new role, he will work alongside the operations and infrastructure team to enhance the connectivity of IPSX to technology and data providers. Lester is a former MD at Panmure Gordon. Prior to Panmure Gordon, he worked with DRS Markets, as director of strategy and risk and with Nomura, Citi Bank, Barclays Investment Bank and Merrill Lynch in senior equities trading roles.
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