The Hottest Openings; Insightful Commentary

Perspective

Schools will soon be back in session, and our next generation of talent is gearing-up for the 2006/2007 academic year. Increasingly, there are more graduate and undergraduate colleges and universities that have established real estate programs (well over 100 by last count), recognizing that real estate is a core industry deserving of a solid curriculum within business programs. This is good news for our industry and, from my travels to college campuses, it is clear that the real estate programs are also attracting a more diverse student population, indicating that our industry is on track for change. However, in order to develop this talent pool fully, employers must also invest in internship programs to provide critical training and on-the-job exposure for students as a complement to their class work. This is a wonderful way for your organization to enhance university real estate programs and also for you to “test-drive” fresh talent for your own organization.

Tony 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

JONES LANG LASALLE
(INDIANA) Vice President of Project Management We are currently seeking a vice president of project management to join our Accounts Management Group located in Indianapolis. Responsibilities include establishing a complete and thorough strategic pre-capital planning program to meet client expectations.

DEUTSCHE BANK BERKSHIRE MORTGAGE
(MASSACHUSETTS) Associate/Underwriter DBBM’s Boston office seeks underwriters with three to five years of commercial underwriting experience; Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac multifamily GSE underwriting experience considered a plus. Duties include analyzing, interpreting and underwriting complex multifamily real estate transactions.

GRUBB & ELLIS
(WASHINGTON) Senior Portfolio Manager – Microsoft Field Campuses The senior facilities manager is responsible for planning, organizing and directing the development and implementation of those policies, programs and procedures that will assure a well-managed, well-maintained portfolio of buildings, placing maximum emphasis on positive response to the concerns and needs of the occupants.

ARBOR COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE LLC
(NEW YORK) VP, Asset Management Arbor Realty Trust's Asset Management department is seeking a vice president for our Uniondale, Long Island office. The main responsibilities for the vice president are the daily management of the Asset Management department, the development and recommendation of disposition strategies and to maintain borrower relationships.

CB RICHARD ELLIS
(CALIFORNIA) Director of Operations The director of operations will be responsible for creating efficient, standard, national processes for both project management activities and supportive business activities and accountable for their implementation. This will require a collaborative effort with the field, support organizations, and other business lines.

NAREIT
(WASHINGTON, DC) Director, Financial Standards The ideal candidate will have six to 10 years of experience with accounting research; an understanding of and respect for financial standards, preferably as impacting the real estate industry; a self-starter with strategic perspective; and strong communication, presentation and interpersonal skills.

SELECTLEADERS
(TEXAS) Chief Investment Officer, Real Estate Development Our client, one of the nation’s largest privately held real estate services companies is seeking a chief investment officer to be located in their Houston offices. As a key member of our client’s leadership team, the chief investment officer will be critically involved in the expansion of the company’s development strategy.

Promotions

ERNST & YOUNG
(NEW YORK) The firm promotes Robert M. Noeldechen to principal. Based in the New York office, he previously held the title of senior manager in the Transaction Real Estate group of E&Y’s Transaction Advisory Services practice. Noeldechen joined E&Y in 2002.

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST
(CHICAGO) Michael Vallenari is named vice president of integrated industrial solutions for the Gulf Mountain West region. He previously was vice president for Trammell Crow Co.

NORTH AMERICAN PROPERTIES
(FORT MYERS, FL) David T. Rattner becomes vice president of development. The 15-year veteran previously was with the community center development division for CBL & Associates Properties.

FIFIELD COS.
(CHICAGO) John Ryden joins as senior vice president of design and construction. The 20-year professional will oversee preconstruction and development of luxury residential projects in Chicago, Las Vegas and Florida. He most recently was senior vice president for the Fordham Co.

BROAD STREET DEVELOPMENT
(NEW YORK CITY) Justin S. Pollack comes aboard as controller and David M. Israni as associate managing director with the leasing team. Pollack most recently was property accountant for Cushman & Wakefield Inc. Israni previously was a broker for Newmark Knight Frank.

New Hires

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST
(CHICAGO) Robert O'Neill joins the Irvine regional office, exiting a principal's role with GW Realty Inc.

NORDBLUM CO.
(BURLINGTON, VA) Greg Anderson starts as vice president of marketing and new business development. He previously was corporate director of marketing for Newton Senior Living's Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York portfolio.

STUDLEY
(IRVINE, CA) Charles Suh is named director for the Orange County-based project management services group. He most recently was a project manager for Hathaway Dinwiddie.

HERSHA HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
(PHILADELPHIA) Carol Mellon and Marie Pennington-Buonanno join as regional directors of sales. Mellon's territory is New Jersey and Philadelphia; Pennington-Buonanno's Connecticut and Massachusetts.

JOHNSON CAPITAL
(DALLAS) Paul Mogote joins as senior vice president to open the firm's first office in North Texas. Mogote will be originating HUD-insured loans for multifamily, senior housing and healthcare developments.

CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD
(BOSTON) David Pergola Jr. and Matthew Adams start as senior director and director, respectively. The duo is assigned to the suburban markets-north team. Pergola was senior vice president and partner at Meredith & Grew and Adams a vice president in the firm.

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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.