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ULI Europe Newsletter June 2025
In the June ULI Europe newsletter we explore the recent ULI Europe Conference and the new C Change for Housing initiative.
The Urban Land Institute Welcomes New ULI Europe NEXT Executive Committee Members
June 30, 2025
ULI Europe is pleased to announce the appointment of two new members to its NEXT Executive Committee.
The committee led by Daniel Benighaus, Shareholder/Notary at Greenberg Traurig, will include new members, Michele Bruno, Head of Product Solutions at PIMCO Prime Real Estate, and Elena Vakali, Senior Managing Director, Head of Asset Management and Management Services Europe, Hines, who join the continuing members Tamara Brisk, Christoph Mayr, Haris Piplas, Alessandra Canavesi, Tomasz Aleszczyk, and Marc Fauchille and Limor Shklaz.
Michele Bruno is the Head of Product Solutions, specializing in European real estate strategy, product development, and capital raising. He joined PIMCO Prime Real Estate (formerly Allianz Real Estate) in 2019 and has held several roles, including Head of Special Projects South West Europe and Head of Advisory. Prior to this, he was Development Manager at Lendlease in London and held engineering and project management positions at leading architecture and construction firms in New York. With over 14 years of industry experience, Bruno holds an MBA from Yale University, a Master’s in Advanced Design from Columbia University, and a PhD in Engineering from the University of Pisa.
Michele explained: “with experience across investments, engineering, and architecture, I’ve seen how projects excel when diverse perspectives challenge one another. On the ULI NEXT board, I’ll draw on that cross-disciplinary insight to help mid-career professionals build a tighter, more supportive network—one that swaps ideas freely, mentors generously, and drives the built environment forward together.”
Elena Vakali is a Senior Managing Director, Head of Asset Management and Management Services Europe and is responsible for all asset management activities and property management operations for a €28 billion portfolio of assets under management across Europe. Prior to this position, Elena headed up the European Portfolio Management team at Hines and was responsible for the investment execution, portfolio oversight and investment performance and forecasting for all coming led real estate funds and separate account mandates in Europe representing €14 billion in assets under management across property sectors and risk/returns profiles. Before this leadership role, she was part of the Hines European fund management team focusing on strategy, investment and operations of several pan European investment vehicles.
‘I feel very privileged to be given the opportunity to join the Executive Committee for ULI Europe NEXT,’ said Elena. ‘I am looking forward to collaborating with my fellow committee members and industry peers to navigate the challenges the real estate world is faced with today and have a meaningful positive contribution to its evolution. I am also personally passionate about female representation in the industry and I am excited to support both our male and female cohort to advance their career further through relevant tools, resources and opportunities provided by ULI NEXT.’
The ULI Europe NEXT Executive Committee will work together to drive NEXT initiatives and foster collaboration among real estate professionals across Europe. The committee’s efforts will help members develop professionally, build connections, share insights, and shape the future of the real estate sector.