Creates Unified European Platform with AUM of over $10 Billion
CHICAGO and LONDON, July 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Harrison Street Asset Management ("HSAM" or "Harrison Street"), a leading alternative global investment management firm with over $109 billion in assets under management through highly differentiated assets across infrastructure, real estate and credit strategies, today announced the integration of the Harrison Street Europe into RoundShield Partners ("RoundShield") and the rebranding of the combined platform as HSAM Europe ("HSAM Europe"). HSAM acquired a majority interest in RoundShield, a prominent European investment manager specializing in asset-backed credit opportunities and private capital solutions, in July 2025. The partners of RoundShield retain their significant minority interest in the combined platform.
The combination of RoundShield and Harrison Street Europe will create a unified European operating platform with total AUM in excess of $10 billion across multiple European investment strategies, serving a diverse global institutional investor base.
HSAM Europe will be led by Driss Benkirane and Paul Bashir as Co-Heads of Europe. Mr. Benkirane, Founder and Managing Partner of RoundShield, also will serve as Chief Investment Officer, responsible for investment strategy across the HSAM Europe platform. Mr. Bashir, previously CEO of Harrison Street Europe, will continue to oversee the existing equity business of the firm as well as focus on capital formation and product development. Herbert Beckmann will maintain his responsibilities in the integrated platform as CFO and COO of HSAM Europe. The unified team now exceeding 90 members in Europe, will have a strong presence in London, Berlin, Geneva, Jersey, Luxembourg, Madrid, and Munich, and will be positioned to continue building scale and talent to lead the market.
Christopher Merrill, Co-Founder and Global CEO of HSAM, stated, "This is a pivotal moment for Harrison Street, as we unify our European business under a single brand, culture, and operating platform, positioning HSAM Europe to become a powerhouse across diverse strategies and asset classes in the European market."
Driss Benkirane stated, "RoundShield has been dedicated to delivering exceptional performance through asset-backed credit and private capital solutions since 2013. Now, as a larger force in the market as part of HSAM Europe and with the depth of talent across both teams, we will be well positioned to introduce new capabilities for our investors beyond what either platform could achieve alone."
Paul Bashir noted, "Bringing together the incredible talent, experience and market knowledge of our two highly accomplished organizations will enable HSAM Europe to capitalize on the growing opportunities for investment across core, opportunistic, and private debt strategies on behalf of our investors."
The launch of HSAM Europe also marks an important milestone in the firm's continued growth following the recent launch of the HSAM European Private Debt Fund ("the Fund"), an evergreen strategy focused on senior secured, real estate-backed lending across Western Europe. Supported by the broader HSAM platform, the Fund has launched with strong early momentum, having already completed its first investment. The inaugural transaction provided senior secured financing to refinance and support the continued stabilisation of a newly renovated UK hotel. The strategy has also built a strong pipeline of opportunities across multiple European markets and sectors, including living, hospitality and logistics, reflecting both the breadth of HSAM Europe's origination capabilities and growing demand for flexible mid-market financing solutions.
About Harrison Street Asset Management
Harrison Street Asset Management is a leading global alternative investment management firm with $109 billion in assets under management across real estate, infrastructure, and credit strategies. Headquartered in Chicago, Toronto, and London with over 600 employees in offices across North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, the firm offers innovative solutions across a variety of closed-end, open-end and specialized vehicles on behalf of over 1,100 institutional investors and over 300 Registered Investment Advisors.1
About RoundShield Partners
RoundShield is the European credit and tactical opportunities arm of Harrison Street Asset Management. Established in 2013, RoundShield is focused on European asset-backed credit opportunities and private capital solutions and on behalf of pension funds, endowments, foundations, and other institutional investors. RoundShield's investment strategies prioritize opportunities with strong underlying fundamental value, driven by a diverse network of long-standing relationships across a wide range of sectors, and an in-depth understanding of western European market dynamics.
1 HSAM data and descriptions of HSAM's business are generally comprised of the aggregated data and business activities of investment advisors that are owned in whole or in part by HSAM. Assets under management ("AUM") reflects the AUM for the investment advisory and asset management clients of such investment advisors and is inclusive of the regulatory AUM of such investment advisors as would be reported in their respective Form ADVs.
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