Jawed Barna appointed new Group CEO of Engel & Völkers

Leadership change at Engel & Völkers (E&V): The company today announced the appointment of Jawed Barna (48) as the new Group CEO, effective 1 November  2023. He will succeed Sven Odia, who has decided to step down from the Management Board. Barna previously held various leadership positions at Zurich Insurance Group since joining in 2005. After nine successful years at the helm of the company, Odia will assume the newly created role of President and will support the handover to Jawed Barna and, in particular, the rollout of the E&V brand in new markets.

Christian Völkers, Founder and Chairman of the Advisory Board, says: "We are excited to welcome Jawed Barna as a strong leader with a proven track record. His successful experience in building digital platforms and managing a complex sales organisation makes him a perfect fit for E&V. Together with our majority owner Permira, we are convinced that Jawed Barna has what it takes to lead E&V into the next phase of growth, with the goal of becoming the best platform for high-quality real estate worldwide. We thank Sven Odia for his outstanding achievements during his 26-year career at E&V. With his entrepreneurial spirit, he has driven the global Market Centre concept and helped expand the Group’s international presence into market-leading positions in the US, Greece, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries. We are pleased that Sven will continue to support our expansion in his new role." 

Jawed Barna adds: "I am thrilled to be joining E&V as CEO and to steer this renowned company into the future. Despite the challenges facing the industry on a global scale, the Group’s strong brand, global presence, and breadth of talent will enable us to continue the successful journey and further expand the market position. I particularly look forward to working with the entire E&V team in Hamburg and across the different regions and countries to unlock the company's full potential." 

Barna, who holds a degree in business administration, brings a wealth of experience to the table. In his most recent role as Executive Board Member and Deputy CEO at Zurich Insurance Group Germany, he was responsible for driving sales and partnerships, and successfully led large business units serving private and SME clients, as well as manging thousands of external brokers and insurance agents. Prior to this, he was Regional CEO for the Middle East and Africa region. Additionally, as Chairman and member of the Supervisory Board, he played a key role in guiding the strategic orientation and internationalisation of Real Garant AG and GDV Dienstleistungs GmbH. 

Sven Odia says: "I will actively support Jawed Barna and look forward to our future cooperation. With its strong growth and digitization strategy, E&V is perfectly positioned to continue its success story. We have significantly increased revenue and earnings in recent years and look back on a stellar performance in 2023 so far, even in a difficult market environment. Throughout my career, my top priority has always been empowering people to write their own success story under the E&V brand. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the entire team worldwide for the terrific collaboration over the past two decades."