CBRE Caledon poaches GIC’s co-head of European infra

CBRE Caledon has hired senior infrastructure specialist Andreas Köttering from GIC as the North American asset manager sets its sights on expansion in Europe.

“Our two major infrastructure markets are North America and Europe. While we’ve been doing a good job of covering Europe from Toronto, it’s important for us to have a presence in Europe,” CBRE Caledon’s head of infrastructure Stephen Dowd told Infrastructure Investor. “The team Andreas is building allows us to do just that.”

CBRE Global Investors, the firm’s Los Angeles-based real estate division, has operated a London office for years. CBRE acquired Toronto-based infrastructure manager Caledon Capital Management last June but allowed the firm to operate as a separate business unit. Now, CBRE Caledon is establishing a team in CBRE’s London office to manage European infrastructure investments.

Köttering will serve as the head of that group, according to a statement. He will be responsible for building a team of investment professionals leading Caledon in sourcing and executing deals targeting utility, energy infrastructure and telecom assets across the continent.

CBRE Caledon’s infrastructure portfolio now manages $5.9 billion in assets, including five assets in Europe, according to Dowd, who declined to disclose what those assets are or their value.

Before joining CBRE Caledon, Köttering was co-head of European infrastructure at Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC. He has previously held senior infrastructure roles at Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, CITI, Schroders and Siemens.

“His experience is unparalleled. He has a very similar background to many of us, coming from the institutional investor world,” Dowd added. “We think he’s consistent with the character and culture of the firm.”