DWS has named Matthias Naumann (pictured) as chief investment officer of real estate for Asia Pacific, according to a statement from the company.
He will be relocating from Deustche Bank’s asset management headquarters in Frankfurt to Sydney, reporting to Singapore-based Christopher Kimm, head of real estate for Apac.
“We are pleased to welcome Matthias as our first dedicated real estate CIO in the region signifying our commitment to growing the platform,” Kimm said.
“Matthias’ substantial track record built with our European real estate platform, combined with his already deep understanding of the Apac investment market makes him an ideal candidate to support the region’s sustainable AUM and revenue growth through the upcoming investment cycle.”
The company said Matthias will be responsible for identifying real estate investment opportunities across Asia Pacific, where DWS already has an established presence in Australia, Korea, Japan and Singapore working with the respective country heads, as well as exploring new markets for strategic growth.
Naumann said: “As a new investment cycle emerges, we believe Australian real estate will offer immediate investment opportunities in BTR, logistics and next generation office, while we continue to test pricing to re-enter strategic segments of the Japanese and Korean markets very soon.”
Matthias joined DWS in 2013 as the head of European real estate strategy. Since 2019, he has served as the CIO of the firm’s €31bn ($33.7bn) European real estate platform.
Prior to joining the firm, he served as a senior analyst at AXA Investment Managers in London and for Invesco Real Estate in Munich.