AXA hires Lazard exec to lead property services group

AXA Real Estate has appointed former Lazard managing director Anne Kavanagh to lead its global property services group.

Kavanagh will report directly to AXA Real Estate chief executive officer Pierre Vaquier. As global head of the property group, Kavanagh has been charged with boosting returns to investments, across AXA’s funds, as well as manage existing assets and take charge of acquisitions and sales and development activities.

Vaquier said in a statement: “In the current market, her mission is critical to generate the economic return that we owe to our investor clients.”

Kavanagh was also head of real estate Europe at London-based listed fund manager, Cambridge Place Investment Management, and international director at Jones Lang LaSalle, where she was responsible for the firm’s European capital markets business.

In September last year, AXA hired Dennis Lopez as global chief investment officer, responsible for the group’s fund management activities. Lopez, who also reports to Vaquier, joined from emerging markets investment house, SUN Real Estate, where he was chief executive officer. He had also worked for Cambridge Place Investment Management, where he was global head of real estate

Lopez is responsible for “the quality and consistency of investment services as well as the performances delivered to all AXA REIM clients” according to an announcement on his appointment released at the time.