People moves: Van der Spek leaves PGGM for ADIA strategy role

ADIA, PGGM, AXA Investment Managers–Real Assets, Grosvenor, Hines, Standard Life Investments, JPMAM, Thor Equities, DTZ, UPP, Affinity Water, CBRE GI, CapMan, PwC, Threadmark, Altitude, Willis Towers Watson, HTB Hanseatische Fondshaus, Deka, Valor, IDI Gazeley, Permira, Prelios

Abu Dhabi Investment Authority – Maarten van der Spek has joined as a senior strategist in the UAE. He was previously a director of strategy for private real estate at PGGM, having joined the Dutch investor in 2009. He has also worked for ING Real Estate Management (now CBRE Global Investors) from 1999 until 2008. He is a member of ANREV’s performance-management committee.

AXA Investment Managers–Real Assets – Mark Gilligan has been appointed head of infrastructure equity. He will report to Ruulke Bagijn, global head of real assets private equity. Gilligan joins from UBS Global Asset Management where he was head of European infrastructure. Before joining UBS in 2007, Gilligan spent 10 years as a lawyer at Mallesons Stephen Jacques (now Kings & Wood Mallesons) in Australia.

Grosvenor – José Escobar joins as director for works and development and will be based in Paris. In Stockholm, Maria Kaye has been appointed senior manager of asset management and development. Escobar joins Grosvenor to lead development projects across Continental Europe. He has worked with Lend Lease and Immobilaria Chamartin. Recently, he was based in Paris with Accor, managing projects in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Russia and Eastern Europe. Kaye has worked with Hutchison Whampoa, KPMG and Macquarie Bank.

Hines – Daniel Chang has been promoted to managing director of investment management in the European regional office. Chang joined Hines in 1999 as assistant construction manager in Paris. After working in Barcelona, Madrid and Düsseldorf, he moved to London in 2009 to join the European Funds Team and became the first dedicated fund-level asset manager for HECF. 

Standard Life Investments – Imran Ahmad has been appointed investment director of emerging market debt. Ahmad joins from JP Morgan Asset Management, where he held the role of currency portfolio manager. He will be based in London.

Thor Equities – Toby Cooper has been named executive director of European investments, with a primary focus on the London market. Cooper was previously a portfolio fund manager at DTZ. Prior to that, he worked in the European investment valuations department at DTZ. 

University Partnerships Programme – Richard Bienfait has been named CFO from 10 October. He was previously chief executive at Affinity Water, a position he held for five years. Prior to this, he worked for 13 years at Veolia Water UK.

CBRE Global Investors – Kristy Thompson has been appointed global head of human resources for US real estate investment businesses, CBRE Global Investors and Trammell Crow Company. Thompson joined CBRE in 2008 as a human resources manager for the western region of the CBRE Global Workplace Solutions line of business.

CapMan – Peter Gill has been named investment director in Copenhagen. He joins from PwC, where he was director for real estate operations and responsible for transaction services and buy and sell-side mandates. Prior to that, he worked for GVA Nybolig Erhverv, a Danish commercial property agent.

Threadmark – Ferhat Guven has joined as a senior vice-president in New York. Guven joins from Altitude Advisors, where he raised capital for a variety of direct real estate strategies. Prior to that, he worked in the US, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America on behalf of Jamestown, Paladin Realty Partners and UBS.

Willis Towers Watson – Sara Rejal has been promoted to head of liquid alternatives, while Karen Dolenec has been promoted to head of real assets. Both joined Willis Towers Watson in 2014 as senior investment consultants. In her new role, Dolenec will continue to be responsible for real estate, infrastructure and natural resources, while Rejal will oversee hedge funds, alternative beta, reinsurance and multi-asset strategies.

HTB Hanseatische Fondshaus – Frank Ebner has been named chief executive. He joins from Deka Immobilien Investment, where he was a managing director and head of alternative investments. Before then, he worked at aurelis Real Estate as head of portfolio management and head of strategy and business development.

Valor Real Estate Partners – Victor Massias and Cane Napolitano will join as principals. Both join from IDI Gazeley, having had previous stints at Goodman and KTR Capital. Massias will initially focus on Southern Europe, including France, Italy and Spain, while Napolitano’s initial focus will be on the UK, the Netherlands and Germany. Layla Powell joins as an executive assistant from Permira.

Prelios SGR – Andrea Cornetti has been appointed general manager. He joined Prelios SGR in 2013 as head of business development, fundraising and investor relations.