Key Takeaways
- • M&G has appointed Duncan Batty as head of real estate finance, effective 2 November 2026, to lead its European real estate debt strategies.
- • Batty returns to M&G from Revolut, where he was head of commercial real estate lending, after a previous 12-year tenure at M&G that included co-leading real estate finance.
- • Batty's mandate is to expand M&G's alternative real estate lending and capture European refinancing opportunities across stabilized, transitional, and development assets.
- • M&G's real estate finance business has deployed more than £14bn across Europe, according to the firm's announcement.
- • Downing appointed Carsten Johansen as partner and Tom Harada as head of UK investments for energy and infrastructure, adding renewables expertise as institutional demand grows.
Summary
M&G announced on 7 October 2026 that Duncan Batty has been appointed head of real estate finance, effective 2 November 2026. In the role, he will lead the platform's European real estate debt strategies and report to Martin Towns, according to the firm's announcements. Batty joins from Revolut, where he served as head of commercial real estate lending. He previously spent 12 years at M&G, where he was co-head of real estate finance. He brings more than two decades of experience in European real estate finance and began his career as a real estate finance lawyer.
M&G said the appointment supports its goal of expanding alternative real estate lending capabilities and capturing European refinancing opportunities across stabilized, transitional, and development assets. The firm described its real estate finance business as having deployed more than £14bn across Europe.
In a separate appointment reported in the same update, Downing has named Carsten Johansen as partner and Tom Harada as head of UK investments for energy and infrastructure. Johansen joins from Impax Asset Management, where he was investment director across European and Latin American energy infrastructure. He previously held senior roles at GE Energy Financial Services. Harada joins from Temporis Capital, where he was principal co-lead of the infrastructure investment team, and earlier held positions at Lightsource BP and AGR Power. Downing said the hires respond to growing institutional investor demand for renewable energy expertise. With 20 and 14 years of industry experience respectively, Johansen and Harada will support the firm's plan to expand its integrated energy and infrastructure platform across generation, storage and grid infrastructure in Northern Europe.
M&G said the appointment supports its goal of expanding alternative real estate lending capabilities and capturing European refinancing opportunities across stabilized, transitional, and development assets. The firm described its real estate finance business as having deployed more than £14bn across Europe.
In a separate appointment reported in the same update, Downing has named Carsten Johansen as partner and Tom Harada as head of UK investments for energy and infrastructure. Johansen joins from Impax Asset Management, where he was investment director across European and Latin American energy infrastructure. He previously held senior roles at GE Energy Financial Services. Harada joins from Temporis Capital, where he was principal co-lead of the infrastructure investment team, and earlier held positions at Lightsource BP and AGR Power. Downing said the hires respond to growing institutional investor demand for renewable energy expertise. With 20 and 14 years of industry experience respectively, Johansen and Harada will support the firm's plan to expand its integrated energy and infrastructure platform across generation, storage and grid infrastructure in Northern Europe.
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