Private equity real estate firm, Benson Elliot Capital Management, has made two significant appointments since the New Year, with Georg Strassner and James Jakeman joining the company in senior roles.
Strassner and Jakeman will focus on the German-speaking and UK markets respectively, adding to Benson Elliot’s already strong capabilities in these strategically important regions.
Strassner was previously Managing Director and Head of Real Estate Management at Strategic Value Partners in Frankfurt, where he led a team of twelve real estate professionals responsible for managing a 180-asset, EUR1.5 billion German property portfolio. Before that, he was Regional Head, South, at Argoneo, the European real estate asset management arm of Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing. From 2003 to 2005 Strassner worked alongside Benson Elliot Managing Partner Marc Mogull at Doughty Hanson & Co Real Estate. At Benson Elliot he will partner with Philipp Braschel in directing the firm’s activities in German-speaking Europe.
James Jakeman joins from Societe Generale where he was the Head of UK Real Estate, responsible for lending and debt investments. From 2000 to 2008 he was an Executive Director on the real estate principal investments team at Lehman Brothers, where he led transactions in the UK and internationally totalling over EUR2 billion in investment value. Jakeman began his real estate career in 1995 at Jones Lang LaSalle, where he qualified as a Chartered Surveyor. At Benson Elliot he will work alongside Phil Irons in directing the firm’s UK activities.
Trish Barrigan (pictured), Senior Partner at Benson Elliot, says: “Germany and the UK are key markets for us and we have strengthened our team because we are seeing an increasing number of opportunities coming from these geographies. We are pleased to welcome these highly experienced and widely respected professionals to our team, and look forward to building on our existing success together.”
