MetLife Investment Management has named Chris Aiken head of Real Estate Equity Strategies, strengthening the leadership team of its institutional asset management business as the firm continues expanding its global real estate investment platform. The appointment, effective immediately, places Aiken at the helm of direct property investment for both MetLife's general account and third-party institutional investors.
Aiken will report to Andrea Drasites, global head of Real Estate and Agricultural Finance, and oversee investment activities spanning core, core-plus, build-to-core, value-add and opportunistic real estate strategies. The breadth of that mandate reflects the scale of MIM's real estate platform, which totaled $106.2 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2026, forming part of the firm's broader $736.3 billion institutional asset management business.
Brian Funk, president of MetLife Investment Management, said Aiken has played a key role in the firm's real estate business and has demonstrated strong leadership across acquisitions, development and portfolio strategy. He said Aiken's market expertise and collaborative approach position him to guide the continued growth of the Real Estate Equity Strategies platform while delivering value for institutional clients.
Before the promotion, Aiken served as head of acquisitions for MIM's Real Estate Equity Strategies Group, where he led property acquisition initiatives across multiple investment strategies. That role gave him oversight of deal origination and execution at a time when institutional capital has faced heightened competition for quality assets and compressed yields across major property sectors.
Aiken's career includes a stint as managing director at Safanad, where he oversaw the full investment lifecycle for a range of real estate investments. Earlier positions included real estate investment roles at BlackRock and Salomon Smith Barney, giving him exposure to institutional capital deployment across market cycles and asset classes.
He earned a Master of Science in Real Estate Finance from New York University and a bachelor's degree in business administration from Morehouse College. Aiken also serves as a member and co-chair of the Membership Committee for the Real Estate Executive Council and is a member of the Urban Land Institute's Urban Development Mixed-Use Council.
The leadership appointment follows the recent naming of Andrea Drasites as global head of Real Estate and Agricultural Finance, reflecting MIM's continued investment in expanding its global real estate platform. The business provides institutional investors with access to a broad range of commercial real estate investment strategies spanning stabilized assets, development-oriented investments and higher-return opportunistic opportunities.
MetLife Investment Management manages assets on behalf of public and private pension plans, insurance companies, endowments and other institutional investors across fixed income, real estate, equities, alternatives, multi-asset portfolios and insurance investment solutions. The firm leverages more than 150 years of investment experience as part of MetLife's global financial services platform.