Grosvenor has been active in Continental Europe since 1996. We opened in Luxembourg and Paris in 1998, Madrid in 2000 and Milan in 2006.
Our strategy for proprietary investment and development on the continent focuses on retail, which has the most attractive long-term risk-return characteristics. We achieve this primarily through our joint control holding in shopping centre specialist Sonae Sierra, which is active in 43 cities in seven countries. We also have stakes in several Grosvenor-managed funds, along with a directly-managed proprietary portfolio.
Early in 2009 we adopted a new management structure for our team of 50 specialists in the region, who have become part of Grosvenor Fund Management - recognition of the significance of their work for that part of Grosvenor. Responsibility for our proprietary capital across the region now sits with the Grosvenor Group.