NETHERLANDS – Peter de Haas, senior portfolio strategist for real estate at Dutch health care fund PGGM, is to join Protego Real Estate Investors.

He is to join the firm founded by Iain Reid, the former head of Aberdeen Property Investors, to head its new office in Rotterdam, which will open in March. He’ll have the title of international investment director.

The office will be a branch of the UK business and will follow the same business plan.

PGGM said he would be replaced, although it was still searching.

Protego said de Haas will work on creating property derivatives in a select number of countries, as well the creation of funds in Europe and other major international markets.

De Haas is a fellow of the Dutch Amsterdam School of Real Estate and member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

Protego was launched in 2004 and has more than €1bn in assets under management.

“Our expansion into Europe is a planned natural progression for Protego and has been driven by a desire to offer both institutional and private investors exposure to a broader range of markets,” said Reid.

“The establishment of an office in the Netherlands will provide us with the initial footprint on the continent through which we can begin to grow our European business. Peter de Haas is an exceptionally experienced individual, whose unparalleled knowledge of European and global real estate markets and connections with industry leaders is an integral part of our plans for Europe”.

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