JLL, a leading real estate investment and advisory firm, has appointed Thierry Delvaux as the new chief executive officer of its Middle East and Africa (MEA) business, effective March 4.

He succeeds Alan Robertson who is retiring after 30 years at JLL, said the company in a statement.

In this new role, Delvaux will have overall leadership responsibility for JLL’s strategic direction, brand positioning and continued business growth across the Middle East and continental Africa.

An industry veteran, Delvaux has been at JLL for 20 years and has held a number of leadership roles during this time. Currently, he is based in Washington DC where he is Global Head of the International Desk and Chairman of the Global Tenant Representation Board.

Previously, for almost a decade, he was based in Budapest as country manager for Hungary and with responsibility for JLL’s broader business in South-East Europe. He joined JLL in 1998 and quickly became head of the office agency team in Belgium.

Though he will retire at the end of March, Robertson will continue to work with JLL until the end of June 2018, serving as an adviser to the business during this period of leadership transition.

Lauding his contribution, Neil Murray, EMEA Board sponsor for the Middle East & Africa region, and CEO of JLL’s EMEA Corporate Solutions business, said: “Under Robertson’s leadership, our Mena business has gone from strength to strength. Throughout his career with us, Robertson has helped to establish, expand and cement internal and external relationships around the world, has been a trusted adviser to many clients, and a great ambassador for our brand."

During his career at JLL he has held a number of leadership roles, including as country Manager for Scotland from 2005-2008, and for Turkey from 2008-2011, culminating in his appointment as CEO for Middle East & North Africa (MENA) in 2011.

Welcoming Delvaux into the fold, Murray said: "He has the benefit of already knowing our business and many of our clients. He is a ‘citizen of the world’ who brings with him broad and deep experience of working globally."

"Delvaux has consistently demonstrated over his 20-year career with JLL to date that he can build and motivate top teams to help our clients achieve their ambitions as well as ensure stability and sustained business growth in line with our strategic objectives. We’re delighted to welcome him back to the EMEA region in his new role," he added.

On his new role, Delvaux said the diversity of opportunity in the Middle East and Africa were key factors that drew him to this role.

"I’m excited to be picking up the reins of such a successful business in a region that continues to evolve and present ever-more interesting and complex choices and opportunities for our clients. I look forward to working with our great people across MEA to continue to support both our domestic and international clients as they navigate the regional landscape," he added.-TradeArabia News Service