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Centuria secures senior structure on ‘potential eve of a new property cycle’

By Grace Ormsby
17 April 2024 | 12 minute read
andrew essey jesse curtis grant nichols belinda cheung nathan guo reb yyduhr

A number of internal promotions have seen a shoring up of Centuria Capital Group’s senior management structure.

The ASX-listed real estate funds manager with more than $21 billion in assets under management has revealed a newly created position of chief investment officer (CIO), alongside a newly appointed head of funds management as well as a new head of listed funds and CIP fund manager, which in turn funnels a number of other senior leaders further up the management ladder.

According to Jason Huljich, joint-CEO at Centuria, the new senior roles are part of a strategic plan to “ensure Centuria is well-positioned to capitalise on market growth as the green shoots of real estate gain momentum”.

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In the eyes of the CEO, those green shoots are indicative of “the potential eve of a new property cycle”.

With Huljich highlighting that the senior roles have been filled by “longstanding current members” of Centuria, the firm has lauded the appointment of Andrew Essey into the newly created CIO role.

Essey will take on responsibility for the group’s investment strategy, transactions and institutional capital, drawing on his previous work as group head of transactions, where he executed more than $11 billion of direct real estate transactions from 2017 to 2024.

Remarking that it was “an honour to be recognised with this promotion”, Essey is focused on “continuing our strategic real estate platform expansion”.

The new CIO pointed to the firm’s “significant appetite to grow our assets under management to deliver healthy recurring revenue for the group, our REITs and unlisted funds”.

“We also maintain focus on furthering our institutional partnerships, domestically and abroad, to support our growth objectives.”

Alongside Essey’s promotion, Jesse Curtis has been appointed as the head of funds management, from his role as head of industrial and industrial REIT fund manager.

With more than 17 years of experience, Curtis said his new role is “a significant mantle to take up”.

Stating that the firm presents “a formidable funds management team”, he remarked: “I believe we are well positioned to take advantage of emerging market conditions to further grow our portfolios and deliver compelling returns to our investors.”

The new head of listed funds and CIP fund manager is Grant Nichols, who moves into the position from his previous role as head of office and office REIT fund manager.

His previous role vacancy paves the way for Belinda Cheung to take a promotion to COF fund manager, and will now be responsible “for Australia’s largest listed pure-play office fund”.

With 14 years of experience, Cheung has been COF’s assistant fund manager since 2022.

Rounding out the promotions is Nathan Guo, who moves into the role of head of transactions following Essey’s elevation. Having previously been a senior transactions manager across office and industrial, Guo brings more than a decade of experience to the position.

Huljich reflected that “as Centuria evolves, we adjust our management structure to reflect our growth and ensure the most adept personnel are in place to lead each of our business divisions”.

“We congratulate Andrew, Jesse, Grant, Nathan and Belinda on their promotion and are confident they will build on Centuria’s success in their new roles,” he concluded.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Grace Ormsby

Grace Ormsby

Grace is a journalist across Momentum property and investment brands. Grace joined Momentum Media in 2018, bringing with her a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) from the University of Newcastle. She’s passionate about delivering easy to digest information and content relevant to her key audiences and stakeholders.

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