MetLife Investment Management Names Chris Aiken Head of Real Estate Equity Strategies

Key Terms

assets under management financial

Assets under management (AUM) is the total value of all the investments that a financial company or fund is responsible for overseeing on behalf of its clients. It’s like a big bucket that shows how much money the firm is managing for people or organizations. A higher AUM often indicates a larger, more trusted company, and it can influence how much money they earn and the services they can offer.

general account financial

A general account is the main pool of assets an insurance company holds to pay claims and guarantee products that are backed by the insurer itself, not by the individual policyholder’s investments. Think of it as the company’s central checking account: investors care because obligations paid from this account depend on the insurer’s overall financial health and credit strength, so problems there can affect guarantees, dividends and the company’s ability to meet commitments.

core-plus financial

An investment approach that sits between very safe, low-return assets and higher-risk, high-return ones: core-plus targets established income-producing assets but accepts modest extra risk or effort — for example taking on properties that need minor improvements or using a bit more borrowing — to earn higher returns than pure core holdings. For investors this matters because it aims to balance steady income with some upside, like choosing a reliable car that needs a small tune-up to run faster.

value-add financial

Value-add describes actions or changes—such as physical upgrades, cost-cutting measures, or new revenue strategies—that increase an asset’s income, usefulness or market worth. Investors care because value-add efforts can boost cash flow, raise resale value and improve returns by making an investment more attractive or efficient; think renovating a kitchen to sell a house for a higher price or rent it out more profitably.

opportunistic strategies financial

Opportunistic strategies are flexible investment approaches that look for short-term chances to earn extra returns by shifting into assets or sectors that appear temporarily undervalued or unusually profitable—like a shopper grabbing a big sale. For investors, they matter because they can boost overall returns and diversify risk by exploiting market swings, but they also require active monitoring and can increase volatility and transaction costs compared with a steady, long-term plan.

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WHIPPANY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- MetLife Investment Management (MIM), the institutional asset management business of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), today announced that Chris Aiken has been appointed head of Real Estate Equity Strategies, effective immediately. He will report to Andrea Drasites, global head of Real Estate and Agricultural Finance.

Chris Aiken, Head of Real Estate Equity Strategies, MetLife Investment Management

“Chris is an integral part of our real estate platform and has consistently demonstrated strong leadership skills, deep market expertise and a commitment to delivering value for our clients,” said Brian Funk, president of MIM. “His experience across acquisitions, development and portfolio strategy, combined with his collaborative style, positions him well to lead our Real Estate Equity Strategies business as we continue to advance the platform.”

As head of Real Estate Equity Strategies, Aiken will lead MIM’s direct property investment platform and oversee investing activities on behalf of MetLife’s general account and third-party institutional investors across core, core-plus, build-to-core, value-add and opportunistic strategies.

MIM’s real estate portfolio represented $106.2 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2026.¹ The announcement follows the appointment of Andrea Drasites as global head of Real Estate and Agricultural Finance, reflecting the firm’s continued investment in its real estate capabilities and leadership team as it expands its global platform.

Prior to assuming this role, Aiken served as head of Acquisitions for MIM’s Real Estate Equity Strategies Group. Before joining MIM, he was a Managing Director at Safanad, where he led all aspects of the investment lifecycle across multiple real estate strategies. He also held real estate investment roles at BlackRock and Salomon Smith Barney.

Aiken earned an M.S. in Real Estate Finance from New York University and a B.A. in Business Administration from Morehouse College. He is a member and co-chair of the Membership Committee for the Real Estate Executive Council and a member of the Urban Land Institute’s Urban Development Mixed-Use Council.

About MetLife Investment Management

MetLife Investment Management, the institutional asset management business of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), provides tailored investment management solutions to institutional investors worldwide. MetLife Investment Management has long-established global expertise in public fixed income, private fixed income, real estate, equity, alternatives, multi-asset, and insurance solutions and provides public and private pension plans, insurance companies, endowments, funds and other institutional clients with a range of bespoke investment solutions that seek to meet a range of long-term investment objectives and risk-adjusted returns over time. MetLife Investment Management has over 150 years of investment experience and, as of March 31, 2026, had $736.3 billion in total assets under management. For more information, see MetLife Investment Management’s Total Assets Under Management fact sheet for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 available on MetLife’s Investor Relations web page (https://investor.metlife.com).

About MetLife

MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates (“MetLife”), is one of the world’s leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help individual and institutional customers build a more confident future. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 markets globally and holds leading positions in the United States, Asia, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit https://www.metlife.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

The forward-looking statements in this news release, using words such as “continue,” “positions,” “seek” and “will,” are based on assumptions and expectations that involve risks and uncertainties, including the “Risk Factors” MetLife, Inc. describes in its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. MetLife’s future results could differ, and it does not undertake any obligation to publicly correct or update any of these statements.

¹ At estimated fair value. Mortgage loans, real estate and real estate joint ventures are included at net asset value, net of deduction for encumbering debt and have been adjusted from carrying value to estimated fair value.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260701303380/en/

For Media:
Liz Harish
(929) 343-7473
elizabeth.harish@metlife.com

Source: MetLife Investment Management