The new managing director will manage its US single family equity and commercial real estate lending portfolios.

Amherst Capital Management, a BNY Mellon investment boutique specializing in US real estate, has appointed Damon Pitler as managing director of its private funds team.

Pitler will manage its US single family equity and commercial real estate lending portfolios. He will report to Sean Dobson, chief executive chief investment officer, and he will be based in Austin, Texas, the firm said in a statement.

He has 15 years’ experience in the sector. He was a senior investment manager for real assets at the Teacher Retirement System of Texas and he previously served as director of real estate and infrastructure investments at OAS Investimentos in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

"Damon is an exciting addition to our portfolio management team and we are pleased to welcome him to Amherst Capital," said Dobson. "Damon's deep institutional investment background, paired with his diverse real estate experience, makes him the ideal person to manage our SFE and CRE portfolios and to enhance our partnerships with institutional investors."