Aviva Investors has created three new roles in its direct real estate division, hiring industry executives who have worked at asset managers including BlackRock and Aberdeen Standard Investments to fill the posts.

Aviva’s direct real estate team manages about £20.4bn and sits in the asset manager’s £41bn real assets division. Melanie Collett, who leads real estate asset management, said the new hires will position the business for growth “in 2019 and beyond” and that more are lined up this year.