Jane Gavan, chief executive officer of Dream Global REIT, was honoured with a prestigious 2015 immobilienmanager.Award from the leading German real estate journal based in Cologne.

Gavan won the “Surprise Prize,” which Christof Hardebusch, editor-in-chief of immobilienmanager, says recognizes her “exemplary, innovative and courageous” character.

“Jane Gavan embodies all of these characteristics: she was innovative in the way she got involved in her global engagement here in Germany; she showed that courage and innovation are closely related and she is exemplary in how she established herself as a female leader in a male-dominated environment,” Hardebusch added.

Gavan has worked with Dream for 18 years in various roles, from overseeing legal and human resources departments to leading some of the top real estate transactions in Canadian history.

Dream Global is the first Canadian REIT to focus soley on international investments—a transformative move Gavan launched and led, propelling her reputation across Germany’s real estate community, while establishing a desirable building portfolio.

Photo by Galit Rodan/Bloomberg via Getty Images