Atrium European Real Estate Limited
Atrium European Real Estate Limited ("Atrium" or the "Company") APPOINTMENT OF CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
-First senior appointment strengthens Atriums management team-
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professional career/Appointment
St Helier Jersey / Channel Islands (euro adhoc) - 3 September 2008. Atrium European Real Estate (VSX: ATR), one of the leading real estate companies focused on owning, operating and developing shopping centres in Central and Eastern Europe, announces the appointment of Dr. Nils-Christian Hakert as Chief Operating Officer.
Dr. Hakert, aged 42, has extensive experience in retail property management in Europe and joins from Unibail-Rodamco, a pan-European commercial property investor, where he had worked since 2005 as Retail Director of Central Europe.
From 1998 to 2005 Dr. Hakert worked at Brune Consulting GmbH, where he held a number of management positions including overall responsibility for shopping centre management in Hungary and other CEE countries, as well as overseeing national and international centre management and acquisitions. In 2004 he was appointed to the management board with responsibility for 12 shopping centres valued at approximately EUR400 million.
Dr. Hakert has a degree in shopping centre management from the European Business School and a Doctorate in Economy and Management from Comenius University, Bratislava.
Commenting on the appointment, Rachel Lavine, chief executive officer of Atrium, said: "Since I officially took up my role as CEO of Atrium I have maintained that one of my key priorities was to appoint a strong executive management team, which has a great deal of experience in European real estate development and investment and shopping centres, in particular. Nils´ experience, contacts and support will be invaluable in ensuring the future success of Atrium and it gives me great pleasure to welcome him to the team.
"We are at an advanced stage of negotiations with a number of candidates for the other positions, including, chief financial officer, chief development officer and chief technology officer and I hope to be able to make further announcements accordingly in the near future."
Dr Nils-Christian Hakert, Chief Operating Officer, added: "I am very excited to be joining Atrium at this time as I believe there is a great opportunity to unlock the underlying potential of the business. Rachel is currently assembling a great management team to complement the strong network of local country teams that the company already has in place and I look forward to working with them all to create value for our shareholders. This is one of the largest portfolios of shopping centres in Europe and undoubtedly an exciting one to improve. I look forward to getting started."
Financial Dynamics: +44 (0)20 7831 3113 Richard Sunderland Stephanie Highett Laurence Jones
Richard.sunderland@fd.com
Notes to editors:
About Atrium European Real Estate Limited Atrium is a real estate investment and development company whose primary focus is on retail assets in Central and Eastern Europe, where it operates in 11 countries. At 30 June 2008, Atrium had 160 operating investment properties with a market value of just over EUR2 billion and a significant portfolio of development projects with an expected investment requirement of EUR3.3 billion, of which EUR0.7 billion had been spent. In addition, it has established a land bank of over 1.9 million sqm. For the six months to 30 June 2008 Atrium had a gross rental income of EUR64.1 million (2007: EUR62.3 million).
The Company has been listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange since 2002 and at 2 September 2008 was capitalised at EUR1.503 billion based on a closing price per certificate/share of EUR6.93 and 216.9 million shares in issue.
end of announcement euro adhoc --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Further inquiry note:
Financial Dynamics, London
Stephanie Highett / Richard Sunderland
+44 (0)20 7831 3113
Richard.sunderland@fd.com
Branche: Real Estate
ISIN: AT0000660659
WKN: 066065
Index: Standard Market Continous
Börsen: Wiener Börse AG / official market
Original content of: Atrium European Real Estate Limited, transmitted by news aktuell