NEPI Rockcastle appoints Marius Barbu as Chief Operating Officer

NEPI Rockcastle NV has appointed Marius Barbu as Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective 1 April 2026. He will succeed Marek Noetzel, the current COO and CEO-designate. Barbu has also been nominated to join the Board of Directors and will stand for election at the company’s Annual General Meeting in May 2026.

Marius Barbu is currently Group Asset Management Director at NEPI Rockcastle and has more than 25 years of experience in asset management, real estate and retail. He joined the company in 2012 and was appointed to his current role in June 2022, where he has been responsible for strategic operational priorities, business transformation, marketing and property management.

During his tenure at NEPI Rockcastle, Barbu has progressively expanded his responsibilities, moving from country-level oversight in Romania to managing portfolios across eight Central and Eastern European markets.

Before joining NEPI Rockcastle, Barbu gained experience in real estate asset management, leasing, retail marketing and branding while working for international organisations including Argo Capital Management, Mivan Development and Unilever South Central Europe.

Commenting on the appointment, George Aase, Chairman of NEPI Rockcastle, said: “Marius Barbu has an unrivalled understanding of, and sound experience in, the operational dynamics of the NEPI Rockcastle portfolio. His deep knowledge of the Group, coupled with a proven track record of strong performance and a significant contribution to the executive management team, has made him the Board’s clear and natural choice to ensure continuity in the role of COO. The Board trusts that Mr Barbu will continue to play a key role in shaping NEPI Rockcastle’s market-leading operations.”

The company stated that the appointment reflects the effectiveness of its internal talent management and leadership development strategy.