Executive Watch

Perspective

This was a week of bad news. Turmoil and the threat of war in the Middle East, a world on edge as North Korea flexed its nuclear muscle, oil at an all-time high and gas prices pressing through the roof. As the Fed continued its steady increase of interest rates, the stock market gave back all of its ’06 gains and the polar ice caps continued to melt. What else can go wrong, and what will be the effect of all of these events (with the possible exception of the ice caps) on real estate? Thankfully, there is no immediate worry. But you can bet that all real estate executives across every sector are calling special sessions of their teams to discuss what all of this will mean for their business. One thing is for sure. Regardless of how these issues evolve, corporate officers, developers large and small, brokers and investors alike, have all already begun to question whether the bull is turning into a bear.

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

ERNST & YOUNG
(LOS ANGELES) Hospitality Senior Associate – Corporate Real Estate ServicesThe successful candidate will participate in and supervise multiple client engagements and other related activities. The senior associate will apply and expand existing skills to develop and deliver high-quality work products within a fast-paced, service-oriented business environment.

NEWMARK KNIGHT FRANK
(NEW YORK)Property Controller – Commercial Real Estate The property controller in our Property Management Accounting Department will be responsible for managing all financial operations for a commercial building portfolio. Duties include preparing financial statements, annual budgets, quarterly forecasts, escalation calculations, variance analyses and general ledger work; supervising and directing A/P and A/R staff for each building; and managing daily cash, working with banks and arranging short-term investments.

EQUINOX PARTNERS
(SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA) Senior Vice President, Acquisitions West Coast Key responsibilities include sourcing and identifying new joint venture partners who meet the company’s criteria, and creating relationships which will provide a consistent pipeline of suitable investment opportunities.

INLAND MORTGAGE CAPITAL CORP.
(ORLANDO) Senior Loan Originator: Structured Real Estate Finance The senior loan originator will market, source, structure, underwrite, perform due diligence and close short-term (up to three years) value-added opportunistic real estate transactions. The candidate will also review and analyze new loan requests, negotiate loan transactions, and assist in developing a complete loan package for Investment Committee Review.

TRAMMELL CROW CO.
(TAMPA) Regional Manager – Facility Management The regional manager will oversee a facilities management staff of five and oversee a significant portfolio of 2.3 million sf of retail and administrative properties. The candidate may be responsible for resolving facilities management issues, authorizing vendor contracts and overseeing financial performance of the business unit.

RREEF
(NEW YORK) Real Estate Financial Analyst – Structured Finance The position will perform quantitative and qualitative analysis for the Rreef Structured Debt Group, which focuses on investments in transitional senior mortgages, B-notes, mezzanine loans and preferred equity investments in commercial and multifamily residential real estate.

EQUINOX PARTNERS
(ILLINOIS) Senior Director, Residential/Multifamily
This newly created role will assume a leadership role and be responsible for analyzing, structuring, negotiating and completing residential/multifamily developments located in existing shopping malls and master planned properties throughout the United States. He/She will have a proven track record in the development of residential/multifamily properties within a mixed-use project environment.

Promotions

CAPMARK FINANCE INC.
(PASADENA, CA) Kevin Kozminske inherits the title of vice president and branch manager of the local office. He previously worked as assistant vice president in the St. Louis mortgage banking office. In San Antonio, Robert Jordan is dubbed vice president in the local office. Jordan comes from the firm’s branch in Austin, where he served as senior vice president.

INTERSTATE HOTELS & RESORTS
(ARLINGTON, VA) New vice president, development Chris Van der Baars is now responsible for under-development condo resort projects. Van der Baars previously served as manager of Doubletree Westshore in Tampa.

MARCUS & MILLICHAP REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT BROKERAGE CO.
(HOUSTON) After four years as an associate, Russell Jones earns a berth as senior associate. Jones specializes in sales of multifamily properties.

CB RICHARD ELLIS
(WASHINGTON, DC) Drew Jarvis earns a berth as managing director, responsible for developing and executing business development strategies in the Washington, DC office.

CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD
(EDISON, NJ) Joseph J. Sarno rises to executive director from senior director in the New Jersey office, which he helped to launch six years ago.

BROOKWOOD FINANCIAL PARTNERS
(BEVERLY, MA) Joyce M. Moore and Kurt M. Zernich become partners. Moore is managing director and controller while Zernich, also a managing director, is general counsel.

New Hires

FOREST CITY
(CLEVELAND, OH) Vince Corno joins the firm as vice president of development. Corno previously worked as senior vice president of May Realty Inc., and will now oversee projects on the West Coast.

CBRE | MELODY
(BOSTON) Deborah A. Dalton becomes senior analyst at the Boston Office. Prior to joining the firm, Dalton served as assistant vice president of commercial real estate for the Boston branch of the Anglo Irish Bank Corp. PLC.

PIRCHER, NICHOLS & MEEKS
(Los Angeles) Eli Taban has joined as a real estate associate in the firm’s local office. Recently finishing graduate school, Taban worked at two real estate investment and development companies.

MORGANS HOTEL GROUP
(NEW YORK CITY) Jennifer Nellay and Tim Miller have been appointed to the senior management team. Miller becomes chief branding officer, after serving as founder and president of Alden Hotels. Nellay previously worked as senior associate at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP.

ROYAL ABSTRACT
(NEW YORK, NY) Paul Fishman joins the firm as vice president. Fishman previously served as a first vice president-wealth management for Citigroup.

SONGY PARTNERS
(ATLANTA) Jesse Clark joins the Atlanta firm as a senior investment associate. Prior to joining the firm, Clark was an associate with Ernst & Young’s real estate advisory group.GATEHOUSE CAPITAL

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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.