Allianz Real Estate to open London office

Allianz Real Estate has plans to open an office in London in June.

“Allianz Real Estate is committed to developing its portfolio in the United Kingdom. We have been successfully growing our assets in this market since 2017, but to enhance this further we have decided to open an office in London. London remains highly influential in a European and global context, and we believe there are excellent opportunities for growth and increased capital allocation,” said Francois Trausch, CEO, Allianz Real Estate.

The firm has appointed Kari Pitkin as head of business development across Europe. With 20 years of investment banking experience in the EMEA region, Pitkin joins from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where she held the position of head of EMEA real estate & lodging, having joined the firm in 2005.

It has also appointed Shripal Shah as head of debt origination – London, to lead the team serving U.K. and Pan-European clients. Since 2002, Shah covered seni