NEW YORK CITY—Bringing home the tragedy of Tuesday's Amtrak crash in Philadelphia, GlobeSt.com has learned that two industry executives were killed aboard the doomed train. Laura Finamore, 47, was with Cushman & Wakefield while Abid Gilani, 55, was with the commercial real estate division of Wells Fargo.
More specifically, Finamore was managing director, corporate occupier and investor services at Cushman, where she'd been since 2008. Over her 20-year CRE career, she also worked at UBS and Credit Suisse. In a statement from her family—provided by Cushman & Wakefield—Finamore was described as “a collaborative team player, supporting multiple clients in various capacities. She was known among her peers as someone who would go above and beyond for her clients to always exceed their expectations.”
The statement continues, “Laura was a tenacious deal maker and competitor who never backed down from what she thought was right. Her clients and colleagues always knew that their best interests were the foundation for her professional focus.”
Gilani was a SVP of Wells Fargo's hospitality finance group. According to his LinkedIn profile, Gilani previously was CFO for Marriott International Europe and also served as SVP of mortgage banking for the hotelier. Previously, he served in several capacities for Scotiabank and Scotia Capital.
Says a Wells Fargo spokesperson, “It is with great sadness that Wells Fargo confirms that Abid Gilani, a valued member of our commercial real estate division, has passed away. Our hearts go out to all those impacted by this tragedy.”
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Rayna Katz
Rayna Katz is a seasoned business journalist whose extensive experience includes coverage of the lodging sector, travel and the culinary space. She was most recently content director for a business-to-business publisher, overseeing four publications. While at Meeting News, a travel trade publication, she received a Best Reporting award for a story on meeting cancellations in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.
