Board & Structure

Anne Breen was appointed the Chair of AREF in March 2024 and is the Global Head of Real Estate at abrdn.

At abrdn, Anne’s role is to lead the investment approach, process and strategy for the real estate business at Aberdeen Standard. This includes the creation of a Global Houseview to support real estate investment allocations relevant to all investor outcomes, as well as the development of the risk based tools and strategic insights to deliver a strong long term risk adjusted track record for clients. Anne chairs the global committees across the Real Estate business assessing fund strategic plans for investment, distributions and asset management.

Kevin is Head of Equity Real Estate – UK and Continental Europe at Savills IM.

As head of the European business (excluding debt), Kevin is responsible for the day to day operations and ultimately for the delivery of Client target investment returns within appropriate risk adjusted parameters. He was formerly CEO of Knight Frank Investment Management and CEO at ING Real Estate prior to that.   

Kevin is a member of the Investment Property Forum and in 2021 was awarded an MBE for his many years of service to GB Wheelchair Rugby and disabled people.

Paolo is a qualified Chartered Accountant and recently returned to abrdn plc as Head of Structuring and Operational Strategy – Alternatives, having previously held the position of Real Estate COO.  As a member of the Real Estate leadership team and with a broader role across Alternatives, Paolo is and was responsible for providing strategic leadership and input at both business and product level and as Real Estate COO he was also responsible for overseeing and managing the profitability of the real estate division.  Paolo has been heavily involved in and often lead on a number of high-profile initiatives including a wide range of product launches, the industry leading merger of two PAIFs, and the development of the firm’s commercial real estate lending platform, as well as playing a key role in developing the firm’s leading real estate ESG capability.  Paolo has been a member of the AREF Board since 2018 and an active voice for the industry on open ended real estate funds and the development of the LTAF.

Edmund is an experienced real estate business leader with deep knowledge of management and of real estate and equity and debt capital markets, both public and private.

He was the Managing Director (and Partner) of Rockspring Property Investment Managers from 2009-2018, responsible for strategic direction and day to day operations, and was Senior Managing Director, Head of Fund Management and a member of the Senior Leadership team and Operational Board of PATRIZIA from 2018-2021.  He has extensive experience of chairing and participating in Investment Committees and other key corporate and fund governance boards and committees, including ESG committees.

 Before joining the real estate investment management industry he had a long career in investment banking, and he was European Head of Real Estate Investment Banking at both UBS Investment Bank and Lehman Brothers. There, and as an independent consultant following the Global Financial Crisis, he advised a wide range of companies and investors on capital raising, corporate finance strategy and M&A transactions from 1987-2009.

Alistair is a head of Europe at LaSalle Global Solutions. He moved over from Aviva Investors in 2018, where he was Head of UK Capital GIRE and  a Senior Fund Manager, responsible for a number of key client accounts.  Alistair joined Aviva Investors in March 2009, previously having worked at ING Real Estate for nine years, firstly in the research team and then in the Multi-Manager team.

   
Alistair holds an LLB in Law and an MSc in Management and IT from the University of Leicester.  In 2009 he completed the IPF Diploma.   Alistair is also a member of the INREV Secondary Markets and Liquidity Committee.

Andrew Grigson is an executive director at PGIM Real Estate. Based in London, Andrew is responsible for business development, capital raising and marketing PGIM Real Estate’s global real estate products and services to UK institutional investors.

Prior to joining PGIM Real Estate in 2009, Andrew was a director of the UBS Global Asset Management UK Real Estate business, originally joining the team in 2004 as an asset manager but latterly handling investor relations for the UBS Triton Property Fund.

Earlier, Andrew spent 10 years with Jones Lang LaSalle / LaSalle Investment Management, working mostly on UK discretionary separate account mandates.

Andrew is a member nominated Trustee of the PGIM UK Retirement Savings Scheme and is also a Trustee of a London-based charity.  

Andrew has over 26 years of real estate industry experience and is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

William holds a number of positions, including, Chairman at Ediston Property Investment Company plc Board Member at Old Oak and Park Royal DC (OPDC) NED Mayfair Capital.

Prior to becoming a consultant in 2014, William joined Schroders in 1989 as a fund manager, Promoted in 1990 and then to head of property in 1991.

He has a BSc in Land Management from Reading University. 

 

Rebecca is a Fund Manager at DTZ Investors, managing investments in both listed and unlisted indirect real estate on both a discretionary and advisory basis for a range of clients. Rebecca has worked at DTZ Investors for 10 years and during this time, has been instrumental in lobbying fund managers and working with other investment managers in order to improve fund terms for investors, increase transparency and raise reporting standards. Rebecca was previously a member of the AREF Corporate Governance Committee, holding this position for two years.

Rebecca’s core competencies are in the management of indirect property portfolios and she has a range of experience including:

• Developing investment strategies for investors;
• Implementation of investment strategy through sourcing, negotiating and underwriting new issuance and secondary market transactions;
• Appraisal of investment managers;
• Fund due diligence;
• REITs and more liquid structures
• Trading, redemptions and fund liquidations.

Professional Qualifications
Rebecca is a holder of the Investment Management Certificate (IMC January 2010)
Degrees
Rebecca has a BSc (Hons) Economics, University of Surrey (2009)

Tom joined the Real Estate division of Langham Hall in July 2019.  He works primarily with UK Real Estate managers in the setup and ongoing administration of various investment structures.

Prior to this, Tom worked at global fund administration firm Vistra.

Tom has a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Cardiff University, graduating in 2013, and is currently studying towards becoming a CAIA charterholder.

Paul is the CEO of AREF.  Before joining AREF in 2020, Paul was Head of the European Real Estate Boutique within Mercer’s investment consulting business for almost 10 years, previously he was Head of Indirect Real Estate Investment and Global Managed Accounts at LaSalle Investment Management, where he was responsible for managing global portfolios of unlisted real estate funds for clients from Europe and Asia Pacific.

He has over 25 years of real estate experience in investment, corporate finance and research, and has advised investors, occupiers and venture capital companies on property portfolio strategy and on financial structuring, including PFI, senior and mezzanine debt and joint venture arrangements. His employers have included LaSalle Investment Management, Cushman & Wakefield and Henderson Investors.

Before coming into the world of real estate, Paul worked in marketing and market research. He originally studied Physiological Sciences at Lincoln College, Oxford and has a Master of Science in Real Estate from City University Business School, London, now Cass Business School.

Senior Lawyer with over 20 years’ international experience in asset management and financial markets at top tier private practice (Norton Rose Fulbright LLP) and in house for leading investment managers (most recently with Columbia Threadneedle Investments) as well as with AREF, the Real Estate Funds’ industry standards body, promoting best practice in corporate governance and transparency. Possesses detailed knowledge of all aspects of the law as it applies to RE funds, international regulation, debt and equity transactions with particular expertise in board advisory and shaping strategic solutions