Bfinance, LGPS, JLL, ProSiebenSat1 Media, CA Ventures, Lothbury Investment, DTZ Investors, GE Capital, Muzinich & Co, Sampension, Carnegie Investment Banking, ADPF, LendLease, Franklin Templeton, Aviva Investors, Octopus Group, AMP Capital, Patrizia, Invesco, Kennedy Wilson, Walton Street Capital

CA Ventures – The real estate firm has appointed Tim Phillips to spearhead its entry into the European build-to-rent sector. As head of residential Europe, Phillips will be responsible for the development of BTR and private rented sector assets across Europe, starting with the UK. Phillips has over 14 years’ experience in the real estate industry, most recently as a director at Lothbury Investment Management.

JLL – The real estate services firm has appointed Sabine Eckhardt as CEO Central Europe with effect from May this year. In the newly created position, which includes full responsibility for Germany and Central Europe, based in Frankfurt, Eckhardt will help drive continued growth and digital transformation of the international real estate services group. She will also join JLL’s EMEA strategy board. Eckhardt comes from ProSiebenSat1 Media, where she was executive board member until April 2019, responsible for sales and marketing. Prior to her appointment to the executive board, Eckhardt spent 13 years as managing director in various areas of the media group. Prior to that, she gained sales, marketing and management experience at Mattel, EM TV and Digital Publishing.

Kennedy Wilson – The real estate investor has appointed Augusto Zunzunegui as director to build the firm’s origination and acquisitions expertise. Zunzunegui, be based in the company’s Madrid office, joins from Patrizia, where he was director of transactions and was responsible for Patrizia’s investments in Spain and Portugal. Prior to this he held senior positions at KPMG, Catella Spain and Zaphire.

Walton Street Capital – Sung-il Kim has joined the private equity real estate investment and management firm’s Asia subsidiary as director of Asia. He is based in Hong Kong and responsible for business development and investor relationships in China, Japan Korea and other Asia markets. Prior to joining Walton Street Asia, he was an associate Director of Invesco, in Institutional sales for Korea. He started his career in the financial industry at Hana Financial Investment in Seoul, followed by The Rohatyn Group (TRG), a New York-based hedge fund, in investor relations for Asia.

Bfinance – The independent investment consultant has hired former LGPS investor Trevor Castledine as senior director, private markets. Castledine was formerly deputy CIO and private credit investment director at Local Pensions Partnership, and prior to that was Deputy CIO at Lancashire County Pension Fund.

Sampension – Torbjørn Lange has been appointed by Danish pension fund Sampension as its new head of real estate and infrastructure. He will be replacing Søren Vendelbo Jacobsen who was recently hired by Nordic residential property firm Heimstaden as co-CIO - a role he is due to start on 1 February. Until the end of December, Lange was managing director of corporate finance at Carnegie Investment Banking, having been in the job since October 2011, according to his LinkedIn profile. Prior to that, his professional roles have included that of senior associate, corporate finance, at Handelsbanken Capital Markets and financial journalist on Danish daily Berlingske Tidende Business.

DTZ Investors – The specialist European real estate fund manager has appointed Ritesh Ramchandani as head of debt strategies and capital markets. Ramchandani specialises in capital raising for real estate strategies across the risk spectrum. He held prior investment roles at GE Capital, Landmark Partners and Standard Chartered.

Muzinich & Co – The investment firm has hired Brian Lau, Tom Light, Yuri Gulla, Colin Short and Ashwath Ventkataramani to join its aviation finance division. Muzinich will launch its aviation finance capabilities on 1 February this year.

Franklin Templeton – Gaston Brandes has been appointed head institutional portfolio manager EMEA and Jennifer McCabe as legal transaction manager at Franklin Real Asset Advisors. Brandes, a senior real estate professional, re-joined Franklin Templeton after 13 years and will be responsible for representing the private real estate investment team across institutional distribution channels in the EMEA region. He will focus on partnership with key distribution channels to support business growth and retention. Prior to re-joining Franklin Templeton, Brandes was managing director, head of business development real estate at Aviva Investors. Before that, he worked as head of capital markets for Grosvenor’s fund management business in London. His earlier roles included executive director for global real estate products and business development at UBS global asset management and at Franklin Templeton in various positions in Fort Lauderdale (Florida), New York, London and Frankfurt. McCabe will focus on the legal investment aspects of European private real estate transactions, working closely with the investment team and maintaining overall deal oversight.

AMP Capital Diversified Property Fund – The fund has appointed Tom Green fund manager, with Andrew Jeffs as his deputy. Green was promoted from his previous role as assistant fund manager, and Jeffs joined the group from LendLease, where he was most recently head of retail operations. Green, who has been with AMP Capital since 2017, continues to implement strategy to optimise performance objectives. He was involved in developing the strategy in his last role. Jeffs will support Green on key fund and commercial activities.

Octopus Group – Deniz Sevincer and Mark Williams have been appointed as co-heads of institutional funds. Sevincer and Williams will be jointly responsible for managing Octopus’ institutional strategy to help assist institutions with their allocations to alternatives worldwide. Sevincer joined Octopus in May 2014, working on institutional fundraising and strategic acquisitions in the renewables team, before becoming director of project management in the institutional funds team in January 2018. In his new role, he will oversee the execution of fundraises, from product development to investor onboarding. Williams joined Octopus in 2011 and has held various roles including head of strategic partnerships. He will oversee Octopus’ fundraising strategy, identifying new investors and developing relationships for new fundraises.

AMP Capital – The investment manager has hired former Manchester Airports Group director Graeme Ferguson to lead its Airports business in Europe. Ferguson will join its European asset management team as an investment director and head of Airports for Europe which currently comprise London Luton, Leeds Bradford and Newcastle airports. Ferguson also joins the boards of Leeds Bradford and Newcastle airports. Before joining AMP Capital, Ferguson was corporate development director at Manchester Airports Group. He began his career as a solicitor in Allen & Overy’s Projects, Transport and Infrastructure Group before moving to the legal team at Grupo Ferrovial’s Amey in 2008 in its infrastructure investment division.

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