LONDON-based property investment firm Castleforge Partners has appointed Christian Lerche to head its asset management in mainland Europe and to support further European growth, following its recent expansion into the German commercial market.
Lerche brings 20 years of experience in the real estate sector, leading value-added asset management for a range of private equity and international institutional investors, and working closely with stakeholders to steer and reposition portfolios.
Based in Germany, Lerche joins Castleforge from CapitaLand International where he was Director of Portfolio Management. Prior to this, Lerche was Director of Asset Management at Cording Real Estate Group where he managed multiple office assets across Germany, and Partner at real estate debt fund Bright Capital. He is also a former Director at Tristan Capital Partners.
Lerche’s appointment follows Castleforge’s recent acquisition of its first office building in Germany, in the historic old town of Bremen.
His experience will be instrumental as Castleforge looks to expand its reach across the German commercial market, with further purchases to be announced over the next 18 months.
Brandon Hollihan, Founding Partner of Castleforge Partners said: “We are thrilled to welcome Christian during this exciting period of growth for Castleforge. With 20 years of experience in the German real estate market, Christian’s knowledge of the sector will become invaluable to us as we continue to evolve and manage our commercial portfolio across Europe.”
Commenting on his new role, Christian Lerche added: “Castleforge’s deep understanding of the commercial real estate market makes it uniquely placed for further expansion across Europe and specifically Germany. I look forward to bringing my experience to the firm during this important time to support further growth of the business.”