Martin Davies will next week join Westchester Group, the US agriculture asset management firm part-owned by pension fund TIAA-CREF.
Davies will be chief executive of Europe for the US group in a new role for the company. Westchester does not currently have an on-the-ground presence on the continent beyond local partnerships. It currently has offices in Australia and the US and has an affiliated company in Brazil, according to its website.
Davies told Agri Investor he was leaving Insight Investment, BNY Mellon’s agricultural fund business, earlier this month, after five-and-a-half years at the UK-based firm.
Davies is known to have particular expertise and knowledge of farming in Eastern Europe and Westchester is understood to be exploring the region further, according to a UK-based placement agent. Westchester currently has $3 billion of assets under management.
Neither Davies nor Westchester were available for comment when Agri Investor went to press.