Meet the new executive managing director at Ontario Teachers'

Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (Ontario Teachers') has named Pierre Cherki as its executive managing director, real estate, effective January 22. Cherki will be based in Toronto for the new leadership role at Ontario Teachers', overseeing its in-house real estate asset group to launch in the new year.

“I’m delighted to be joining Ontario Teachers’ and look forward to leading a strong team of global professionals in supporting further growth in the real estate portfolio. Real estate has been a central part of the portfolio mix at Ontario Teachers’ for more than two decades and I am excited to build on that strong foundation to deliver value to Plan members,” says Cherki.

Back in June, Ontario Teachers' redesigned its real estate investment model, bringing international investment professionals from Cadillac Fairview in-house. Cadillac Fairview will remain a key part of Ontario Teachers' global real estate portfolio, focusing on “growth, diversification, and densification of its unmatched real estate assets in Canada, building on its strong reputation and history as a leader in this space.”

Cherki will be responsible for overseeing global real estate investments and portfolio management activities at Ontario Teachers', including assets under Cadillac Fairview, valued at $29.3 billion as of June 30, 2023. He will be leading a team of around 40 investment professionals across Toronto, London, Singapore, Dallas, and São Paulo.

With over 25 years of real estate experience, Cherki has spent most of his career at DWS Group, one of the world's largest managers of alternative investments. He has held various senior management positions, including global head of alternatives and global head of real estate. Cherki has also served on the Cadillac Fairview board of directors since 2022.  

“I’m pleased to welcome Pierre to Ontario Teachers’ into this role. For many years real estate has been an important component of our asset mix. Under Pierre’s leadership we plan to explore ways of effectively diversifying our portfolio by sector and stage internationally,” says Jo Taylor, president and CEO at Ontario Teachers’.

Ontario Teachers' manages net assets totaling $249.8 billion as of June 30, 2023.