Joaquin de Monet is president and CEO of Arden Realty Inc., a national commercial real estate landlord and GE Capital Real Estate's property services platform. A seasoned builder of growth businesses, de Monet significantly expanded Arden's portfolio, transforming it from a formerly Southern California-focused office REIT into a national office and industrial landlord. The company takes a holistic, three-pronged approach that involves targeted but complementary strategies for brokers, tenants and properties. It owns and operates more than 16.8 million square feet of office and industrial real estate in major markets nationwide. Throughout his career, de Monet has had a global track record building collaborative, high-performance teams in Mexico, Latin America and the US.

Before founding American Healthcare Investors, an investment management firm, Jeffrey Hanson was best known for serving as chairman and CEO of Grubb & Ellis Healthcare REIT II. He was also one of five executive officers of Grubb & Ellis Co. and CEO of its investment management subsidiary, Grubb & Ellis Equity Advisors. Brian Prinn, former vice chairman of Lowe Enterprises, tells Real Estate Forum that at a relatively young age, Hanson made an impressive impact on the industry. "This comes as no surprise to those who have come to know him over the years," he says. "Jeff has a rare combination of intelligence, creativity, drive and, most important, an uncompromising commitment to do the right thing for his investors, partners and employees."

Jordan Kaplan has served as CEO and president of Santa Monica-based Douglas Emmett Inc. since its inception. DEI went public in 2006 in what was then the largest REIT IPO in history. Currently, the company owns and operates nearly 15 million square feet of class A office space and 2,900 apartment units and has approximately 600 employees. Since founding DEI, Kaplan has been responsible for all capital markets transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions and financings. A dedicated environmentalist, he's on the board of the Santa Monica BayKeeper, an environmental organization devoted to cleaning up Santa Monica Bay.

The son of a post-World War II real estate developer and entrepreneur, John B. Kilroy Jr. grew up steeped in the industry. Since 1967, he's been involved in all aspects of commercial and industrial real estate development, construction, acquisition, sales, leasing, financing and entitlement. He has worked for Kilroy Industries for more than 30 years and has been the strategic driving force behind Kilroy Realty Corp.'s nearly two-decade-long expansion from its Los Angeles home base into real estate markets from San Diego to Seattle. Kilroy currently serves as president and CEO of KRC and as a member of its board, positions he has held since the REIT's initial public offering in 1996.

It's been said that Tim Leiweke, president of L.A.-based Anschutz Entertainment Group, almost single-handedly transformed and revitalized Downtown L.A. The son of a former semi-pro defensive lineman, Leiweke grew up with a love of sports. Since then, he has built an event empire—driving AEG's development of Staples Center and the $2.5-billion, four-million-square-foot L.A. Live complex, among others. In April of this year, Leiweke furthered his pursuit of bringing the NFL back to town. He presented a 10,000-page environmental impact report for a proposed $1.4-billion football stadium, saying, "We now have a will and a way and the economic wherewithal to bring the NFL back to Los Angeles early next year." With a solid record of innovative development behind it, in September, Anschutz put AEG up for sale.

To be recipient of the L.A. area Chamber of Commerce "Lifetime Achievement" Award, the City of Hope "Spirit of Life" Award, the Boy Scouts of America "Distinguished Eagle Scout Award," the National Real Estate Entrepreneur of the Year for Real Estate and Construction, and the L.A. Mayor's City of Angels Award, you have to be an industry icon. Robert Lowe, chairman and CEO of Lowe Enterprises Inc., certainly is one. Since forming the company in 1972, Lowe has overseen development and management of projects both local and national. In his current capacity, he also oversees the general management of complex real estate problems and organizations on behalf of institutional clients, among others.

A 2003 New York Times article on Robert F. Maguire III noted that as far as Los Angelenos were concerned, Maguire was "largely responsible for forging a high-rise Downtown replete with parks and office towers in this city known for its endless suburbs." He established Maguire Partners in 1965, specializing at first in industrial and housing projects. He turned to commercial office development in 1968, with a focus on corporate clients. Through Maguire Partners, which became the publicly traded Maguire Properties (now known as MPG Office Trust) in 2003, Maguire directed the development of more than 25 million square feet of institutional-quality projects nationally. Although Maguire resigned in 2008 as CEO of the company he founded, his legacy remains intact. "Love him or hate him, he built Downtown Los Angeles," comments Gerald Porter, chairman of Cresa and Real Estate Forum advisory board member.

"Michael Matkins' greatest strength is his ability to dispense business advice to clients at an extremely high executive level. He not only advises on the structure of deals but also has a keen ability to foresee outcomes." So says Tony Natsis, a partner at Allen Matkins. Matkins is a founding partner of the law firm and one of the country's leading lawyers in real estate development and finance, and is consistently ranked as one of the best real estate lawyers in California by Chambers USA. For more than 35 years, he has advised institutional investors, lenders, property owners and developers. "When you see a picture of a 'business lawyer' you'll see a photo of Mike Matkins," adds Natsis. "His business advice is intuitive and he had it at a very young age."

William McMorrow purchased Kennedy Wilson in 1988 as a real estate auction company. He can be called the architect of the company's expansion into what it is today: an international firm offering an array of real estate investments and services, which has assets under management of approximately $12 billion, including more than 50 million square feet of office, retail, industrial and residential properties throughout the US and Japan. In November of 2009, the company went public and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and Kennedy Wilson Japan went public in 2002 and is currently listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. It established a European presence in 2011, and now has $4.5 billion of assets under management there.

Wayne Ratkovich, founder of the Ratkovich Co. in 1977 and current president and CEO, has said that his favorite city is New York because it is inspiring, and his favorite cause is "city building." Through his work with his company and with the Urban Land Institute— where he has served as a trustee for more than 13 years—he has made it a mission to help tackle many of the country's most difficult and now successful urban development challenges. He has chaired six expert panels, and because of his contributions on behalf of the advisory services program, he was recognized in 2002 with ULI's Robert O'Donnell Award.

A veteran of 40 years in the industry, Nelson Rising has led the development of dozens of indelible properties across California and the West. Before forming Rising Realty Partners LP, Rising was president and CEO of MPG Office Trust Inc., the owner of 53% of the institutional-quality office space in Downtown Los Angeles. Between 1994 and 2005, Rising served as CEO of Catellus Development Corp., and during his tenure, he oversaw the company's evolution from a railroad land company to a diversified development firm and REIT. From 1983 to 1994, Rising was a senior partner of Maguire Thomas Partners (now Maguire Properties), in charge of the Library Square development in Downtown Los Angeles that included the 73-story, 1.3-million square-foot US Bank Tower. At Maguire, he also led the Playa Vista development.

Edward P. Roski, Jr. is chairman and CEO of one of the oldest and largest privately held real estate companies in the US. Majestic Realty Co. owns more than 70 million square feet of property for clients across the nation. Roski is also known as co-owner of the Los Angeles Kings and the NBA World Champions, the Los Angeles Lakers and played a critical role in developing the teams' new arena, leading the L.A. Arena Co.'s efforts to create the Staples Center, now a landmark in Downtown Los Angeles. A committed philanthropist, in 2002 he initiated the Majestic Realty Foundation whose charitable giving and community outreach focuses on youth, family, education, health and violence prevention. Majestic's foundation was recently ranked in the top 10 for all of Los Angeles County.

Newport Beach, CA-based Charles Schreiber Jr., CEO and co-founder of KBS Realty Advisors, has been involved exclusively in development, management, acquisition, disposition and financing for more than 39 years. He tells FORUM that he began working in the field in L.A. during college and has been based in Southern California his entire career. "The real estate community is a fairly small one," he says. "Once I became involved in the institutional real estate side of the business, I found that circle of principals to be even smaller." At KBS, a firm that operates numerous institutional and sovereign wealth funds, as well as five non-traded REITs, he oversees all operations and directs all facets of the company's business activities.

Kevin Shields has nearly 30 years of real estate experience encompassing well over $3 billion in transaction volume and in excess of 175 transactions and is described as one who really made his success the old fashioned way... deal by deal, year by year. Shields, who now serves as chairman and CEO of Griffin Capital and manages the firm's strategic direction and financial management, began his career acquiring apartment buildings in the San Francisco Bay Area, and later practiced real estate and tax law for two San Francisco-based law firms. and 2005, Rising served as CEO of Catellus Development Corp., and during his tenure, he oversaw the company's evolution from a railroad land company to a diversified development firm and REIT. From 1983 to 1994, Rising was a senior partner of Maguire Thomas Partners (now Maguire Properties), in charge of the Library Square development in Downtown Los Angeles that included the 73-story, 1.3-million square-foot US Bank Tower. At Maguire, he also led the Playa Vista development.

Edward P. Roski, Jr. is chairman and CEO of one of the oldest and largest privately held real estate companies in the US. Majestic Realty Co. owns more than 70 million square feet of property for clients across the nation. Roski is also known as co-owner of the Los Angeles Kings and the NBA World Champions, the Los Angeles Lakers and played a critical role in developing the teams' new arena, leading the L.A. Arena Co.'s efforts to create the Staples Center, now a landmark in Downtown Los Angeles. A committed philanthropist, in 2002 he initiated the Majestic Realty Foundation whose charitable giving and community outreach focuses on youth, family, education, health and violence prevention. Majestic's foundation was recently ranked in the top 10 for all of Los Angeles County.

Newport Beach, CA-based Charles Schreiber Jr., CEO and co-founder of KBS Realty Advisors, has been involved exclusively in development, management, acquisition, disposition and financing for more than 39 years. He tells FORUM that he began working in the field in L.A. during college and has been based in Southern California his entire career. "The real estate community is a fairly small one," he says. "Once I became involved in the institutional real estate side of the business, I found that circle of principals to be even smaller." At KBS, a firm that operates numerous institutional and sovereign wealth funds, as well as five non-traded REITs, he oversees all operations and directs all facets of the company's business activities.

Kevin Shields has nearly 30 years of real estate experience encompassing well over $3 billion in transaction volume and in excess of 175 transactions and is described as one who really made his success the old fashioned way... deal by deal, year by year. Shields, who now serves as chairman and CEO of Griffin Capital and manages the firm's strategic direction and financial management, began his career acquiring apartment buildings in the San Francisco Bay Area, and later practiced real estate and tax law for two San Francisco-based law firms. According to a colleague, Shields recognized the tenant-in-common niche early on, and shifted his focus from opportunistic assets to high-quality buildings that would appeal to a 1031 investor.

Jerome H. Snyder has steadfastly guided J.H. Snyder through nearly six decades of shifting economic and social conditions, surrounding himself with an equally far-sighted and committed management team. The founder and senior partner of the development firm has led it from its start as a builder of more than 40,000 homes from New York to California, including waterfront, high-rise condominiums on California's coast. With a handpicked management team, he headed the firm as it entered construction of large office projects in the 1980s and retail/lifestyle town centers in the 1990s. Snyder has also been active in community-service philanthropy. The Jerome H. Snyder Systems Building and Housing Research fellowship, awarded annually, has been received by 33 graduate students.

Before entering the development field, Geoffrey Stack, who is directly responsible for all residential real estate operations at Sares-Regis Group, worked as an aide to US Senator Paul H. Douglas. He also served three years as an officer in the US Marine Corps, attaining the rank of Captain. Prior to the creation of Sares Regis Group, he served as the president of Regis Group from 1977 to 1993, which focused on the development, management and sale of multifamily rental properties and for-sale condominiums. Under his leadership, from 1977 to the present, Regis converted over 8,700 apartments to condominiums with gross sales over $900 million.

Donald Sterling, a man some have called "the West Coast Donald Trump," ranks among the longest-tenured NBA owners and is one of the few remaining sole owners of a professional sports franchise in any league, having owned the Clippers since 1981. But Sterling, an attorney, entrepreneur and developer, is known for his real estate empire, buying depressed chunks of assets in Beverly Hills in the early days of his career. As chairman of Sterling Properties, he's the owner of some 10,000 apartment units in L.A. and Orange counties, as well as the Beverly Hills Plaza Hotel and a large Art Deco office building on Wilshire Blvd., according to Forbes. Add to that his efforts in community involvement and philanthropy, evidenced by his active role in support of over 170 charities.

Prior to the work that James Thomas has done as chairman, president and CEO of Thomas Properties Group, he was co-managing partner of Maguire Thomas Partners from 1983 to 1996. In 1996, Maguire Thomas was divided into two companies, with Thomas and other key executives forming TPG. Thomas also served as CEO and principal owner of the Sacramento Kings NBA Basketball team and the ARCO Arena from 1992 to 1999. Among his greatest industry accomplishments was helping get the Walt Disney Concert Hall built, and helping to form the Grand Avenue Committee, which created the joint powers authority that allowed the property assemblage for the $3-billion Grand Avenue Project in Downtown L.A.

D. Michael Van Konynenburg grew up on a 1,000-acre peach and almond farm outside of Modesto, CA and worked every summer and every Saturday from age six on the farm. Van Konynenburg has had a strong interest in real estate and development from as early as high school and even planned to pursue an agricultural and real estate development career in California's Central Valley. He worked with several Salomon Brothers MBS traders at Farmers Savings in Davis in 1985, moved to L.A. and joined Drexel Burnham in 1985 in the CMBS department. He then co-founded Secured Capital Corp. in 1990, where he oversaw transactions totaling over $80 billion, and now serves as president of Eastdil Secured, which was formed with the merger of Eastdil Realty and Secured Capital.

Career highlights for James "Watty" Watson, a name known throughout Southern California, include: co-managing the buyout of Santa Anita Development from its NYSE-listed parent company in the late 1980s; leading Santa Anita Development into merger with Koll Co. in 1990; leading Koll's growth in both the western US and Mexico in the 1990s; serving as president of Koll International Commercial in Mexico City in the early 1990s; and serving as State Racing Commissioner of the California Horse Racing Board for four years, which led to multiple entitlement and redevelopment efforts on racetrack properties across the US. Watson currently serves as CEO of CT Realty Advisors, where he oversees the development and execution of the firm's investment strategy.

Many people quickly connect Richard S. Ziman's name with the Richard S. Ziman Center for Real Estate at UCLA, which he established and endowed, but the industry associates him with so much more. Aside from the Ziman Family Outpatient Oncology Center at the City of Hope National Medical Center and other medical facilities with the family name, he is chairman of AVP Advisors LLC, the exclusive advisor to American Value Partners, a $500-million real estate fund of funds covering all sectors throughout the US. Ziman was the founding chairman (in 1990) and CEO of Arden Realty Inc., which was acquired in 2006 by an affiliate of General Electric Co. in a $5-billion deal that stands as the largest real estate transaction in Southern California history.