Aviva Investors has formed a new real assets business (AIRA), bringing together direct real estate, infrastructure, structured finance and private debt under a single leadership and operating structure.
Mark Versey has been appointed CIO of real assets. He is overseeing around 300 professionals in five locations (London and Norwich, Paris, Frankfurt, and Toronto) working across fund management, asset management, asset origination, underwriting, research and business management.
A real assets leadership team has been established, comprising:
- Mark Versey, CIO, real assets
- Barry Fowler, managing director, alternative income
- Daniel McHugh, managing director, real estate investments
- David Skinner, managing director, real estate strategy and fund management
- Chris Urwin, director of research, real assets
AIRA will focus on being a direct operator in real assets, with full control over fund management, asset management, origination and distribution in its chosen markets.
Consequently, Aviva Investors has entered into agreements to sell its real estate multi-manager business and its interest in Encore+, a pan-European commercial property fund, to LaSalle Investment Management. The deal will see approximately £6 billion ($tk billion) of assets (less than 2 percent of Aviva Investors’ total AUM) transferring on completion, subject to client and regulatory approvals. Ed Casal, CEO, global real estate at Aviva Investors, will join LaSalle as part of the transaction.
