ING Real Estate has appointed Maria de Rivera as country manager, investment management Italy, effective 19 November 2007. She will be responsible for the office in Milan and will also be fund director of the ING Retail Property Partnership southern Europe and the ING Real Estate Italian retail fund. Ms de Rivera joins from UBS Real Estate where she is currently leading their Italian operations, which she launched in 2004 as director and head of acquisitions, Italy. Before joining UBS, she worked for Morgan Stanley Real Estate funds in Italy. Pieter Hendrikse, chief executive of ING Real Estate Investment Management Europe said: "Maria de Rivera’s solid expertise will help us continue to grow and build our Italian operation as well as manage our diversifying funds in the region."