URW appoints Kathleen Verelst as CIO

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) has announced Kathleen Verelst as its new CIO, effective 1 January 2026. 

Kathleen Verelst 

She will also join the Management Board of the company.
Verelst brings over 30 years of global real estate experience, having previously advised URW's boards on their deleveraging strategy, including the sale of 17 US assets worth $3.3 bn (€3.07 bn) between 2021 and 2024. Before joining URW in 2021, she spent 22 years at Morgan Stanley as a managing director and senior advisor, and also worked as a lawyer in New York.
In her new role, Verelst will oversee URW's capital allocation, focusing on investments across its retail portfolio, and implementing a strategy for growth through capital recycling, new developments, and co-investment opportunities.
Jacques Richier, chairman, URW, said: “Kathleen’s global real estate experience, combined with her deep knowledge and understanding of the URW business and asset portfolio, makes her a highly complementary addition to the Management Board. The Group has the right leadership team in place to deliver the ‘A Platform for Growth’ business plan.”
Vincent Rouget, CEO-elect, URW, added: “I am delighted to welcome Kathleen to URW’s Management Board. Thanks to her in-depth understanding of our business, her intimate knowledge of URW teams and corporate culture, as well as her diverse global real estate investment and finance skillset, Kathleen is a great addition to our experienced Management Board. Kathleen will be a powerful contributor to the delivery of our ‘A Platform for Growth’ business plan, with a focus on our highly disciplined capital allocation framework with effective capital recycling and a streamlined development pipeline.”