Executive Watch

Perspective

Had trouble booking a hotel lately? There is a real shortage in all categories. This positive outlook has made hospitality the current darling sector. Last week the NYU Hospitality Conference broke all attendance records, and the mood was electric. The pick-up in business travel and the explosive rebound of tourism have spurred demand for the development of thousands of new hotel rooms, resulting in the need for new talent--from operations and development people to portfolio managers--as the pie gets bigger. However, something entirely new has emerged in this cycle. Some of the best branding and marketing talent from outside of the industry is being recruited into the hospitality sector, to insure that you not only have a nice night’s sleep, but that you also have an unforgettable “experience.” This is a shift from the traditional room-and-amenities advertising to a new subliminal, experiential marketing approach. This interesting and apparently effective strategy evokes an indelible memory of your stay, soothing and calming you, as you experience hefty room rates at checkout.

Anthony J. LoPinto is CEO of Equinox Partners, an executive search firm specializing in the real estate industry, and parent company of SelectLeaders

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own.

Job Opportunities

PROLOGIS
(COLORADO) Property Manager The successful individual will be responsible for daily operation of our industrial properties. For consideration, applicants must possess knowledge, skills and experience in property management with extensive emphasis on customer service. This position supervises maintenance and administrative personnel.

GRUBB & ELLIS
(MASSACHUSETTS) Marketing Manager He or she will plan, manage and implement marketing initiatives that include direct mailings, advertising campaigns, media relations and production of effective communications to targeted audiences.

STOLTZ REAL ESTATE PARTNERS
(PENNSYLVANIA) Capital Markets Analyst The selected candidate will be responsible for underwriting, modeling and presentation of commercial real estate acquisitions, financings and dispositions. Individual will be an integral part of highly transactional and diversified real estate investment analysis.

LOWE ENTERPRISES INC.
(CALIFORNIA) Vice President – Marketing and Sales Primary duties and responsibilities design and implement strategic value enhancement sales plans, including marketing strategies which address ground-up development of multifamily properties within appropriate sales goals.

ING CLARION PARTNERS
(CALIFORNIA) Acquisition Analyst/Associate The analyst/associate will be an integral part of a team in Los Angeles that sources, underwrites, evaluates, structures, documents, and closes private equity investments in institutional quality real estate properties located throughout Southern California.

FANNIE MAE
(CALIFORNIA) Director, Multifamily Large Loans The director will direct a group of senior multifamily underwriters in the pre-review of complex real estate debt transactions involving a variety of executions and structures. He or she will serve in a lead role for the business unit on national account management team assignments.

SELECTLEADERS
(NEW YORK) Senior Director, Head of the US Property Accounting Group Our client is an owner and developer of some of the world’s signature real estate. This high-performing individual will be responsible for all of the accounting, reporting, and asset management strategy planning for the entire domestic portfolio. He or she will also manage a team of 40 with seven direct reports.

CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD INC.
(FLORIDA) Financial Analyst The financial analyst's principal responsibilities include: assisting in the preparation of new business development proposals and comprehensive offering memorandum; performing financial analysis, primarily valuation modeling; and providing in-depth market analysis

Promotions

FREMONT INVESTMENT & LOAN
(BREA, CA and BETHESDA, MD) In the Brea office, Al Govahi rises to vice president and national manager of the asset management department. The former regional manager is marking his 16th year with the firm. In Bethesda, Jodi Gallivan becomes vice president and senior loan originator.

JOKAKE REAL ESTATE SERVICES
(PHOENIX) After three years with the firm, Jill Clements is named president, drawing a close to a stint as vice president of development.

LINTHICUM CORP.
(SCOTTSDALE, AZ) Jeannine Doyle becomes the construction company's first partner. For the past three years, she's been a vice president of the firm.

TRAMMELL CROW CO.
(ATLANTA, DALLAS) Four professionals rise to principal in the Atlanta office while Dallas brings one newcomer on board. The promotions go to David Lanier, Rob Metcalf, Tom Simpson and Jim Bob Taylor. Lanier previously was area director while Metcalf, Simpson and Taylor were senior vice presidents. In Dallas, Steve Trese is hired as a senior associate after a stint with TIG Real Estate Services Inc.

HELMSLEY-SPEAR
(NEW YORK CITY) Donna M. Zavattieri becomes to executive vice president. The former vice president will continue as executive director of leasing for the fashion center.

New Hires

WESTPORT CAPITAL PARTNERS
(WESTPORT, CT) Specializing in structured debt transactions, Matthew Landau becomes a partner in the firm. He most recently was managing director at IXIS.

CB RICHARD ELLIS
(WAYNE, PA) Mark A. Duszak joins the Miller/McFadden team as an associate, focusing on multifamily property sales in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

EQUASTONE
(SAN DIEGO) Chris Stai assumes the post of acquisitions vice president, responsible for sourcing investment opportunities in California, Oregon and Washington. The firm also promoted four-year employee John Locke from associate director of acquisitions to a vice president's standing in the group. Locke's territory spans Arizona, Nevada, Colorado and Texas.

THE HARP GROUP
(CHICAGO) Jay Rosenthal assumes the executive vice president's role for the investment and developer of hospitality and retail projects. He previously was area managing director for Starwood Hotels & Resorts W Hotels brand in Chicago.

CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD
(NEW YORK CITY) John Thompson comes on board as a director after a stint as senior managing director at Williamson Picket Gross, bringing more than 27 years of office leasing skills in the Manhattan market to C&W's Downtown office.

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Tony LoPinto is the Global Sector Leader of Korn Ferry’s Real Estate Practice and founder of SelectLeaders. For the past 18 years LoPinto has been serving his clients with deep knowledge and perspective on talent needs and organizational challenges to public and private companies – knowledge gained from a 25-year career in real estate. Prior to his current position, he founded and served as chief executive officer of a boutique real estate executive search firm, where he oversaw offices in New York, Chicago, Washington, DC, San Francisco and Los Angeles. He has successfully led several high profile search engagements for chief executive officers, directors and a wide-range of executive level positions across all industries and sectors. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in European history from Loyola University in Chicago.