Ares Management Corporation appointed Bill Benjamin, current Co-Head of Ares Real Estate, to the newly created position of Vice Chairman of Ares, effective January 1, 2026. The Ares Real Estate team will continue to be led by Julie Solomon as the global Head of Real Estate.
In his role as Vice Chairman, Mr. Benjamin will report to Kipp deVeer and Blair Jacobson, Co-Presidents of Ares, and will remain based in London. He will continue to focus on partnering with Real Estate leadership on strategic initiatives and relationships, including the ongoing integration of GCP International, while supporting Ares’ senior leadership team on firmwide initiatives. Mr. Benjamin will also continue to serve as Chairman of the Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation and Ares Industrial Real Estate Income Trust Boards of Directors and in his roles on Ares’ Real Estate and other various investment committees.
“Throughout Ares’ growth, we have benefited from a deep bench of leadership,” said Michael Arougheti, Chief Executive Officer of Ares. “I have had the privilege of working closely with Bill and Julie over the years to establish our Real Estate business as a key driver of the firm’s transformation. I am confident that Bill’s extensive private markets insights and collaborative leadership will continue to advance Ares’ strategic priorities, and I look forward to Julie and team continuing our strong momentum in Real Estate.”
“I’m incredibly proud of the evolution of Ares Real Estate into an industry leader over the last decade-plus and am honored to continue working with Julie and the team as they capitalize on the exciting opportunities ahead,” said Mr. Benjamin. “From this new vantage point, I am excited to forge even deeper ties across the firm to both strengthen our institutional relationships and mentor Ares’ next generation of leaders.”
“Over the years, Bill’s leadership has been instrumental in shaping the growth and strengthening the reputation of Ares Real Estate,” said Ms. Solomon. “In this past year, we transformed our business by doubling our size and expanding our capabilities to capture large-scale demand across New Economy sectors. With a comprehensive suite of capabilities and a disciplined investment approach, we are well-positioned to deliver compelling, risk-adjusted returns that meet the evolving needs and long-term goals of our clients.”
Mr. Benjamin and Ms. Solomon joined Ares in 2013 through the acquisition of AREA Property Partners. Together, they have spearheaded the evolution of Ares Real Estate into one of the world’s most scaled and diversified vertically integrated real estate managers through both organic growth and the integrations of GCP International, Black Creek Group and Walton Street Mexico. Today, Ares Real Estate has more than 740 team members globally, manages a portfolio representing more than 720 million square feet and is the third largest owner, operator and developer of logistics assets in the world.