CA Ventures has made two hires to support the U.S. firm’s planned $500 million investment in the European housing market.
Industry veterans joining the firm include Carlo Matta, who will head the new London-based European division of CA Ventures, and Olaf Henschen, who will serve as managing director for developments in the Netherlands.
Matta brings over 20 years of experience to the firm, most recently working as managing director at Optimum Asset Management in New York.
Henschen joins CA Ventures from LIFE Group in Antwerp, Belgium, where he served as managing director of the group’s residential real estate and student housing developments in the Netherlands.
The appointments come a few months after CA Ventures announced plans to expand in Europe. Specifically, CA is seeking to acquire both consented and unconsented schemes for development in addition to stalled for-sale schemes considering conversion to rental. As it grows its portfolio, the firm is seeking joint venture partners and offering broker incentives to source new investment opportunities. Target student accommodation markets will have a minimum enrollment of 15,000, while private-rented sector markets will boast a population of 200,000 or greater.
CA is currently developing two student-housing communities in the United Kingdom, two more in Poland, and is in active negotiations to acquire properties and development sites throughout both countries, as well as Ireland, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands.
And most recently, CA Ventures launched a new division that will pursue speculative development and acquisition opportunities throughout the United States. CA Industrial plans to invest $500 million in the logistics and distribution space over the next five years.
