International real estate investment manager Savills Investment Management (“Savills IM”) has announced the appointment of Ilona Szafer as its new Head of Poland. Szafer previously served as Head of Asset Management Retail within the firm’s Polish business.
In her new role, Ilona Szafer will lead the strategic direction of Savills IM’s operations in Poland, where the firm oversees a diversified portfolio valued at approximately €1.7 billion, spanning the office, logistics, and retail sectors. Based in the Warsaw office, she will manage day-to-day operations while driving investment, acquisition, and asset management efforts. She will work in close collaboration with Kevin Aitchison, Head of Europe, and Juan Miguel Marinas Redondo, Head of Asset Management.
Bringing two decades of industry experience, Szafer has held senior positions at MARK Capital Management (formerly Meyer Bergman), IMMOFINANZ, and TriGranit. She joined Savills IM in 2017, the year it entered the Polish market. Since then, the firm has grown its local footprint to approximately 1.5 million sqm, investing through multiple funds and mandates as part of its broader pan-European strategy.
Savills IM manages €26.1bn[2] of assets in the Living, Industrial & Logistics, Debt, Natural Capital, Office and Retail sectors across the UK, Asia-Pacific and Europe.
Ilona Szafer, Head of Poland at Savills Investment Management, commented:
“We have an established presence in the Polish market and we see a particular opportunity in the office, logistics and retail sectors. I’m looking forward to leading a team of highly qualified professionals to deliver on our investment objectives and expand our portfolio. My priority will be to continue implementing a strategy rooted in highly selective acquisitions supported by active asset management programmes, ensuring we achieve alignment with client expectations and a response to evolving market conditions.”
Kevin Aitchison, Managing Director, Head of Europe, Savills Investment Management, said:
“Ilona’s appointment represents an important next step in the evolution of our strategy in Poland. We secured early mover advantage by entering into the country almost a decade ago and remain committed as long-term investors, where we can leverage our local expertise to unearth favourable opportunities and capital solutions for our investors. The Polish market forms part of a diversified pan-European portfolio that is strategically invested in Europe’s strongest economies and in defensive, structurally-supported sectors with clear growth potential.”
