Pralle was previously president and CEO at GE Real Estate, managing a global business portfolio of more than $78 billion in assets in 28 countries. He left the post in June, as GlobeSt.com reported. During his 18 year-tenure at GE, he also served as the head of the businesses responsible for making common equity, preferred stock, and convertible debt investments in private companies in the US, Europe and Asia, as well as supervising GE Capital's activities in 15 countries across North and Southeast Asia. Prior to GE, Pralle spent six years in McKinsey and Co.'s London and Hong Kong offices.

"We are extremely pleased to have Michael Pralle join JER to lead and manage our business operations," Joseph E. Robert, Jr., chairman and CEO says in a statement. "[His] network of relationships in the US, Europe, Latin America and Asia will be of invaluable importance as we continue to strategically grow our business."

JER has made a number of changes to its executive line over the past few months in preparation for what appears to be a significant investment initiative in the Latin American region. In September it announced that IFC veteran Maria Kozloski would head its Emerging Markets Opportunities Business and Marcelo Horcel, a former executive with GE Capital and native Brazilian, would be the new managing director of Latin America Investments.