The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority has appointed Deutsche Bank executive Drew Goldman as global head of real estate, effective October 3, 2022, to lead the sovereign wealth fund's investment strategy across its real estate portfolio. Goldman, who spent over two decades at Deutsche Bank, will oversee the fund's global real estate operations, replacing Tom Arnold in the role.
Goldman will be responsible for guiding and implementing the Real Estate Department's strategy and overseeing its investment activities globally, according to the fund. He will report to Mohamed AlQubaisi, executive director of ADIA's Real Estate Department. In comments provided to the press, AlQubaisi said Goldman had "built a long and successful track record of managing a diversified global business and advising on investment activities throughout the real estate sector," adding that his "breadth and depth of experience will be an asset to the Department as we continue to capitalise on our areas of existing strength, while increasing exposure to high-conviction themes."
Goldman joined Deutsche Bank in 1999 in the Real Estate Investment Banking Group. He became global head of that unit in 2013 and held the role until 2019. Most recently, he served as global head of investment banking coverage and advisory at the bank, based in New York. Before Deutsche Bank, he worked at Kerzner International from 1997 to 1999 handling strategic planning and corporate finance. His career also includes five years in investment banking at Bear Stearns and Paribas. He holds an MA in economics from KU Leuven and a BA from Connecticut College.
ADIA is one of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds, managing an estimated 1.128 trillion dollars on behalf of the Government of Abu Dhabi. Established in 1976, the fund invests across more than two dozen asset classes with a focus on long-term value creation. ADIA is one of the world's largest institutional real estate investors, with an estimated 48.7 billion dollar real estate portfolio. The fund has been among the most active deployers of capital into private markets in recent years, increasing its co-investment and direct investment activity across global offices.
The appointment reflects ADIA's expansion of internal investment capabilities and its shift toward direct, in-house management. Goldman's hire brings extensive transaction and advisory experience from the banking sector directly into the fund's operational structure. His background spanning real estate investment banking, institutional investor relations, and strategic corporate finance suggests alignment with ADIA's stated direction of building out internal teams while capitalizing on existing portfolio strength and pursuing high-conviction thematic opportunities in global real estate markets.
