AuguryCenterSquare Promotes Two Longtime Investment Chiefs to Co-CIOs — a Move That Points to Stability and a Real‑assets Focus
This article was written by the Augury Times
Two longtime investment leaders move up at CenterSquare
CenterSquare announced in a company press release that it has named two senior investment executives as co‑chief investment officers. The promotions are internal: the firm elevated its longstanding heads of investment teams to share the CIO responsibilities, and both will report into the firm’s chief executive. The change is effective immediately, according to the release, and the firm framed it as recognition of steady leadership rather than a sudden strategic pivot.
The brief notice came from CenterSquare’s communications team and arrived during normal business hours. It did not include sweeping operational changes or an overhaul of product lines. For investors and asset managers, the news reads as a deliberate step to preserve continuity across CenterSquare’s real‑asset capabilities while preparing the firm to manage scale and succession in its investment ranks.
Why this leadership change matters for investors
At firms that manage real assets, who sits in the investment hot seat matters. A CIO sets tone, decides how risk is balanced across strategies, and influences product development. Elevating two internal leaders into a shared CIO role signals a preference for continuity: the firm is keeping its existing investment philosophy intact while sharing oversight across different skill sets.
For CenterSquare clients, the practical implications are threefold. First, the move reduces the odds of abrupt shifts in portfolio construction — the new co‑CIOs come from inside, so dramatic strategy changes are unlikely in the short term. Second, splitting the CIO role can mean more focused coverage: one leader typically concentrates on liquid public real‑estate securities while the other manages private real‑estate and direct real‑asset investments. That can improve day‑to‑day decision making but also requires strong coordination on allocation and risk limits. Third, it is a signal about succession planning. Investors should read the promotion as the firm preparing to run a larger, more complex platform without jarring clients or partners.
Frankel and Holuba — what we know about their experience
The press release identifies the promoted executives as long‑standing heads of CenterSquare’s investment teams. Both have been with the firm for multiple years and ran major parts of the investment organization before their elevation. One has been closely associated with public real‑estate securities and listed REIT strategies; the other has overseen private real‑asset mandates and direct property investing. That pairing is a natural match for a firm that spans both listed and private markets.
The announcement stresses operational continuity: each co‑CIO will retain responsibility for their existing teams while adding cross‑firm oversight duties. The firm highlighted their track records in managing cyclical markets and in steering portfolios through volatile periods, without attaching specific performance figures to the release. Readers should take from the language that CenterSquare wanted to emphasize experience and internal promotion rather than bringing in an outsider with a new playbook.
Which CenterSquare funds and clients could feel the change?
Clients in funds that straddle both public and private real‑asset exposures are the most likely to notice any ripple effects. Multi‑strategy mandates, open‑end real‑estate securities funds, and separately managed accounts that mix listed and direct real‑asset holdings will be the ones where allocation and rebalancing decisions now pass through a co‑CIO desk.
In practice, investors should expect continuity in portfolio positioning and risk controls in the coming quarters. That said, any redistribution of spending on analytics, data, or product development could slowly influence product features — for example, more emphasis on cross‑market liquidity tools or on integrated reporting for blended portfolios. Watch for updated fund commentaries, manager calls, and changes in team listings on product documents as early signals.
No market fireworks yet — what to watch next
The press release did not report any immediate client departures or regulatory filings tied to the move, and there was no noticeable market reaction reported with the announcement. Because this was an internal promotion, the change is unlikely to require new external filings beyond routine disclosures in periodic reports.
Investors should monitor a few simple signs over the next quarter: who speaks for the firm on earnings or client webinars, whether fund commentaries reflect any shift in asset allocation emphasis, and whether the firm updates fund prospectuses or management team bios. If the co‑CIOs steer the firm toward new product launches or notable reallocations between listed and private assets, that will be the clearest signal that the promotion is more than administrative. Until then, the move reads as modest, steady leadership change that favors stability for clients and investors.
Photo: Edmond Dantès / Pexels
Sources