German property financier DekaBank said on Monday that it has appointed Chris Bennett as new head of its London branch.
Bennett, aged 43, has been with DekaBank since the inception of the UK representative office in 2008. He replaces 56-year old manager Mark Titcomb who will be stepping down from his role as head of DekaBank’s London Branch and will leave the bank by mid-September 2018 to pursue interests outside the banking industry.
DekaBank has financed some of the largest Central London office investments in the recent past, including the provision of a £205 mln five-year loan to finance Mirae Asset Global's £340 mln purchase of 20 Old Bailey in the City of London. Other major financings provided in the past included loans for the HSBC Tower, London Stock Exchange and Sainsbury's headquarters in the British capital. DekaBank focuses strategically on senior tranches for existing core properties in the segments office, retail, logistics and hotel.
Anni Hönicke, head of real Estate lending at DekaBank said: 'We are very grateful to Mark Titcomb for his exceptional commitment over the last 10 years and are sad to see him leave. With the appointment of Chris Bennett, we ensure a seamless transition in the management of our branch and continued excellence and expertise in the commercial real estate finance sector.'