Face-to-Face Event! Fund operations of tomorrow: How CFOs and COOs are investing for future success

Paolo is a qualified Chartered Accountant and is Global Head of Real Estate Business Finance and Strategy at Aberdeen Standard Investments (“ASI”).  As a member of the Real Estate Investment Management Committee at ASI Paolo is responsible for providing strategic leadership and input at both business and product level whilst also being responsible for overseeing and managing the profitability of the real estate division.  In his time at ASI Paolo has been heavily involved in and often been the 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 is a recognised figure in the real estate industry with various roles at AREF (Board, Management Committee and Public Affairs Committee) as well as INREV. 

Communications and Content exists to help investment and financial brands communicate with more imagination, energy and purpose.

David Butcher founded the business in September 2017, because he wanted to distil his long experience and understanding of investment and financial communications into a format that any client could use.

Back in the late 1990s, David was working in media relations with clients such as Citywire.co.uk and Moneysupermarket.com – and rapidly came to realise that the key to effective financial communications is compelling story telling, supported by good quality empirical evidence.

Over a long career, in consultancy and in-house roles, David has evolved this approach across corporate positioning, thought leadership, corporate communications, product communications, content and client communications, including request for proposals.

Based in Luxembourg, Paul leads our real assets offering, with Group-wide oversight of the delivery of fund and corporate services to the real estate, infrastructure and asset leasing sectors.

As Group Head of Real Assets, he has overall responsibility for our operations and multi-jurisdictional teams focused on serving this specialist asset class.

Paul is a senior leader within our Luxembourg office and is a member of the Group Executive Committee.

Background and experience

Paul joined the Group in 2014 as Head of Real Assets in Jersey, with a mandate encompassing day-to-day leadership of our Jersey-based operations, relationship teams and business development activity. His responsibilities included leading teams in the provision of administration, accounting and transfer agency services to a diverse portfolio of real estate and infrastructure clients, ranging from major international asset managers to boutique private equity real estate managers.

Upon assuming a Group-wide responsibility in 2019, Paul and his family relocated to Luxembourg.

Prior to joining the Group, Paul spent ten years working at PwC and progressed through the ranks to be an experienced senior manager. While there, he managed a team responsible for the delivery of audit and advisory services to financial institutions, funds and investors. During his time with PwC, Paul gained extensive multi-jurisdictional experience, having worked in their Jersey, London and Melbourne offices.

Emma joined Fiera Real Estate, UK in 2007 and was appointed General Counsel before broadening her role to run the operational side of the business. Emma’s remit includes oversight of regulation, risk and legal alongside the firm’s digital transformation and inclusion and integration of ESG in all business processes.  Prior to Fiera Real Estate, Emma qualified as a lawyer specialising in real estate investment management at Forsters LLP. Emma is a Corporate Governance Committee member of the Association of Real Estate Funds (AREF).