Executive Watch

Perspective

Yesterday's news that Blackstone is acquiring Equity Office Properties is the mother of all deals (maybe the largest real estate transaction ever) and suggests that the trend to privatization is alive and well, with more to come in 2007. However, a byproduct of the deal will be a rather large stack of pink slips for individuals no longer needed in the private company. If the CarrAmerica and Trizec acquisitions are an indicator, at a minimum the financial and investment sides of the house will be departing, and other operating efficiencies will surely be wrung-out, as Blackstone puts its imprint on EOP in its new private form. However, the silver lining is that the professionals who are jettisoned will be absorbed quickly by a market hungry for talent. In addition, you can expect that the most senior individuals, after their decent payday and possibly having had their fill of the public arena, may look for a more entrepreneurial next step.

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

ACTUS LEND LEASE RETAIL & COMMUNITIES
(PARSIPPANY, NJ) Transaction Manager The transaction manager is the project’s main interface with third-party capital providers and is responsible for developing, arranging and implementing non-recourse, project financings for lend lease retail and communities businesses in the US.

BERKSHIRE PROPERTY ADVISORS, LLC
(BOSTON)Investor Relations Specialist The successful candidate will have the presence and analytical ability to interact with our institutional capital sources. The individual selected for this position will assist the principals in raising a new $500 million real estate fund in 2007.

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
(NEW YORK) Director, Facility Operations The facility operations director is responsible for providing leadership and direction to facilities planning, operation, maintenance, design and construction, and will create, implement and manage facility policies, procedures and standards.

FANNIE MAE
(WASHINGTON, DC) Financial Analyst – Treasury Middle Office This position will be primarily responsible for the assisting in the monthly valuation and reporting of the company’s derivative position, including the application and tracking of controls and procedures related to the monthly derivative valuation.

CASSIDY & PINKARD
(MCLEAN, VA) Project Manager Seeking an aggressive project manager with four to seven years of progressive experience to handle all facets of tenant and landlord design/construction/project management.

STAUBACH RETAIL
(ATLANTA/ SOUTH FLORIDA) Account Manager The account manager will be responsible for serving as the single point of contact for retail services and as a strategic advisor to a major retailer. The main focus will be to manage all account transactions, administrative coordination and executive-level reporting.

CITY OF SAN JOSE
(SAN JOSE, CA) Senior Development Officer – Homeless Coordinator The city’s Housing Department is seeking a strong manager to lead efforts to assist the city’s homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless.

Promotions

GILBERT BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIVISION
(GILBERT, AZ) John Zupon is promoted to business development specialist as part of a restructuring. The change includes the hiring of Rebecca Robinson, who will focus on office and industrial business.

ADVANTIS REAL ESTATE SERVICES
(TAMPA) Linda Meadows becomes director of management services for Central and South Florida. She joined the company in 1992.

REAL ESTATE BOARD OF NEW YORK
(NEW YORK CITY) Stephen M. Ross will succeed John E. Zuccotti as chairman of the board. Ross, chairman and CEO for the Related Cos. LP, starts his two-year term Jan.

CB RICHARD ELLIS
(PHILADELPHIA) Scott Miller and Corey Lonberger are named first vice president and senior associate, respectively. Miller is a tenant representative in the suburban office market and Lonberger is part of the Miller/McFadden multi-housing team.

New Hires

UNITED PROPERTIES
(MINNEAPOLIS) JoAnna Hicks starts as project manager for mixed-use development, infill development and historic rehabilitation projects. She previously was director of real estate development for the Neighborhood Development Center.

TRANSWESTERN COMMERCIAL SERVICES
(AUSTIN, TX) Jeff Rogers and Chris Stutzman will lead the office's multifamily services division after spending the past 10 years heading up Kennedy Wilson's Texas multifamily group.

LEE & ASSOCIATES
(DALLAS; NOVI, MI) Peter Aburrow, Donald Rohde, Georga Rowe, Joe Whitmer and Hunter Conger join the Dallas office, boosting the team to a dozen for the 10-month-old office. In Novi, MI, Kristian Mons Price comes aboard as marketing director.

LEGACY PARTNERS RESIDENTIAL
(IRVINE, CA) Edward L. Kirk starts as vice president of development, coming on board after a stint as director of preconstruction services for Webcor Builders Inc.

STREAM REALTY PARTNERS
(HOUSTON) Greg Pell comes on board as a senior vice president to oversee property management. He most recently was vice president of property management services in Houston, San Antonio and New Orleans for Lincoln Property Co.

PRINCIPAL REAL ESTATE INVESTORS
(DES MOINES) Derk Taylor is named director of acquisitions and dispositions. Taylor, formerly with Mid-America Management Corp., will oversee the Northeast region for Principal.

HENDRICKS & PARTNERS
(LOS ANGELES) Janet D. Neman becomes an associate partner in the West Los Angeles office. She previously was senior managing director for the Charles Dunn Co.

MEDALIST CAPITAL
(CHARLOTTE, NC) Laurie Baker starts as assistant vice president to assist in analytical work, closings and business administration.

COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL
(SEATTLE) George McAfee begins as a sales associate for office, industrial and business sales.

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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.