MetLife Taps Andrea Drasites to Lead Real Estate and Agricultural Finance

Drasites joins from Blackstone to oversee $108.9 billion in global real estate and agricultural assets.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 8:56pm

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A photorealistic studio still-life photograph featuring a polished, geometric sculpture made of brushed stainless steel, representing the premium, institutional quality of MetLife Investment Management's real estate and agricultural finance operations.MetLife Investment Management taps an experienced real estate executive to lead its growing global real estate and agricultural finance portfolio.Whippany Today

MetLife Investment Management (MIM) announced that Andrea Drasites will join the company as global head of Real Estate and Agricultural Finance, effective October 1, 2026. Drasites will report to Brian Funk, president of MIM, and will lead the company's commercial mortgage, equity real estate, and agricultural investments portfolio.

Why it matters

The appointment of Drasites, an experienced real estate executive from Blackstone, signals MIM's commitment to growing its global real estate and agricultural finance capabilities following the acquisition of PineBridge Investments. This move positions MIM as a top-tier, diversified asset manager with significant scale and expertise in these key investment areas.

The details

As head of Real Estate and Agricultural Finance, Drasites will oversee MIM's $108.9 billion portfolio of commercial mortgages, equity real estate, and agricultural investments. She joins MIM from Blackstone, where she held several leadership roles in the Real Estate Group over 13 years. Prior to Blackstone, Drasites held senior positions at Equity One, Inc. and Woolbright Development.

  • Drasites will join MIM effective October 1, 2026.
  • MIM acquired PineBridge Investments in December 2025.

The players

Andrea Drasites

An experienced real estate executive who will join MetLife Investment Management as the global head of Real Estate and Agricultural Finance.

Brian Funk

The president of MetLife Investment Management, who Drasites will report to in her new role.

MetLife Investment Management (MIM)

The institutional asset management business of MetLife, Inc. that is expanding its global real estate and agricultural finance capabilities.

Blackstone

The global investment firm where Drasites held several leadership positions in the Real Estate Group prior to joining MIM.

PineBridge Investments

The asset management firm that MIM acquired in December 2025, combining MIM's institutional strength and scale with PineBridge's global footprint and specialized investment capabilities.

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What they’re saying

“We are excited to bring on board Andrea's significant expertise in real estate and extensive leadership experience. She is well positioned to lead our real estate team as we continue to accelerate growth and further scale our global capabilities for clients following the acquisition of PineBridge Investments.”

— Brian Funk, President, MetLife Investment Management

“I'm thrilled to be joining MIM at such a pivotal moment and look forward to working with the team to build on the platform's success and leverage the firm's scale to drive even more opportunities for clients worldwide.”

— Andrea Drasites

What’s next

Drasites will officially join MIM and assume her new role as global head of Real Estate and Agricultural Finance on October 1, 2026.

The takeaway

The appointment of Andrea Drasites, an experienced real estate executive from Blackstone, underscores MetLife Investment Management's commitment to expanding its global real estate and agricultural finance capabilities following the acquisition of PineBridge Investments. This move positions MIM as a top-tier, diversified asset manager with significant scale and expertise in these key investment areas.