UNITED STATES - RREEF Alternative Investments has added to its executive staff with the hiring of Susan Barlow as managing director and head of global client relations.

This is a significant move for RREEF, as it shows the company is looking to rebound from the loss of some of its top executives over the past couple of years.

Those people who left RREEF included Steve Steppe, former chairman of RREEF's North American operations, Sol Raso, managing director of client relations and Dwight Merriman, managing director in the acquisitions division - and all of whom subsequently moved to Stockbridge Capital Group.

Barlow has more than 20 years of experience in working with many companies on both the real estate manager and consulting side of the business, and her most was recent experience was as a co-founder of AVP Advisors.

She was heavily involved at that time in the capital raising for American Value Partners Fund I - a $600m (€381.7m) commingled fund, raised in part through $100m commitments by California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) and California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS).

Barlow previously also worked at real estate managers such as Heitman and WP Carey as well as spending some time in consultancy as managing director at Callan Real Estate Services, an affiliate of consultant Callan Associates.

Barlow will be responsible for directing RREEF's global client relations organisation and will also be actively involved in investment product development, as well as joining RREEF's global executive committee and global alternatives investment committee.

Barlow will be working out of RREEF's New York office and report to Chuck Leitner, global head of RREEF Alternative Investments.

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