Eric Plesman to Rejoin Oxford Properties Group as President and CEO

Toronto-based Oxford Properties Group has announced that executive chair Daniel Fournier will be stepping away from his leadership role at the company, and that Oxford’s former executive vice president for North America, Eric Plesman, will rejoin the company as president and CEO.

The transition will take effect Nov. 3.  

The company, owned by Canadian pension fund Omers, is characterizing the change as a “planned leadership transition,” and said that a “comprehensive succession process” led to Plesman’s selection.

The company stated that Plesman has a “deep familiarity with both Oxford and the Canadian pension fund landscape.” His prior roles include serving as head of global real estate at Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) and various progressive roles at Morgan Stanley. He held a number of positions at Oxford, where he started in 2011, including head of Canadian investments, head of Canada and executive vice president for North America, where he oversaw Oxford’s largest geographic region.

“Leading Oxford over the past three years has been a profound privilege,” Fournier said in the statement. “From the outset, I committed to step aside when three conditions were met: that we accelerated progress against our biggest opportunities and challenges; strengthened performance across the business; and secured the best possible leader for Oxford’s next chapter. With those goals achieved, now is the perfect time for Eric, who is an exceptional real estate executive, to take the helm and lead Oxford in its next chapter.”

Plesman returned the sentiment.

 “I’m honored to return to Oxford, an organization whose people, culture and purpose I know firsthand and have a deep personal admiration for,” Plesman said in the statement. “Oxford has a world-class platform that is unique in the marketplace, a clear strategy and strong momentum. I look forward to partnering with the teams across Oxford and OMERS to deliver for our customers, capital partners and members, and to build on the company’s global strength and reputation.”

The company also announced that “to support a successful transition, Fournier will advise Oxford into 2026, and will work closely with Plesman to maintain focus and momentum against Oxford’s operational execution and strategic priorities.”

Larry Getlen can be reached at lgetlen@commercialobserver.com.