Savills Investment Management has appointed Andrew Dreaneen (pictured) to the newly created role of global head of natural capital, working with Savills UK’s existing rural advisory practice.
Dreaneen will take on overall business responsibility for the natural capital investment division, leading on investment strategy, product design and capital raising. The global head of natural capital role has been created to elevate the group’s ambition to offer a global platform of natural capital strategies focusing on commercial forestry, rural land management and nature-based solutions.
Savills manages over 3.5 million acres of UK land on behalf of institutions, corporate organisations and private individuals with advisory and management expertise spanning across forestry, food and farming, nature-based solutions, renewable energy and strategic projects.
Alex Jeffrey, CEO of Savills IM, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Andrew to Savills IM. Andrew joins at an exciting time for our business as we develop and launch our natural capital investment offering.”
Dreaneen joins from Schroders, where he spent 23 years, most recently as head of alternatives focusing on natural capital. His role covered primarily fund investments in forestry, farmland and conservation-based strategies, as well as direct investments in natural climate solutions and carbon markets. Prior to this, he spent two years working in the forestry and farmland investment arm of New Zealand’s leading rural insurance company FMG.
Commenting on the announcement, Dreaneen added: “There is increasing institutional demand for natural capital strategies but very few compelling products on the market. While natural capital is a relatively new concept, Savills is one of the only firms which offers the full suite of in-house capabilities to institutional investors and a genuinely diversified rural land management strategy.”
