People moves: Prologis and PGIM bolster ESG leadership

Prologis, PGIM Real Estate, Barings, Octopus Investments, Asana Partners, Corestate Capital Holding

Prologis – The global logistics real estate investment company has appointed sustainability expert Susan Uthayakumar to the new role of chief sustainability and energy officer. Uthayakumar will lead the company’s customer-focused sustainability and energy solutions business. She will also partner with the company’s ESG team on strategy, progress, stakeholder engagement and related initiatives. Uthayakumar was previously president of sustainability business division of Schneider Electric.

PGIM Real Estate – Julie Townsend has joined the real estate investment manager as ESG lead for Europe and Asia-Pacific. Based in London, she will oversee the ESG strategy and implementation across the two regions and will report to Christina Hill, global head of ESG and head of Americas asset management. Townsend spent 15 years at CBRE, latterly as head of environmental consultancy. 

Barings – The real estate investment manager has grown its European real estate debt team with the appointment of Kasimir zu Eltz as a director. Based in Frankfurt, zu Eltz will be responsible for helping to grow the debt business in Europe, originating new business and loans with borrowers across the continent. He was most recently at PGIM Real Estate where he was responsible for origination and execution of value-add and core real estate debt transactions in continental Europe as a director and vice president in European debt origination.

Octopus Investments – The specialist in renewable energy, real estate lending and development, healthcare and venture capital has hired Jennifer Ockwell as head of institutional, as it expands its offering to institutional investors. Based in London, Ockwell will lead the institutional funds distribution team and will report to CIO Jonathan Digges. Most recently, she was head of institutional at Triple Point, an investment manager focused on social housing, digital infrastructure, energy and venture capital.

Asana Partners – The US mixed-used and retail real estate investment specialist has made four of its managing directors partners: Seth Black, Reed Kracke, Will Ponder and Brian Purcell.

Corestate Capital Holding – Following changes in the shareholder base, Stavros Efremidis and Bertrand Malmendier have joined the German real estate investment manager’s supervisory body. Efremidis will assume the role of chairman of the supervisory board, and Malmendier was elected as deputy chairman.