An Australian property investment firm has created a new role to oversee its European assets, a further sign of its ambitions on the continent as it eyes the takeover of a London-based real estate trust.

Cromwell Property Group, which has 11.5bn Australian dollars ($8.2bn) in assets under management, said it promoted Wouter Zwetsloot to head of real estate in Europe. He will also continue to head up the company’s Benelux business. He has worked for Cromwell since 2008.