Student accommodation specialist Nido Living has appointed Taco van Heusden as chief investment and development officer (CIDO), to drive the company’s strategic expansion into new European markets, with a focus on Italy and Germany.
Van Heusden, a seasoned real estate leader with 25 years of experience across Europe and the Middle East, brings expertise as an investor, operator, advisor, developer, and banker.
He is expected to play a key role in Nido Living’s strategic expansion, following its acquisition by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments). Now a vertically integrated platform, Nido Living combines investment, development, and portfolio management, with its established operational expertise.
Since January 2024, Van Heusden has served as Nido Living’s Interim chief transition officer, where he has been instrumental in shaping and integrating the platform.
His contributions include setting-up Nido Living’s Amsterdam headquarters; streamlining the investment, portfolio management, and finance frameworks and functions; and supporting the business’s recruitment drive.
He joins the executive team led by CEO Carlo Matta, alongside COO Darren Gardner, and CFO Ryan Lee. He will be based in the Amsterdam headquarters. Nido Living also recently appointed Dr Beatrice Lafon as chairwoman of the newly established board.
Carlo Matta, CEO of Nido Living, commented: 'I am very pleased that Taco decided to join us for the long term, he has a proven track record of delivering transformative results, and he has already played a critical role in helping establish Nido Living as a fully integrated student accommodation platform.
'With his deep understanding of our business, ambitious strategy, and vision, Taco is ideally placed to lead our investment and development initiatives as we expand into new markets.'
Van Heusden added: 'Nido Living’s ambition, vision, and values have been inspiring throughout this transformation, and it’s rewarding to already yield results.
'I look forward to furthering Nido Living’s growth, drawing on my knowledge of the business and my experience to advance our expansion, forge new partnerships and deals, and deliver the next generation of quality and experiential student accommodation.'
Prior to joining Nido Living, he held senior roles across real estate, finance, and hospitality, including chief investment officer at Aldau Development, real estate principal at Urbanist Group, managing director of real estate at Hanson Asset Management, director at Strategic Value Partners; finance & acquisitions director at Lohnback Investment Partners, and several former operational roles in hospitality.
