The Urban Land Institute (ULI) has announced the three winners of the fourth annual ULI European Leadership Awards 2022.

François Trausch, global chief executive officer and chief investment officer of Allianz Real Estate has been awarded the ULI European Leader Award, while KKR director Patricia Bandeira Vieira has won the ULI European Talent Award, and Jon Zehner, LaSalle’s head of global partner solutions, has been awarded the inaugural ULI European Trish Barrigan Award for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

The awards recognise leaders in the European real estate community whose contributions to the industry and to civic, social endeavours exemplify the spirit and mission of ULI. The winners were announced during the recent flagship 2022 Europe Conference in Brussels.

The three outstanding winners were selected by the ULI European Leadership Awards Jury following exhaustive evaluation of all nominations made by the ULI Europe senior leadership in each of the categories. The awards jury was composed of a selection of ULI Europe Executive Committee members, Governing Trustees, Trustees, ULI NEXT and Young Leaders, as well as a few senior industry leaders.

The ULI European Leadership Awards Chairman Karim Habra, Head of Europe and Asia-Pacific, Ivanhoé Cambridge Inc, explains the significance of the initiative: “The ULI European Leadership Awards provide a unique opportunity for us to recognise some of the most outstanding and remarkable people in the real estate industry and the extraordinary and impactful contributions they have made during their careers. The awards are a way for us to give them the recognition and visibility that they truly deserve. We have been delighted to celebrate this year’s winners.”

The ULI European Leader Award category recognises a senior leader whose achievements throughout his or her lifetime exemplify personal and professional contributions to the real estate industry and to the community.

Europe CEO of ULI Lisette van Doorn comments: “François Trausch stands out as a true European real estate leader, a role model for those starting out in our industry and an invaluable global ambassador for us. His sheer passion and enthusiasm for real estate is well known, and this has translated into the impact that he has had on others including his mentoring talent across the industry and playing his part in the development of new estate leaders.”

“He is also generous in contributing his time in terms of education and working with the community. For example, he recently spent a whole day at one of our UrbanPlan workshops in Reading, United Kingdom where he enthusiastically worked with a group of 240 school students, helping them to grow their understanding and appreciation of the built environment.”

“François’ contribution to the industry more than exemplifies what this awards seeks to celebrate, and he is a most deserving recipient.”

The ULI European Talent Award celebrates professional, personal, and civic commitments to the real estate industry and to the community by someone of 40 years of younger.

ULI Europe Chairman Marnix Galle comments: “Patricia Bandeira Vieira’s passion for real estate is impressive for combining a pan-European role with an understanding of so many local markets and it’s certainly unusual to lead the capital-raising efforts of a company like KKR at such a young age.”

“While doing all of that she finds time to guide and support the next generation thanks to her efforts volunteering to help the development of young talent, which is an invaluable contribution from a true real estate leader. She has many new ideas on how young people can make a difference and is widely trusted in the industry for her expertise and judgement.”

“She is a true European real estate professional, a rising star in the industry and a role model for people from her generation.”

Finally, the inaugural ULI European Trish Barrigan Award for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) celebrates an individual who stands out for his or her leadership and exceptional contribution in advancing and promoting DEI in the real estate industry and the broader community. The award has been introduced in honour of the legacy of the late ULI Key Leader Trish Barrigan, co-founder and managing partner of Benson Elliot Capital Management.

Karim Habra comments: “Jon Zehner is a very inclusive leader.  He is also capable of pushing boundaries to drive change, and he’s committed to building an inclusive culture within his company, within the industry and within the community.  He is a deserving winner because he is a role model for DEI. A natural leader, Jon has assumed this role organically and with admirable humility.”

Lisette van Doorn adds: “At ULI, in his past role of Europe Chairman Jon worked hard to grow membership across all disciplines of real estate internationally. He’s a trustee, a very active product council member, and a huge advocate of our UrbanPlan programme, which aims to inspire initiative and drive participation in the industry among 16–18-year-olds, including those who may not otherwise have an obvious route into real estate.”

Ends

For further information on the ULI European Leadership Awards, visit: https://europe.uli.org/leadershipawards/

Notes to Editors

About the Urban Land Institute:

• The Urban Land Institute is a non-profit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the institute has over 46,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines.
• ULI’s mission priorities that the organisation will be focusing on over the next three years include:
  • decarbonising the real estate sector and targeting net zero;
  • educating the next generation of diverse real estate leaders; and,
  • increasing housing attainability in communities around the world.
• ULI has almost 4,500 members in Europe across 15 National Council country networks. For more information, please visit uli.org, or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram.

About this year’s award winners:

• François Trausch is the global chief executive officer & chief investment officer of Allianz Real Estate and a managing director at PIMCO. He joined Allianz Real Estate in 2016 and chairs the management board and the executive committee. He is the chair and a voting member on both the equity and debt investment committees. François has over 25 years of experience in the finance and real estate sector and was previously CEO of Asia Pacific for GE Capital Real Estate International, also serving as president and CEO for GE Capital Real Estate Japan. Before that, François worked as development manager for Tishman Speyer Properties in New York and Berlin and associate fixed income at Goldman Sachs Group in London. François has built a strong reputation in the market and is a thought leader in the industry. He is a regular contributor to real estate media and an engaged moderator and panellist at industry events. François is a graduate of ESCP in Paris and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.

• Patricia Bandeira Vieira joined KKR in 2020 as part of the client and partner group, focused on real estate. Prior to joining KKR, Patricia was a director at Hines responsible for raising equity from European investors for funds, separate accounts, and joint ventures globally. She holds an AB in International Relations from Princeton University and an MBA from INSEAD.

• Jon Zehner is responsible for setting the strategic direction of LaSalle Global Partner Solutions as well as overseeing its day-to-day operations. He is a member of LaSalle’s global management committee. Jon joined LaSalle in 2012 as global head of the client capital group and a member of the global management committee. In 2016, he became global co-head of the client capital group. In these roles, he was responsible for, leading LaSalle’s global activities relating to clients, capital raising, new product development and large-scale, cross-border strategic investments. Prior to joining LaSalle in 2012, Jon was a senior director at AREA Property Partners responsible for client relationships, deal origination and strategic development. Jon joined AREA Property Partners in 2009 from JPMorgan where he spent 28 years and held several senior positions including global head of real estate investment banking and head of sub-Saharan Africa. Jon serves as chair of the Cambridge Land Economy Advisory Board of the University of Cambridge. Past industry activities include founding and serving on the executive board of the European Public Real Estate Association and serving on the British Property Federation’s policy committee. In addition, Jon serves on the board of governors of Arnold House School in St. John’s Wood, London and as the chair of the UK Board of African Parks. Jon holds an MBA from Harvard and an AB in Economics from Dartmouth.