, CAIA, is the Performance Manager in the retirement division of FKP Limited, a leading Australian real estate and investment group. FKP owns and operates 76 retirement villages, a property asset class based primarily on a deferred management fee model.

Earning the CAIA designation in October 2011, one of Zak’s goals is to promote real estate and specifically retirement assets as an important alternative investment. Zak writes, “It is well documented that in every developed country, the growth in the senior age group will greatly outstrip growth in the general population; policy makers together with commercial enterprises will need to continually plan ahead to accommodate for the ageing population. An understanding of real estate, including retirement assets is imperative as growth in this asset class will inevitably become stronger and the investment structure underlying this asset becomes more complex. For me, the CAIA designation provided valuable insight into real asset investments and securitization of real estate and other alternative assets in a private equity or funds management structure. I would highly recommend anyone who is involved in the real estate investment space to pursue the CAIA designation.”

Before joining FKP, Zak was a financial analyst in London with a boutique property private equity firm and was a relationship manager in the corporate property division at Westpac Bank.

Zak earned a double degree at Monash University in Melbourne in Business with a major in Banking and Finance, and in Arts with a major in Politics.