PGIM Real Estate is expanding its Australian team, with three new appointments being made with a focus on debt in the Asia Pacific region.
Emma Jack has been transferred to the role of executive director from her previous position in PGIM’s European team, where they were in charge of origination and new products.
Jack will now oversee PGIM’s existing debt funds across its Asia Pacific business, utilising her experience in debt markets to develop and implement new debt strategies across the region.
“These appointments place PGIM Real Estate in a strong position to continue growing our footprint locally,” said Stephen Bulloch, managing director and head of Australia at PGIM.
“This is especially true within the value-add debt space where we continue to finance projects that do not meet the traditional criteria of the banks, identifying the ability for high-quality underlying real estate to be delivered or repositioned by best-in-class sponsors.”
Lana Kuznetsova has joined PGIM Real Estate as an investment vice president, bringing 16 years of experience across the property finance industry to the position.
Kuznetsova will report to Stephen O’Keeffe, who was appointed in 2018 to head up origination and execution of debt transactions, as executive director of PGIM Real Estate, Australia.
Additionally, PGIM has appointed Megan Liew, formerly at Invesco Real Estate, as an investment analyst who will focus on both debt and equity opportunities.
“There has been a noticeable shift in what can be considered core or defensive assets and we are assessing an increasing number of alternative investment opportunities within the living sector, data centres, new age office repositionings, and well-located mixed-use assets. Our new team members will play a critical role during this exciting growth period,” said Bulloch.
PGIM Real Estate is currently looking to eclipse more than $2 billion in debt and equity transactions in 2021, with the group’s debt business in Australia with current exposures exceeding $2.5 billion.
Bulloch went on to express the group’s need to expand its team due to the “…the increased breadth of our platform which now includes eight funds and mandates and covers the full real estate investment spectrum.”
