Jaguar taps ADIA exec for CFO

Ian Wilkin has joined the New York-based private equity real estate firm from the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority where he worked as head of decision support for real estate.

Jaguar Growth Partners, the New York-based private equity real estate firm, has hired Ian Wilkin as chief financial officer and chief operating officer, new positions for the firm.

To join the firm, founded by former Equity International executives Gary Garrabrant and Thomas McDonald, Wilkin has left the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA). Wilkin started at his dual role at Jaguar this month.

Wilkin was previously the sovereign wealth fund’s head of decision support for real estate and infrastructure. He was also a member of the real estate risk management committee. Prior to his five years at ADIA, Wilkin was a manager at Ernst & Young in the UK.

In October, Jaguar opened its first office outside its New York headquarters in São Paulo. The firm hired its first Latin America-based investment professionals, vice president Christian Klotz and associate Ricardo Costa, to head the office.

Jaguar, which invests in and develops real estate-related operating platforms and companies in growth markets globally, was founded in 2013 by Garrabrant and McDonald, the former chief executive and chief strategic officer, respectively, of Equity International, the Chicago-based private equity real estate firm led by Sam Zell. The two executives had been with EI since its inception in 1999; Garrabrant was co-founder of the firm with Zell, while McDonald had been responsible for investments at the company. Both men left EI in September 2012 and formed Jaguar the following spring.

As of June 5, Jaguar managed $30 million in regulatory assets under management, all on a discretionary basis, according to an August 31 filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm currently manages one commingled, discretionary fund, Jaguar Real Estate Partners. PERE reported in July 2014 that Jaguar was targeting approximately $750 million for its first property fund.