Cordea Savills, the UK-based international property investment manager, has taken on Kiran Patel as chief investment officer with a global remit.  

The CIO role was previously held by Justin O'Connor, who did the job while also serving as chief executive, a spokesperson confirmed. O'Connor remains as CEO.

As a member of Cordea Savills’ executive committee, Patel will create and implement investment and risk strategies, while strengthening the research capabilities and growing the firm in terms of new business lines and international markets.

Patel has over 20 years of experience in the global property investment industry. He joins from AXA Real Estate, where he spent 11 years and was latterly global head of business development, distribution, research and strategy, and a member of AXA Real Estate’s management board and executive committee. Before that, he was an associate director at Legal & General Investment Management.

In other developments, in June the firm continued its expansion in France, naming Lionel Nicolas as director of investment in Paris. Nicolas’ appointment followed the addition of Clement Pigott, who joined as head of investment for France and Benelux in March. 

At end June, Cordea Savills and other Savills Group companies managed €7,850 million (about $9.9 billion) in assets.