The evolution of the INREV association and team

Throughout INREV’s history, it’s been the people and teams at its centre that have made the difference. IQ gathered a few brief recollections from some of those individuals with a deep knowledge of the association.

Twenty years of INREV is a remarkable achievement. Over the past two decades, the association has created a global network of individuals and organisations committed to improving the non-listed real estate industry within Europe and beyond.

The success of the association is the result of the collective effort of INREV members and a consistently dedicated team of smart, motivated individuals focused on meeting the needs of the industry by delivering high quality products and services to members. Each and every one of INREV’s employees has played an important role in helping to shape the impactful organisation it is today. 

The very first member of the team was Kristia Terwiel, who was instrumental in setting up the office and getting things off the ground. She was joined by Judi Hill, INREV’s first CEO in 2004. Lisette Van Doorn

Lisette Van Doorn, INREV’s second CEO (2005-2009), reflected on her role in widening the membership and rapidly building up the team, while setting the course for the association to achieve its considerable ambitions. As she told IQ: ‘It was an honour to help to build INREV’s collaborative atmosphere and network with members. It’s meant that INREV has been able to adapt to help provide what members need. And that’s what has made the organisation so successful today, and what will make it successful in the years ahead.’

Andrea Carpenter

Andrea Carpenter took the role of Interim CEO between 2009 and 2010, a year of recovery following the global financial crisis. INREV had never been more important – playing a crucial role in offering support to members in difficult economic circumstances. And this, combined with having to cancel the Annual Conference due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland, certainly made Andrea’s year in office one not lacking in challenge.

Matthias Thomas

But INREV continued to thrive, and in 2010, Matthias Thomas took the helm as CEO of INREV, where he remained until 2017. He recalled the part he played in establishing the association’s formal public affairs offering – which included opening an office in Brussels – and extending INREV's global reach by working closely with association partners NCREIF and PREA in North America, and ANREV in the Asia Pacific region. According to Matthias, ‘working to create standards across Europe, and starting to globalise these across North America and Asia was a huge highlight for me. As the rate of globalisation continued to rapidly increase, the introduction of such initiatives was an indication of INREV’s ability to evolve with the world moving around them.’

Lonneke Löwik

Current CEO, Lonneke Löwik, who re-joined the association in 2017 after a brief stint away, described returning to INREV as ‘coming home’. She returned full of energy and ideas on how to make better use of the sheer amount of data INREV had collected over the years to cater for an increasingly global member base. Building a modern-day data platform is essential for INREV’s future, in which data and digital connectivity becomes much more important. ‘Our move to bring services more online, including our first eLearning modules, started before the pandemic. This helped us to turn many of our member services online when Covid-19 hit and allowed us to stay in contact with our members.’

These were challenging times, but nothing compared to what the market is faced with at this moment. From her perspective, there will be plenty of challenges for INREV and the industry to tackle over the next 20 years, but adds reassuringly that: ‘INREV has become a resilient organisation, that is here every step of the way. Where there is a need, we will always aim to provide a service that meets our members’ changing needs’.

Each and every one of INREV’s employees has played an important role in helping to shape the impactful organisation it is today.

According to Liz Middleton, Executive Assistant to the CEO and INREV’s longest standing employee, it’s a unique achievement for an organisation to retain staff over an 18-year period and more. From her very first day, Liz recalls her time at INREV fondly: ‘I helped with building the kitchen, setting up committees, helping with finances, knocking down walls and more - it was all hands on deck!’ And since then, the INREV team has blossomed into a team of 36 dedicated professionals one of the newest joiners to the team, Karol Kepka, INREV Marketing Manager, described todays organisation as ‘a well-oiled machine, full of enthusiastic professionals from diverse backgrounds who bring unique qualities and abilities, and who remain passionate in a fast-paced working environment.' 

Undoubtedly, the association will continue to go from strength to strength. But after 20 years of steady progress, now seems like a fitting moment to offer thanks to the many people who have contributed to, and who remain part of the INREV team; as well as all past and present members of the INREV Board and every member who has committed, and continues to offer, their time and energy to the various INREV Committees. 

Perhaps the biggest measure of success for INREV over the past two decades is the strength of the community it has established. Here’s to the next 20 years!