DCAM hires Avdonina to head Euro logistics push

Delin Capital Asset Management (DCAM), the asset management arm of private equity firm Delin Capital, has appointed Ekaterina Avdonina as managing director. 

Avdonina was formerly DCAM’s chief investment officer (CIO) and replaces the outgoing managing director Christian Jamieson, who has left to pursue other interests.

She has 11 years of experience in the logistics sector having been the CIO since the firm’s inception in 2012, during which time its assets under management have risen to more than €500m.

Prior to DCAM, Avdonina worked at Dutch property giant ING Real Estate as well undertaking various roles at Russian property advisors GVA in Moscow. She is one of the few senior women in the logistics sector.

To date, DCAM has acted as an asset manager, making investments on behalf of clients into prime logistics spaces in the UK and Benelux. Thus far, it has accumulated a portfolio providing almost 6 million square feet of warehouse and distribution space.

But following Avdonina’s appointment, a spokesman said, the firm’s focus will now shift to best-in-class European logistics assets, including development, particularly well-located warehouse and urban distribution properties which can take advantage of the growth in Europe’s E-commerce and logistics supply chain.

Avdonina said she believes the firm is now perfectly positioned to identify further investment and development opportunities and become a “key player” in the European market.

“We firmly believe that logistics assets (both big box and urban units) will continue to benefit from strong occupational demand supported by the structural shifts that are taking place in the purchase and delivery of goods driven by E-commerce,” she added.

In a first step towards its goal, the firm has announced its first development project in the Netherlands, a 430,000 square foot logistics warehouse, costing €30 million, close to the ports of Rotterdam and Moerdijk.

In November 2012, DCAM announced the close of its first real estate fund Capital Preservation Portfolio I, which raised €200 million by targeting investments in the UK, Germany and Benelux. The firm has acquired 16 logistics assets on behalf of the fund.

DCAM is part of Georgian entrepreneur Igor Linshits’ Delin Capital Group, which has interests in construction, building products, food and agriculture.