The Crown Estate has announced the appointment of James Cooksey to a new role as Head of Urban Asset Management.

James will be central in helping implement The Crown Estate's investment strategy which will look to diversify the urban portfolio, managing regional assets as actively as central London holdings and investing where the long-term fundamentals are sound. The strategy focuses significant investment on The Crown Estate's St James’s properties.

James moves from Aviva Investors where he worked for over two years as a Fund Manager running the European Multi-Manager Fund; prior to that he worked as Fund Manager on Aviva Staff Pension Scheme.

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Paul Clark, Director of Investment and Asset Management at The Crown Estate said: "James has a proven track record in both direct and indirect investment markets and we're delighted to have him on board. His extensive experience in fund and asset management will be invaluable in helping drive our investment strategy."

James Cooksey said: "I am pleased to be joining The Crown Estate in this challenging new role. The diverse nature of its broad portfolio makes it an exciting organisation to work for and I look forward to helping drive its success."

James will report to Paul Clark, Director and Investment and Asset Management. He will head up a team responsible for The Crown Estate's central London portfolio (which excludes Regent Street) and its diversification portfolio. He will take up his new role on 2 March 2009.

The diversification portfolio covers The Crown Estate’s regional and residential assets. These include: retail parks in Leeds, Altrincham and Slough; offices in Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh; business parks in Cambridge and Guildford; numerous industrial properties; a shopping centre in Worcester; and central London residential holdings.

(GK/JM)