US-based privately-held developer-investor Hines has announced the appointment of Marc Sampietro as director of Living Operations for Spain and Italy.
The newly created role is aimed at continuing Hines’ momentum in expanding its European Living operation, including student accommodation and the Build to Rent Sector (BTR). Hines operates residential properties across Europe, including Hines’ aparto student living brand.
Sampietro brings extensive experience in operations management and finance in the hotel industry, joining Hines from The Student Hotel, where he managed hotel operations across Italy, France and Spain, as well as leading the firm’s Southern Europe team from its Barcelona office. Prior to this he was regional operations director for NH Hotel Group in Italy.
The Hines pan-European Core Fund (HECF) and Hines European Value Fund (HEVF) each have significant portfolios of living assets across Europe, with strong pipelines of further build to rent and residential projects. Hines is also currently developing living projects in Birmingham, Milan and Barcelona with joint venture partners. aparto currently operates 12 student accommodation properties throughout the UK and Ireland.
In February 2020, Hines also announced the launch of a new €1.25 bn pan-European Living joint venture with QuadReal to invest in build-to-rent housing, student accommodation and serviced apartments across Europe.
Tom Rix, managing director for Hines Europe Living Management, said: ‘We are delighted to welcome Marc to our team – his leadership and operations experience across hotel and student living will enable us to deliver a best-in-class experience for our residents. We have an exciting pipeline of prospective assets in major Italian and Spanish cities and we see this appointment as another step in growing our portfolio across Europe.’
‘I’m excited to be joining Hines at a time when the firm is significantly expanding its European operations in both student living and the Private Rented Sector,’ added Marc Sampietro, head of Living Operations for Spain and Italy. ‘Hines has an excellent track record of delivering world-class living experiences and I look forward to bringing this approach to more Spanish and Italian locations.’
