Privately owned real estate business – Dominvs Group, the London-based property developer and investment group, has appointed Iliya Blazic as its new Managing Director.
The flagship appointment further lays the groundwork for Dominvs Group’s growth and signals its intention to expand into new property classes – including the Build to Rent sector. Joining the business immediately, Iliya will be responsible for directing the growth of the business as well as taking responsibility for business operations at an executive level. He will report directly to the Board of Dominvs Group.
Iliya’s responsibilities will also include standardising functional processes across the business; driving growth, both organically and through joint venture; and directing the group’s expansion across the ‘beds’ sectors.
“Iliya’s appointment forms an integral part of our strategy to grow our business in the Build to Rent sector in the coming year. After a string of flagship hires, we are geared up for rapid diversification into a range of different property classes.”
Speaking exclusively to BTR News, Preet Ahluwalia, Director, Dominvs Group
Iliya has a strong track record of leading teams and scaling property investment platforms, most recently as an integral member of the executive at iQ Student Accommodation, creating – at the time – the third largest student operator by bed number and second largest by revenue.
Joining iQ in 2015 as Managing Director, he led the business through its £2bn merger with Prodigy Living. Then in 2017, having established the business platform, he became Chief Investment Officer, and most recently, was part of the executive team that led the sale of iQ to Blackstone in a record-breaking £4.66bn transaction in May 2020.
“It’s an exciting time to join Dominvs Group, and I have been struck by the entrepreneurial approach it takes to real estate.
“The opportunity I see is to create a truly gold-plated, institutional-standard property investment and development business that operates across a wide spectrum of property sectors, building on the Group’s deep expertise in residential and hospitality.“I’m excited to join Dominvs Group as it continues its growth trajectory and extends its leadership across new property classes. I have been impressed with the Group’s continued momentum and look forward to leveraging my experience as we look to capitalise on the opportunities ahead.”
Iliya Blazic, Managing Director, Dominvs Group
The senior leadership appointment should also be seen as a key plank of the Group’s strategy of strengthening its team for growth, bringing on board key talent from across the wider property sector as it seeks to capitalise on its success in residential development and build a diversified real estate investment business.
Prior to joining iQ, Iliya was Investment Principal (Real Estate) at The Wellcome Trust, responsible for managing its £2bn global real estate portfolio across commercial, residential, agricultural, data centre, hotel and student accommodation sectors.
While at the Trust, he led a number of notable initiatives – including the acquisition of Farmcare from the Co-op, the UK’s largest arable farming business; the Tune Hotel joint venture with the Queensway Group and St Katharine, a joint venture with the Berkeley Group.
Earlier in his career, he was at LaSalle Investment Management and was responsible for managing a number of Pension Fund and Lasalle Fund accounts across both direct and indirect investment platforms.
“I’m delighted to welcome Iliya to the business. He brings decades of experience from across the wider property investment sector, and he has an extensive background in asset allocation, investment management, and a wide range of property classes.
Preet Ahluwalia, Director, Dominvs Group
“Over the last five years, Iliya has made a significant impact in shaping the direction and growth of the student accommodation sector in the UK. We are confident that Iliya will be a strong leader in the business and will be instrumental in driving the next phase of growth at the group.”
