Oxford Properties Group has announced Daniel Fournier will step down as president and CEO on Nov. 3, with Eric Plesman rejoining the firm to take on the roles as part of what Oxford calls a “planned leadership transition.”

Plesman has a deep familiarity with both Oxford and the Canadian pension fund landscape. He first joined Oxford in 2011 and spent over a decade at the firm as head of Canadian investments, before being promoted to head of Canada, then to executive vice-president, North America, to oversee Oxford’s largest geographic region by assets under management and personnel.

He then left Oxford and most recently served as head of global real estate at HOOPP, where he led a diversified international business spanning North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. 

Earlier in his career, Plesman spent over a decade at Morgan Stanley in progressively senior and global roles.

In addition to his leadership of HOOPP’s global real estate business, Plesman is a member of the board of directors at the Greater Toronto Airport Authority, which manages and operates Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. He is also chair of the institutional investor council at the Pension Real Estate Association (PREA) which represents and advocates for global institutional investors.

About the transition

“Leading Oxford over the past three years has been a profound privilege,” Fournier said in the announcement. “From the outset, I committed to step aside when three conditions were met: that we accelerated progress against our biggest opportunities and challenges; we strengthened performance across the business; and that we 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.”

Fournier has also been Oxford’s executive chair.

Plesman returns to an organization that manages $80 billion of assets across four continents on behalf of its investment partners. Oxford's owned portfolio encompasses logistics, office, retail, multifamily residential, life sciences, credit and hotels in global gateway cities and high-growth hubs.

Established in 1960, Oxford invests in properties, portfolios, development sites, debt, securities and real estate businesses across the risk-reward spectrum. 

Together with its portfolio companies, Oxford is one of the world's most active developers with 30 projects underway globally across all major asset classes. 

Oxford is owned by OMERS, the Canadian defined benefit pension plan for Ontario's municipal employees.

Fournier to remain as strategic counsel

“I’m honoured to return to Oxford, an organization whose people, culture and purpose I know firsthand and have a deep personal admiration for,” Plesman said in Tuesday’s announcement. “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.”

To support the transition, Fournier will provide strategic counsel into 2026 and will work closely with Plesman to maintain momentum against Oxford’s operational execution and strategic priorities.

“We are delighted to welcome Eric back to lead the Oxford Properties team,” Blake Hutcheson, president and CEO of OMERS, said in the announcement. “Eric's impressive investment acumen and leadership skills make him the ideal person to build on Oxford’s 65- year legacy of investing in, developing and managing high-quality real estate on behalf of the 650,000 members of the OMERS pension plan.”

Hutcheson credited Fournier with guiding the organization through an “unprecedented time for real estate over the past three years.”

“He is not only a remarkable investor but also one of the best and most selfless leaders I have ever worked with. He cares deeply about his team and achieving the best win/win outcomes. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Daniel for his exceptional work and his commitment to succession, and to ensuring a smooth leadership transition.”