NETHERLANDS - Fortis Investments has hired MN Services’ Bart Coenraads as chief investment officer for Dutch real estate.

“Fortis Investments, the asset management arm of Fortis, has announced the recruitment in the Netherlands of Bart Coenraads as CIO for real estate,” the group said. He will report to global CIO William De Vijlder and be based in Amsterdam.

Coenraads move follows a series of changes at MN’s real estate team this year.

In January MN’s real estate head Erwin Stouthamer and portfolio manager Karin van der Sluijs left. They were replaced by Richard van Ovost and Bas van den Ijssel. Fortis said Coenraads was responsible for Asian real estate at MN.

“Bart’s experience will allow us to make swift progress in the non-listed area whilst continuing to develop our core listed real estate product,” said De Vijlder.

“Real estate is a very important asset class for both retail and institutional investors,” De Vijlder said. “Bart will allow us to benefit from the fast-growing interest for this asset class in the various European markets.”