Grosvenor Appoints Andrew Bibby as Grosvenor Americas Chief Executive

Grosvenor, the international property development, investment and fund management group, has appointed Andrew Bibby as Grosvenor Americas Chief Executive to succeed Bill Abelmann. His appointment becomes effective on January 1, 2009.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) April 4, 2008 -- Grosvenor, the international property development, investment and fund management group, has appointed Andrew Bibby as Grosvenor Americas Chief Executive to succeed Bill Abelmann. His appointment becomes effective on January 1, 2009.

Andrew Bibby is currently Chief Development Officer, where he oversees the development activities for the business throughout Canada and the U.S. His career with Grosvenor Americas spans almost 24 years, during which time he has been involved with every major area of business in which Grosvenor Americas is active: development, asset management, acquisition and disposition of income producing properties and mezzanine lending.

Bill Abelmann will be stepping down as Grosvenor Americas Chief Executive after 32 years with the Grosvenor Group. In that time Grosvenor Americas has emerged as a strong player in the U.S. and Canada real estate markets, with four offices (Vancouver, Calgary, San Francisco and Washington, DC) and a healthy development pipeline. This includes 'The RISE', a $105 million retail/ residential development in Vancouver, due for completion this year, and 185 Post Street, a 26,200 square foot property located in the Union Square shopping district that has been leased to De Beers jewelers for their San Francisco flagship retail store.

Jeremy Newsum, Group Chief Executive, said:
"Bill leaves Grosvenor Americas in robust shape and well-equipped to weather the current volatile market in the U.S. and Canada. His expertise and experience of over 30 years with the group have proved invaluable to the success of Grosvenor Americas. Andrew has the skills and experience needed to take the business to the next level."

Bill Abelmann said:
"Working for Grosvenor Americas for the past 32 years, I've come to appreciate the values and standards that the group stands for. It is the quality of partners that we choose to do business with that makes it so unique. When I step down at the end of the year, I will miss my association with the people at Grosvenor in all of my various roles, including my most recent position as Chief Executive."

Andrew Bibby said:
"Grosvenor Americas has benefitted greatly from the focus that Bill has introduced to our activities since becoming CEO. I am looking forward to maintaining this discipline and to leading the company in the continual improvement of our skills and knowledge as we create, improve and invest in great urban properties."

A successor to Andrew Bibby in his role as Chief Development Officer will be appointed in the second quarter of 2008.

Photos are available: email info@lhbcommunications.com

For further information contact:

Lorin Horosz, Director of Marketing Communications, Grosvenor Americas
Tel: 415/268-4037; cell: 415/595-0648; lorin.horosz@grosvenor.com

Anna Sargent, Group Communications Manager, Grosvenor
Tel: +44(0)20 7312 6202; mobile: +44(0)7876 658 331:anna.sargent@grosvenor.com

NOTES TO EDITORS
Grosvenor is a privately-owned group of international property development, investment and fund management businesses with total assets under management of of $22.9 billion as of June 30, 2007. There are regional Operating Companies in Britain & Ireland, the Americas, Continental Europe and Australia Asia Pacific and an international property fund management business. Unusually for a private company, Grosvenor publishes a full Annual Report and Accounts, available at www.grosvenor.com.

Grosvenor Americas commenced business in North America in the early 1950s, with development in Vancouver, Canada, and later in Hawaii and the West Coast of the United States. Today there are offices in Vancouver, Calgary, San Francisco and Washington, DC. Additionally, Grosvenor Americas is active in the metropolitan areas of Edmonton in Canada, as well as Seattle, Los Angeles and Chicago in the United States. Grosvenor Americas focuses on retail, mixed-use and residential investment and development. It also pursues office and industrial investment in select markets.

Bill Abelmann (57) joined Grosvenor in 1974 and worked in Hawaii, where the first U.S. office was opened in 1967, and San Francisco. He became Chief Executive of Grosvenor Americas in 2002. He is a member of a number of real estate organizations. These include the Urban Land Institute, International Council of Shopping Centers, and the National Association of Real Estate Investment Managers.

Andrew Bibby (50) joined Grosvenor in 1984 and worked in the Vancouver and Calgary offices. He became Chief Development Officer of Grosvenor Americas in 2006. He is a director of the Real Property Association of Canada and a member of the Faculty Advisory Board of the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia.

The Grosvenor Americas Board comprises seven members and is chaired by Ralph Severson, Chief Executive of RF Severson Investment Management. There are three other Non-Executive Directors and three Executive Directors, including the Grosvenor Americas and Group Finance Directors and the Group Chief Executive. Prior to the appointment of Andrew Bibby, the most recent appointment to the GA Board were Ralph Severson and Martha Piper, who assumed office in August 2007. For further information about the Board, go to www.grosvenor.com.