Corio said on Thursday that Chief Operating Officer Francine Zijlstra is leaving after 22 years of work at the Dutch listed retail property company.

Corio said on Thursday that Chief Operating Officer Francine Zijlstra is leaving after 22 years of work at the Dutch listed retail property company.

The resignation is effective per 1 December 2012.

In a statement, Corio said a search has been started to find a successor for Zijlstra's position and that her responsibilities will be taken over by Gerard Groener, CEO (Netherlands and Germany) and Frederic Fontaine, CDO (France, Spain, Italy and Turkey), effective immediately.

Francine Zijlstra was appointed as Chief Operational Officer (COO) in May 2010. She joined Corio in 1990, covering several positions, lastly as director of strategy & acquisitions. After a few years in financing, she has built 20 years of international experience in real estate.