Ric Lewis to leave Curzon

Ric Lewis, the chief executive of Curzon Global Partners and chief investment officer at affiliate AEW Europe, is quitting the business.

Investors were told of his departure in a letter last week signed by the AEW Europe chief executive Francois Pochard, who himself is thought to be retiring next year.

According to sources, the letter says Lewis will be leaving the company in the middle of 2009 after 20 years with AEW. He will remain in his post until the end of April and will fully depart the company in the summer after an interim spell as a consultant.

His departure comes after AEW, which owns London-based Curzon, rebranded in the summer and subsequently restructured, handing more control over key business issues to AEW’s headquarters in Paris. AEW is owned by French firm Natixis, which is in turn owned by two French banks, Caisse d’Epargne and Banque Populaire.

Massachusetts-born Lewis was responsible for establishing the European platform for US firm AEW in 1999, naming it Curzon Global Partners after the West London street it is based in.

Earlier this year, the firm raised its largest fund to date, European Property Investors Special Opportunities LP, which corralled €800 million. Under the current restructuring plans, the Curzon name will disappear.

Curzon, AEW were unavailable for comment at the time of publication.  

(Picture courtesy of Bellier Financial)