The Ontario Municipal Employees’ Retirement System is appointing Daniel Fournier as the next executive chair of its real estate arm, Oxford Properties Group.

Fournier will begin the new role in April following the departure of Michael Turner, who has been in the position since 2018. After the transition, Turner will remain with the organization, helping to advance several of its U.S.-specific strategies.

Read: OMERS appointing Ralph Berg as chief investment officer

“We are delighted to welcome Daniel Fournier to the Oxford team,” said Blake Hutcheson, president and chief executive officer of the OMERS, in a press release. “Fournier’s extensive experience, track record of success and in-depth knowledge of global real estate investing will be an invaluable asset to Oxford as we enter this next phase of growth across the globe.”

From 2010 to 2019, Fournier served as chair and CEO of Ivanhoé Cambridge, the real estate arm of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. Earlier in his career, he was the chair of Genivar Inc. and a director at Summit Industrial Income, a real estate investment trust. Fournier also stood as a Conservative candidate in the 2006 federal election.

Read: OMERS Capital Markets appointing Prabha Ram as managing director of global equities