Starting with the series of Getting to Know Who’s NEXT, Europe NEXT is featuring Simone Pozzato.

Simone serves as Senior Managing Director and Fund Manager for the Hines European Core Fund (HECF) and is a member of the Europe NEXT Executive Committee.

Prior to this role, he served as Deputy Fund Manager of HECF since September 2017. During this period the Fund almost tripled in size and affirmed its ESG leadership in the European Real Estate market. Simone joined Hines from Grosvenor Fund Management, where he was Fund Manager for two separate accounts while being also responsible for transactions in the Nordics. He holds a MSc in Real Estate from Henley Business School (UK), a MSc and in Strategy and Management from Essec Business School (France/Singapore) and a MSc in Industrial Engineering from Politecnico of Turin (Italy).

In the following Q&A, Simone explores his passion for the commercial real estate industry and his experiences with ULI.

Q1. ULI: So many of us in real estate fall into the industry and hence commercial real estate professional organisations. How did you get involved with ULI?

It was long time ago, back in 2012, in Paris. I moved from an investment banking job in London to Paris, where I did part of my studies, to start my career in real estate. I was encouraged by my senior colleagues to go out and network and ULI seemed a very compelling organisation for that! I met a member of ULI Young Leaders there, and we talked a lot about what ULI does / events and activities in the pipeline – for a long part of that evening. She was rotating off the board of YL in France and she proposed me few days later to join the board. At my second ULI event, I was already part of the ULI YL council in France!

Q2. ULI: What is the most interesting project you’ve worked on over your career in real estate?

Probably it is one of the very first investment projects I participated into. I was an investment analyst and in 2012 the market was depressed. We started looking at a portfolio of 31 mixed-use buildings located in the very same main street of a major French city. The seller was a private equity that bought this historical real estate company who developed them 150 years before! The deal took forever to complete – but after nine months of work we completed this 300m+ acquisition on behalf of a Sovereign Wealth Fund. That was an amazing crash course on real estate investing for me and the deal of a lifetime – you rarely manage to buy such a big estate all at the same time!

Q3. ULI: What challenges do you face at this point in your career?

Juggling is the first word that come to mind. I am married with two young kids and both my wife and I have very demanding jobs. Having growing responsibilities at work is very exciting, but time is always limited. This is certainly an age where you learn to become efficient!

Q4. ULI: What are you most excited about regarding the industry’s future?

The carbon transition and the way how real estate will become more and more operational. On one side the carbon transition forces us to become more responsible about our own carbon footprint. Technological innovation is helping to progress, but ultimately, we try to transmit to occupiers and real estate owners the idea that they should look after their own energy consumption and champion the transition into a low carbon era. Time is limited! On the other side, the fact that all asset classes are becoming more operational, leases are shortening and taste change fast, is forcing us to rethink places, plan them in a more flexible way and accept that tenants will become more and more transitory and demanding!

Q5. ULI: ULI: What are you currently reading/watching?   

I always tried to alternate my readings between novels and essays. I got really interested into Behavioural economics (very relevant if your job is investing!) and read “Misbehaving” from Thaler. Great book! I listen often to podcasts: I like “In Good Company” from Nicolai Tangen and “Acquired” long podcasts when I travel by plane.