M7 expands CEE platform with new Prague office

European investment manager M7 Real Estate has opened a new office in Prague and appointed Paul Betts as joint managing director for Central and Eastern Europe, alongside Warsaw-based Amanda Spring.

M7 said it is also planning to open offices in Budapest and Bucharest, adding to the existing office in Warsaw which will provide the company with a significant operational platform from which to develop its presence in the CEE region.

Betts, who will be based in Prague, will be tasked with building the CEE platform together with Amanda Spring in Warsaw. They will work with the London team to grow assets under management, focusing on the capital cities and other major conurbations across the region.

Betts joins M7 from JLL where he spent three years, most recently as head of logistics for the EMEA region. He previously spent 22 years at King Sturge, where he was managing director of France and managing director in Prague, where he lived for eight years.

Richard Croft, M7 Real Estate’s CEO, said: 'We are seeing an increasing number of opportunities in Central and Eastern Europe, both in relation to direct investments and non-performing loans. With the new Prague office and the planned openings in Bucharest and Budapest, M7 will have significantly stronger on-the-ground expertise to find and capture these opportunities, enabling us to create the pre-eminent investment and asset management platform in the region.'