Church Commissioners Announce New Head of Real Estate

02/05/2019

The Church Commissioners for England announced today the appointment of John Weir as Head of Real Estate for the Church Commissioners’ Investment Division.

John, who is currently Head of Strategic Land Investment for The Church Commissioners will take up his new role on 1 June.  He brings a wealth of experience to the role including 20 years as a Chartered Surveyor and Town Planner in the private sector and abroad. John has been leading the Strategic Land Investment team for the last six years. He replaces Joseph Cannon who is retiring from the role following an 11-year tenure as head of the Real Estate team.
 
Tom Joy, Director of Investments for the Commissioners, said:
 
“I’m delighted to welcome John to the role. Real Estate is core to our investment philosophy and comprises nearly 30% of the Church Commissioners’ fund with an allocation to real assets worth approximately £2.4 billion. The portfolio includes commercial, rural and residential property, as well as infrastructure, timberland, forestry and indirect property investments and I look forward to working with John as he takes our investments into their next phase of growth and development”
 
Commenting on his new appointment John Weir said:
 
“The Commissioners hold a substantial, well-diversified and unique global allocation to real estate which has delivered outstanding financial results over the long-term. I am delighted to have the opportunity to build upon that success with a committed and energetic team, pursuing strategic opportunities for investment and actively unlocking value across the portfolio to further the Church’s work across England.”
 
Commenting on the retirement of Joseph Cannon, Tom Joy said:
 
“Joseph’s strong leadership and clear, strategic vision over the last 11 years has transformed our Real Estate portfolio into an industry leading, well diversified and global portfolio expertly managed by a strong and committed team. We are all grateful for his leadership and expert stewardship over the years and wish him our very best for his retirement”