Executive Watch

Perspective

At the recent PREA Fall Conference in Los Angeles, amidst the hubbub over the credit crunch, I chatted with a young lady during the opening reception (she recognized me because she's a regular reader of this column). She is a member of Tishman Speyer Properties, and she commented that she views the management-and-operations side of the business as a challenging, stimulating and growth-oriented career track for a young person to pursue. TSP has long been recognized for recruiting and grooming talented young people, and the property-management track is one of the important routes into the company. Real estate companies would benefit by following Tishman's lead and establishing graduate recruiting and development programs focused on the operating side of the business in order to build a stronger bench in this area. For the young talent out there interested in real estate, you should consider property management as an entry point to the business. It will provide access to an organization that you might otherwise not be able to crack, and you'll benefit significantly by learning the business from the ground up.

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

CIM GROUP INC.
Analyst, Investment & Development
(LOS ANGELES)This hire provides financial and investment analysis for joint venture and direct investment activities.

SELECTLEADERS
VP of Research–Real Estate
(PHOENIX) Duties include coordination of corporate-wide research objectives and needs with Asset Management, Development Relations, Retail Marketing and VPs of Consumer Marketing, as well as fielding, coordination and assignment of all research requests, and more.

CB RICHARD ELLIS
Asset Services–Associate Director
(AUSTIN) This position analyzes and negotiates business terms of real estate transactions on behalf of client, communicates client requirements to local office brokers, follows up with local office brokers to ensure that the client's requirements and deadlines are met, and more.

CNL FINANCIAL GROUP
VP, Portfolio Management
(ORLANDO) Responsible for the asset management of a specialized portfolio of investments, in addition to assisting in the underwriting of future investments.

BROOKFIELD PROPERTIES
Director, Taxation
(NEW YORK CITY) Plans and directs all aspects of organization's US tax policies and objectives. Ensures compliance with all federal, state, and local tax regulations while working to minimize tax liability and maximize after-tax profits.

AIMCO
VP of Asset Management
(CINCINNATI) The firm is actively seeking someone to assist in the future growth of their portfolio and alignment with the corporate objective and next-generation strategic direction.

SELECTLEADERS
SVP, Acquisitions West Coast
(SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA) Duties 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.

PACIFIC LIFE INSURANCE CO.
Director REIT/REOC Finance
(NEWPORT BEACH, CA) Position is a lead production role within Real Estate Capital Markets, with an emphasis on credit analysis of public and private real estate companies that issue unsecured debt obligations.

Promotions

BUXTON
(FORT WORTH) In restructuring the sales divisions, the firm has promoted seven employees to senior vice president. In the Community/ID division, the title has been accorded to Joseph Fackel, Amy Wetzel and Chip Rodgers. Matt Montgomery earned the promotion for the HealthCare/ID division while Bill Stinneford, Sid Newman and Paul Schlesinger are promoted in the Customer/ID division.

MASSEY KNAKAL REALTY SERVICES
(NEW YORK CITY) Partner John Ciraulo rises to vice chairman from CEO. In other promotions, Shirley Martire assumes events manager duties in addition to being an executive assistant and Wayne Naylor becomes vice president of sales, rising from director of training. Also, Christy Moyle becomes vice president of corporate services and Ed Gevinski goes from assistant to sales director in the Brooklyn office.

TRILLIUM RESIDENTIAL
(TEMPE, AZ) Lesa LaRocca is promoted to president from vice president of property management.

TRANSWESTERN
(HOUSTON) Eric Anderson rises to executive vice president of office services.

CB RICHARD ELLIS
(CHICAGO and ST. LOUIS) Thomas B. McDonnell becomes president and national practice leader for the Valuation & Advisory Services Group. He is replacing Douglas Haney, who is retiring at year's end after a 35-year career with CBRE and 17 years at the helm of the valuation and advisory services group. In St. Louis, Jeffrey C. Kaiser rises to vice president of office properties.

VORNADO REALTY TRUST
(PARAMUS, NJ) Candace K. Beinecke is named as an independent member of the board. Her term expires in 2010. She is the chairperson of the law firm of Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP and practicing partner in its corporate department.

LANDAMERICA FINANCIAL GROUP
(NEW YORK CITY) John D. Markunas is made business development manager for international services.

New Hires

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST
(CHICAGO) Robert J. Walter joins as senior vice president to support the firm's joint venture program for debt and equity funding. Walter most recently was senior vice president of US Bank Corp., where he managed middle-market and institutional lending groups.

KISLAK CO.
(WOODBRIDGE, NJ) Joshua Stengel begins as a sales associate for Ocean and Monmouth counties, coming on board from Waxman Realty.

McKINLEY
(ANN ARBOR, MI) April Davis starts as leasing director, assuming oversight for the entire 103-asset commercial portfolio. She previously was with Centro, formerly New Plan Excel Realty Trust.

WENTWORTH PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CORP.
(WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ) David Orr is named vice president of client relations, specializing in the active adult community sector. He spent the past decade with Pulte Homes, rising to vice president of sales and marketing in Metro New York and New Jersey.

DOUGHTY HANSON & CO REAL ESTATE
(FRANKFURT) Martin Brendel joins as principal to focus on valued-added and core-plus cross-border investments in Europe. The German national previously was head of acquisitions for Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Immobilienfonds mbH, the unit of Allianz responsible for real estate funds.

ANDOVER CO.
(SEATTLE) Cameron Fletcher joins the team for investment sales and leasing.

CB RICHARD ELLIS
(LOS ANGELES and ST. LOUIS) Jennifer Buchholz starts as senior vice president of global human resources. She's held a variety of leadership positions at General Electric, most recently as its HR director for GE's Money Division. In St. Louis, Michael J. Goellner starts as senior project manager. He most recently was project manager for the $80-million redevelopment of the historic Old Post Office project in the Downtown.

CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD
(MIAMI) Shay Pope starts as director of the tenant representation group after serving as a managing director of Newmark Knight Frank.

POLLACK PARTNERS
(ATLANTA) Graham Carpenter becomes development associate in his move to the company. He most recently was project manager for S.A. Goodsell Development Co.

COLLIERS ABR
(NEW YORK CITY) Len Eagle and Joe Yacovone are named senior managing directors to form the firm's construction management group. Both veterans were founders and principals of FSI Project Management.

PIRCHER, NICHOLS & MEEKS
(LOS ANGELES) Steven L. Rosenfeld rejoins the firm as an associate in the real estate department. He previously worked for Pircher, Nichols & Meeks from 2004-06.

URBANAMERICA LP
(NEW YORK CITY) Michael J. Yuzon starts as vice president of business development. He previously was economic development director for the City of Los Angeles.

MASSEY KNAKAL REALTY SERVICES
(NEW YORK CITY) Andrew Sitomer is named as associate, assigned to the Brooklyn office while Richard D' Andrea starts as associate in the Manhattan office.

BENTLEYFORBES GROUP
(LOS ANGELES) Scott McGinness starts as senior vice president to lead the firm's finance and accounting team. He most recently was vice president of Becker Executive Search in San Diego.

STATEWIDE ABSTRACT CORP.
(WHITE PLAINS) John D. Sullivan joins as vice president, national commercial manager. For the past six years, he was vice president of sales for Stewart Title Insurance Co.

BH PROPERTIES
(LOS ANGELES) The company adds Bill Hardy as vice president of asset management and leasing. Prior to coming on board, he was regional director of Sperry Van Ness.

STUDLEY
(CHICAGO and PALO ALTO, CA) Marget Brue and Paul Stekala join as associates. In Palo Alto, CA, Elizabeth Davis and Kelly Dippel join as associate director and assistant director, respectively. Davis previously worked for Ritchie Commercial while Dippel has experience in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries.

INTERCONTINENTAL REAL ESTATE CORP.
(LOS ANGELES) Jessica Levin is named acquisition director to open the firm's newest office. The expansion is tied to the launch of the US Real Estate Investment Fund LLC. She most recently was acquisitions associate for Colony Realty Partners.

TRANSWESTERN
(CHICAGO) Robert Klinger starts as senior vice president of project management and development for the Midwest region.

ROSEWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS
(ATLANTA) Roland Biron is named sales and marketing director of the Mansion on Peachtree, which opens in 2008. He was the former sales director for InterContinental Buckhead.

RTKL
(CHICAGO) The firm names Ping Jiang as its newest principal. Jiang recently was studio head and senior designer for Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

WRIGHTWOOD CAPITAL
(CHICAGO) Dan Kawahara starts as director as part of the expansion of the Industrial Fund Management team. The veteran most recently was director of due diligence for Equity Office Properties.

SPERRY VAN NESS
(HUNTSVILLE, AL) Ava Terry becomes managing director for Sperry Van Ness' newest office, rolling her firm Avat Realty LLC into its network. Her husband and business partner, Neil Victor, is made senior adviser. Also, Summer Shelkey becomes adviser.

MORRISON & FOERSTER LLP
(LOS ANGELES) Corporate and securities attorney Kenneth Kohler joins as a partner. He most recently was with Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw.

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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.