Oxford Taps Canadian Pension Alum as Next CEO

Oxford Properties Group is bringing back one of its own to lead the real estate investor and developer.

Eric Plesman, who previously served as executive vice president for North America, will rejoin the Toronto-based firm as president and chief executive officer on Nov. 3, the company announced. The move comes as executive chair Daniel Fournier prepares to step down.

Oxford, owned by Canadian pension giant Omers, described the change as a planned transition following what it called a “comprehensive succession process.” Fournier, who helmed the firm for three years, will stay on as an adviser into 2026.

Plesman knows the playbook. He first joined Oxford in 2011 and climbed the ranks to oversee its biggest market, North America. He previously headed global real estate for Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan and spent more than a decade at Morgan Stanley.

It’s an intriguing time for Plesman to get in the saddle at Oxford. Executives from two of Canada’s largest pension funds — including HOOPP — are slowing down investments in the U.S. real estate market as construction costs rise and labor shortages and tariffs complicate the environment for these institutions.

“No new shovels go in the ground unless everything is pre-leased,” Plesman, acting in his capacity with HOOPP, said at a recent real estate conference run by the National Association for Industrial and Office Parks.

For Fournier, the exit caps a run in which he said he sought to strengthen performance and tee up the firm’s next phase of leadership.

“Now is the perfect time for Eric, who is an exceptional real estate executive, to take the helm,” Fournier said in a statement.

Oxford, one of the most active global players in office, logistics, multifamily and life sciences, sharpened its focus in recent years as rising rates and shifting tenant demand have reshaped capital flows.

Plesman, in his return statement, touted the company’s “world-class platform” and said he looked forward to pushing its growth alongside Omers.