Italian listed property services firm Prelios has announced the hiring of Nico Tates as head of its new investment management business line and the opening of a new office in Frankfurt.

Italian listed property services firm Prelios has announced the hiring of Nico Tates as head of its new investment management business line and the opening of a new office in Frankfurt.

Tates, who will assume the position on December 1, will manage the opening of the new Frankfurt am Main office planned for the first half of 2016. His appointment is in line with the company's strategy to focus purely on services including asset management for third-party investors.

'We have just successfully completed a strategic realignment, to focus purely on serving third party clients,' commented Andrea Boeri, managing director of Prelios Immobilien Management. The company is planning the launch of a property investment fund focused on investment in Germany and Northern Europe.

Tates has 35 years of professional experience in international real estate and fund management. Until 2015, he has been a senior manager with Aberdeen Asset Management, leading the Aberdeen country units in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Italy.

He was also responsible for property fund management, transaction management and asset management activities for the German, Dutch, French and Italian offices, managing funds with a total value of €6.8 bn.