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Winnipeg-based Great-West Lifeco Inc. announced Thursday that Paul Finkbeiner has been appointed to the position of executive vice president, global head of real estate.

Finkbeiner’s previous post was as president, GWL Realty Advisors Inc. (GWLRA). Ralf Dost, executive vice president and chief operating officer, GWLRA, will take over the role.

In his new position, Finkbeiner will report to Raman Srivastava, Great-West Lifeco’s executive vice president and global chief investment officer. He will be responsible for setting the strategic direction for a diverse global real estate investment platform, Great-West Lifeco says in a news release.

He will also be expected to provide leadership as Great-West Lifeco builds out its global real estate investment business for third-party investors.

“Under Paul’s strong leadership, GWLRA has become one of Canada’s leading real estate organizations,” Srivastava says. “In this role, Paul will work to establish a global real estate platform leveraging our existing strong regional capabilities to allow us to continue to accelerate our growth and maximize our access to investments across the regions. We’re excited to chart a strategic path to further expand our global real estate footprint.”

Finkbeiner has over 30 years of real estate industry experience, and has been with GWLRA for over 20. As president, he grew the company from $800 million in assets under management to $17 billion.