Le mie ricette per la real estate communityAllianz Real Estate has opened an office in Vienna and appointed Thomas Villadsen to the new role of Director of Austria and Central & Eastern Europe (CEE). The move, which strengthens the firm’s presence across the region and builds on established assets in countries such as Austria, Hungary, Slovenia and Poland, is part of Allianz Real Estate’s aspiration to have a physical presence in key global markets.
A Danish national, Thomas has extensive experience of various real estate sectors, particularly retail and office, as well as real estate development and asset management. He has worked across the CEE region for many years, most recently as CEO of Belgrade-based MPC Properties. Prior to this, he was the General Manager and Senior Vice President for TK Development in Prague.
Allianz grew its real estate portfolio by a record €8.9bn in 2017 – €5.2bn in equity and €3.7bn in debt investments – to €56bn worldwide. The growth of the portfolio was due to the continuation of a broad diversification strategy at Allianz Real Estate in both established and new markets.
In July last year, Allianz expanded its real estate portfolio in Austria with the purchase of the landmark office project “THE ICON” in Vienna, an 88,000 sqm building situated close to the new central station. The property is currently undergoing construction with completion set for the end of this year or early 2019.
“With established assets in Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Hungary and Austria, Allianz already controls a significant regional real estate portfolio with many prime assets. We are now looking to build on this momentum with the opening of an office in Vienna. Thomas’ knowledge of local markets and deep real estate experience will strengthen our business and I’m delighted to welcome him to the team,” said Annette Kröger, CEO of Allianz Real Estate North & Central Europe.
François Trausch, CEO, Allianz Real Estate, said: “Our office in Vienna complements our global strategy of continued diversification across regions and asset classes, and fits our aspiration to be close to our markets and our assets. The North & Central Europe region continues to play a pivotal role in our global growth: Allianz Real Estate was formed in Germany 10 years ago and opening a new Vienna office in the year we celebrate our tenth anniversary shows the ongoing evolution and importance of the region.”
Source : Company