Swedish private equity group EQT has announced the opening of an office in Paris and the hire of Sébastien Morizot from Colony Capital to lead its real estate investment strategy in the country.
Morizot, who joins EQT Real Estate as a director this month, brings more than ten years real estate experience from the French and European markets. At EQT, he will focus on value-add real estate projects to create long-term institutional assets.
He will be based at the company’s new Paris office, which includes 10 investment advisory professionals headed by Nicolas Brugère.
‘France is one of the largest markets for Private Markets investments in Europe and the expansion fortifies our commitment to continental Europe,’ said Christian Sinding, CEO and Managing Partner at EQT. ‘The team in Paris, with dedicated investment advisory professionals within Private Equity, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Ventures, is well-positioned to stay close to both the existing portfolio companies and to capture new opportunities in the region across all business segments.’
EQT Real Estate’s French portfolio includes Smart Parc, Trideca and Concept, three Greater Paris office properties with combined gross development value in excess of €400 mln, and a 3,000-unit affordable housing development programme across France.
