Private equity real estate investor Henley has continued its senior management expansion drive with the appointment of Justin Meissel as the firm’s Chief Operating Officer.
The appointment is Henley’s third senior management hire in the last two months, following the arrivals of Karen Travis and Will Dickens as Directors in the firm’s Investor Relations and Capital Raising team in July.
Since its inception in 2006, Henley has doubled in size every year and is expected to do so again in 2016, with the firm continuing to expand into a range of new businesses and geographies. With a strong background in institutional real estate private equity, Justin joins the company to help manage Henley’s existing platforms, ensuring that business plans are delivered by Henley’s joint venture partners across all of the firm’s platforms. He will also be responsible for sourcing further investment opportunities, primarily in the UK and Europe, and maximising value by asset managing platforms and strategically selling assets.
Justin joins Henley from the Blackstone Group, where he was a Principal with responsibility for sourcing and executing pan-European investment deals. Prior to this he also held roles at GI Partners, Warburg Pincus and JP Morgan. Justin’s experience includes investing in the UK, Europe, the U.S., Asia, South America and the Middle East. Originally from the U.S., Justin holds an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.
With around $1.25 billion of assets currently under management (as at the end of June 2016) and a current average deal IRR of over 40 per cent, Justin joins Henley as the firm celebrates its 10th anniversary. The appointment also follows another milestone achieved by Henley in March of completing over £200 million of exits since the firm’s inception, and the opening of its first offices in the U.S. in June.
Commenting on Justin’s arrival, Ian Rickwood, CEO of Henley, said:
“It gives me great pleasure to welcome Justin to Henley, particularly at such a landmark point for the firm as we celebrate our 10th anniversary. Justin’s significant experience across numerous markets and businesses will be of huge benefit to Henley in helping to manage an increasing breadth of platforms and ensuring that we maintain our impressive returns’ performance on behalf of our investors.”
Justin Meissel, COO of Henley, added:
“Henley’s strong investor base, broad range of highly driven and talented joint venture partners, and entrepreneurial and flexible approach position it well for continued success. I look forward to helping build on the firm’s impressive track record and enhance its growth trajectory.”