The Crown Estate has appointed James Cooksey from Aviva Investors to take on the new role of head of urban asset management.

Cooksey will report to Paul Clark, director of investment and asset management, and will head up a team responsible for the Crown Estate’s central London portfolio, excluding Regent Street, and its diversification portfolio, including assets such as retail parks in Leeds and offices in Birmingham, from 2 March.

He joins from Aviva Investors, where he was a fund manager running the European Multi-Manager Fund. His role will be central in implementing the Crown Estate’s investment strategy, which includes significant investment on the St James’s properties.

Paul Clark, director of investment and asset management at the Crown Estate said: ‘His extensive experience in fund and asset management will be invaluable in helping drive our investment strategy.’