Forum adds M3 veteran as managing director

Forum Partners, the global private equity real estate firm that announced the takeover of Cushman & Wakefield Investors last month, has appointed former M3 Capital Partners principal George Ahl to the new post of managing director for capital markets. Ahl will be based in Forum’s Greenwich, Connecticut office and will be responsible for future product development, with a primary focus on North America. He starts this week.

 

In January, Chicago-based M3 revealed it would be sharpening its focus on its growing $3.4 billion principal investment area. As a result of the shift, the firm pruned its overall headcount with some senior level departures taking place, including Ahl’s. As one of the founding principals at M3, Ahl led the successful capitalization of MGPA Fund III, which was comprised of two regionally-focused funds targeting Asia and Europe and closed on $5.2 billion in commitments in 2008.

 

Prior to M3, Ahl held senior positions at Security Capital Group and at Crimson Capital, where he assisted the transition of select Eastern European countries from centrally planned to market economies.  During his earlier career, he held positions at LaSalle Partners (now LaSalle Investment Management) and Merrill Lynch Capital Markets.

 

“George has exceptional experience across real estate, and we are hugely pleased to have attracted such an industry veteran.  There is no question that he is joining us at a most exciting time of considerable growth,” said Russell Platt, chief executive of Forum. “We see enormous opportunities for developing our business model further afield, not just in Europe and Asia but also in North America.  We see George as being a major contributor to this expansion plan as we continue to source opportunities for clients globally.”

 

Ahl’s appointment is the latest in a string of major corporate developments at Forum. On February 24, the firm announced the appointment of Evelyne Dubé, former head of real estate investor relations at Apollo Global Management, as head of capital markets and group business development, primarily in Europe. Dubé’s appointment followed Forum’s early takeover of Cushman & Wakefield Investors. In that takeover, a team of eight investment professionals operating out of offices in London, Frankfurt and Paris transferred to La Française Forum Real Estate Partners – the platform created off the back of La Française and Forum's strategic joint venture announced in September.