Maureen Mahr von Staszewski Joins Heitman as Managing Director on European Real Estate Investment Team

Heitman has appointed Maureen Mahr von Staszewski as Managing Director on its European Real Estate Investment team, the global real estate investment management firm announced July 13, 2026. In the role, Mahr von Staszewski will support Heitman's strategic growth initiatives, capital raising efforts, and investment activity across Europe.

Role and Responsibilities

As part of Heitman's European leadership team, Mahr von Staszewski will help drive continued expansion across the region. Her appointment was announced by Caleb Mercer, Managing Director and Head of European Investment at Heitman.

"Her breadth and depth of experience in European real estate investment management will help strengthen our innovative and differentiated investment capabilities across traditional and alternative property types throughout Europe," Mercer said in a statement.

Mahr von Staszewski said she was drawn to the firm's approach to investing and its position in the alternatives space. "I have always admired Heitman's disciplined approach to real estate investing, its strong position across alternatives, and its collaborative culture," she said. "I look forward to contributing to the firm's continued growth with this talented group of colleagues."

Background and Experience

Mahr von Staszewski brings more than 20 years of European real estate investment management experience to the role. In previous positions at AXA Group, Swiss Life, and Cromwell, she led real estate fund management functions encompassing strategy, portfolio construction, and investor relations. Her track record spans core-plus, value-add, and opportunistic strategies across office, logistics, residential, and alternative property types in Europe.

That experience aligns with Heitman's current investment focus. The Chicago-based firm manages approximately $47 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2026, and invests across private equity, debt, and listed real estate securities through 10 offices worldwide. The firm has been actively expanding its exposure to alternative property types including self-storage, student housing, residential, and healthcare alongside more traditional sectors such as logistics and office.

Heitman's European and Global Expansion

The appointment comes as Heitman has been scaling its investment activity across multiple geographies and strategies. In January 2026, the firm held the final close of Heitman Value Partners Fund VI, its global value-add series, raising $2.0 billion against a $1.75 billion target and hitting the fund's hard cap — marking Heitman's largest closed-end fundraise to date. Investors also committed $620 million in co-investment capital to the fund, which combined with estimated leverage is projected to provide $6.55 billion in capital to assemble the fund's portfolio over the coming years.

On the European alternatives front, Heitman has secured an allocation from HESTA, the Australian superannuation fund, to invest in European alternative property types including self-storage, student housing, residential, and healthcare. That mandate creates a direct need for senior European leadership capable of originating and managing investments across those sectors.

In May 2026, Heitman also launched an open-end core-plus self-storage investment vehicle focused on U.S. assets, with initial commitments totaling $275 million and an additional $200 million of capital expected. While that vehicle targets the domestic market, it reflects the firm's broader push into alternative property types.

A Broader Talent Build-Out at Heitman

Mahr von Staszewski's appointment is part of a pattern of senior hires at Heitman spanning investment, distribution, and technology functions. The firm recently appointed Sach Diwan as Chief Information Officer and Co-Head of its Data and Technology Group, with a focus on business applications and data and AI transformation. Earlier hires have added senior leadership to the firm's Client Service and Marketing group as well.

Mahr von Staszewski's appointment reinforces Heitman's European platform at a time when the firm is actively deploying capital from its largest-ever value-add fund and managing targeted institutional mandates for European alternative property types.