La Française appoints country head for Germany

As it restructures the business

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Kirsten Hastings

Paris-based asset management firm La Française Group has named Mark Wolter country head, Germany and managing director of La Française REM-Germany.

His appointment comes two years after the acquisition of Veritas Group.

The company described Wolter’s arrival as “the logical result of two major developments in the strategic business plan laid out by La Française Group for Germany, [our] second domestic market”.

Pending approval, the following changes will take effect in May 2021:

La Française Systematic Asset Management

Effective in May, Veritas Institutional and La Française AM GmbH will merge, forming the group’s quantitative multi-asset management centre of expertise: La Française Systematic Asset Management, will continue to operate out of Hamburg and Frankfurt.

“The merger signifies the successful integration of the two original Veritas Group entities and results from the motivation to create synergies among the asset management teams as well as a mutualised customer service platform,” the company said.  

New executive team

Jens Goettler, current country head and managing director of La Française REM in Germany, in agreement with the management team, has decided to hand over the reins to the next generation. 

He will retire from day-to-day business followed by a period of advisory support to La Française in Germany.

As a result, management of all La Française’s activities in Germany pass to Wolter, who began his career in 1998 with Arthur Andersen Real Estate as a consultant.

He joined Generali Immobilien in 2001, and then Schroder Property Kapitalanlagegesellschaft in 2008 as managing director and head of fund management Germany.

From 2010 until the present, he worked for Deka Immobilien as a managing director and head of real estate fund management institutional.

Wolter will be supported by the executive team of La Française Systematic Asset Management; a team of three Managing Directors, each with specific responsibilities (still subject to the approval of the supervisory authority):

  • Berit Hamann, managing director – Operations
  • Dennis Jeske, managing director – Portfolio Management
  • Kay Scherf, managing director – Sales & Marketing

The real estate team will be led by Wolter and Sandra Metzger, deputy managing director of La Française REM-Germany.

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