Key Takeaways
- • Pro-invest Group manages over AUD 3 billion in assets under management across hospitality and commercial real estate in Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East through closed-ended funds, managed accounts, and co-investment programs since its 2010 establishment.
- • Dr. Sabine Schaffer brings 25+ years of institutional investment experience across private equity, real estate development, and asset management, including prior roles at 3i, McKinsey & Company, and GCC-based private equity firms before co-founding Pro-invest Group.
- • Pro-invest Group has positioned itself as an ESG leader in real estate, with all assets achieving high environmental ratings, including the firm's flagship carbon-neutral hotel certified under NABERS ratings—a strategic differentiator in the institutional real estate market.
- • Schaffer leads Pro-invest's European operations as regional CEO while maintaining her role as Co-Founder and Managing Partner, overseeing strategy, asset management, and fund structuring across the firm's integrated platform.
- • Academic credentials include a Harvard Master's degree and PhD in Economics from Leopold Franzens University, Innsbruck, establishing Schaffer as a qualified thought leader on sustainable real estate investment and economic strategy.
Summary
Dr. Sabine Schaffer serves as Co-Founder, Managing Partner, and CEO of Pro-invest Group's European operations, a position she has held since the firm's establishment in 2010. Pro-invest Group operates as an integrated real estate platform specializing in private equity, real estate development, fund management, and asset management across Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East. The platform currently manages over AUD 3 billion in assets under management, primarily deployed across hospitality and commercial real estate through closed-ended funds, managed accounts, and co-investment structures.
Schaffer's career spans more than 25 years in institutional investment and real estate. She began her career at 3i, where she managed private equity investments in retail schemes, followed by a tenure at McKinsey & Company, where she focused on finance and public affairs projects in Europe. Her expertise in real estate development was further developed during her role as Director of Investments at a Gulf Cooperation Council-based private equity firm, where she established and managed private equity funds and sourced co-investment opportunities. Notably, she established a real estate development fund in the GCC focused on newly constructed office buildings, demonstrating operational experience in fund structuring and regional market development.
Pro-invest Group's competitive positioning reflects Schaffer's strategic focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) leadership. All assets within the Pro-invest portfolio achieve among the highest environmental ratings, with the firm having developed the first carbon-neutral hotel certified under NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) ratings. This ESG positioning addresses institutional investor demand for sustainable real estate exposure and represents a material differentiator in the institutional real estate market.
Schaffer's educational background reinforces her credibility within institutional investment circles. She holds a Master's degree from Harvard University and a PhD in Economics from Leopold Franzens University in Innsbruck, Austria. Her combination of academic training, institutional investment experience, and operational expertise in fund management and real estate development positions her as a senior voice in private equity real estate strategy and sustainable investment practice.
Schaffer's career spans more than 25 years in institutional investment and real estate. She began her career at 3i, where she managed private equity investments in retail schemes, followed by a tenure at McKinsey & Company, where she focused on finance and public affairs projects in Europe. Her expertise in real estate development was further developed during her role as Director of Investments at a Gulf Cooperation Council-based private equity firm, where she established and managed private equity funds and sourced co-investment opportunities. Notably, she established a real estate development fund in the GCC focused on newly constructed office buildings, demonstrating operational experience in fund structuring and regional market development.
Pro-invest Group's competitive positioning reflects Schaffer's strategic focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) leadership. All assets within the Pro-invest portfolio achieve among the highest environmental ratings, with the firm having developed the first carbon-neutral hotel certified under NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) ratings. This ESG positioning addresses institutional investor demand for sustainable real estate exposure and represents a material differentiator in the institutional real estate market.
Schaffer's educational background reinforces her credibility within institutional investment circles. She holds a Master's degree from Harvard University and a PhD in Economics from Leopold Franzens University in Innsbruck, Austria. Her combination of academic training, institutional investment experience, and operational expertise in fund management and real estate development positions her as a senior voice in private equity real estate strategy and sustainable investment practice.
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