January 17, 2022

Barings names Guillaume Bieganski as Real Estate Country Head—France

Barings, one of the world’s largest diversified real estate investment managers, has promoted Guillaume Bieganski to lead its activity in France.

Having initially joined Barings in February 2018 as a director with responsibility for acquisitions and asset management strategies, Guillaume takes the position of Head of France following the promotion of previous country lead, Séverine Maumy-Laffineur, as Co-Portfolio Manager of Barings’ European Core Property Fund.

Guillaume has more than 16 years’ experience in the industry encompassing office, retail and logistics assets, as well as refurbishment projects and forward funding transactions. Before joining Barings’ team in France four years ago, Guillaume worked for Abenex (formerly ABN AMRO Capital France) where he oversaw the launch and development of the private equity company’s real estate activity. He has also held responsibility for asset management and acquisitions in Central and Eastern Europe for Standard Life Investments, as well as having worked with DTZ Investors, Bouygues Immobilier and BNP Paribas. Guillaume holds a postgraduate degree from the ESSEC Business School and is a graduate of the Engineering School of Paris (EIVP).

Based in Paris, Guillaume will deliver Barings’ real estate investment activity in France, working closely with Gunther Deutsch, who leads European transactions. Barings has been active in France since 2016, with an AUM of €320m across a range of core and value-add investments mainly in logistics and office. The team recently agreed the speculative forward funding of a Grade A logistics property in Béziers in an off-market transaction on behalf of a pan-European logistics joint venture between a U.S. insurance company and a Middle Eastern sovereign wealth fund, extending Barings’ French logistics base which comprises 200,000 sqm across seven assets.

Guillaume Bieganski said: “Barings is one of the largest, and most respected, investment managers in the world, so working alongside and leading the team in France is an immense privilege. As the world of real estate investment continues to evolve, so too will Barings’ global expertise and our on-the-ground experience ensures that we are in the best possible position to maximise opportunities and secure returns on investment.”

Charles Weeks, Head of Real Estate for Europe and Asia Pacific at Barings, said: “With our focus on international expertise and local knowledge, Guillaume embodies the best of Barings and is well equipped to lead our work in France. Having already been a leading member of our French team for nearly as long as we’ve been active in the country, and with his experience across Europe, Guillaume will continue to build on our achievements as we look to expand our operations further in this important real estate market.”

Barings Real Estate
Barings Real Estate (BRE) offers a broad range of global investment opportunities across the private debt and equity investment markets. BRE invests in all major property sectors and offers an expansive range of financing solutions to real estate borrowers. Follow us on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/showcase/barings-alternative-investments.

About Barings
Barings is a $391+ billion* global investment manager sourcing differentiated opportunities and building long-term portfolios across public and private fixed income, real estate, and specialist equity markets. With investment professionals based in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, the firm, a subsidiary of MassMutual, aims to serve its clients, communities and employees, and is committed to sustainable practices and responsible investment.

*Assets under management as of December 31, 2021