CHICAGO—Retail Properties of America, Inc. has just chosen Heath R. Fear to serve as its new chief financial officer and treasurer. Fear currently serves as senior vice president, head of capital markets of General Growth Properties, Inc. and will start his new job on August 17. Company officials say he will play a key role in executing their portfolio and balance sheet strategy, in addition to overseeing all financial activities, including capital markets, accounting, investor relations, internal audit, internal reporting and treasury.

“After an exhaustive search, we have selected a highly accomplished and seasoned real estate professional to be the next chief financial officer of RPAI,” says Steven Grimes, president and chief executive officer of the Oak Brook, IL-based firm. “Heath has an outstanding reputation within the financial community and he brings a broad set of skills to our company, including capital markets expertise and a deep understanding of public REIT operations.”

This key management comes on the heels of the company announcing a realignment of its operating platform. Since June 2013, the company has acquired about $1 billion of high quality retail assets in its target markets, expanding its retail footprint in these markets by 3.2 million square feet, and disposed of $778.7 million of non-strategic and non-core assets.

Fear has over 20 years of experience in the real estate industry. He joined GGP in 2003 and orchestrated over $32 billion of debt and equity transactions since assuming his capital markets responsibilities in 2010. Prior to GGP, Fear served as counsel for Prime Group Realty Trust, and as an associate in the real estate practice groups of Kirkland & Ellis and Pedersen & Houpt.

He holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and English from John Carroll University.