Carlton Group Promotes Michael J. Campbell to CEO
Campbell has become CEO and Daniel Bildner, formerly Carlton’s general counsel was appointed COO, following the death of founder Howard L. Michaels.
NEW YORK CITY—Michael J. Campbell has been named the CEO of the Carlton Group, Ltd., an international commercial real estate investment bank. This follows the passing away of Howard L. Michaels, who founded the Manhattan-based firm in 1991. Michaels had remained active as its chairman up until his September 21 death caused by gastric cancer. He was 62.
Campbell had worked with Michaels for nearly two decades.
“Howard did a brilliant job establishing the Carlton Group as the go-to source of capital for developers and owners working on large projects where traditional financing is more difficult to obtain,” says Campbell. “Building on what Howard started, our pipeline of business is as deep and robust as ever.”
He notes Carlton’s current exclusive transactions extend from New York, to South Florida, to Chicago and Dallas, and to Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Campbell began at Carlton in July 1999. Prior to joining the firm, he worked as a commercial real estate associate at Prudential Investments for almost five years. Throughout his 25-year career, Campbell has been involved in procuring and structuring equity and debt totaling more than $140 billion in real estate projects around the world. In addition to leading the firm and its brokers, he will be responsible for the Carlton’s future growth.
He states that his focus will remain on raising equity and debt capital for the acquisition and development of real estate, particularly for transactions that require more complex financial structures.
Daniel I. Bildner, Carlton’s general counsel fo the past seven years, was promoted to COO. He joins Campbell as co-managing principal of the firm.
“Carlton will continue as a pioneer in the sourcing of ‘off the radar’ capital that is eager to invest in large and complicated development projects, recapitalizations and other complex transactions throughout the US and abroad,” says Bildner.
Carlton’s press release notes that it was one of the first mortgage finance companies to broker securitized loans, and in 1998 right before Campbell joined, the firm placed a major emphasis on raising equity capital. During Campbell’s tenure at the firm, equity and debt capital was secured for iconic assets including the General Motors Building in New York, the Sears Tower (later renamed Willis Tower) in Chicago, the Edition Hotel in Times Square, and the Bank of America Tower in San Francisco.
The Carlton Group asserts it is typically engaged in equity and debt assignments ranging from $50 million up to over $1 billion, with the firm averaging between $4 billion to $6 billion annually in total transaction value. Campbell emphasizes that the company’s goal is to continue or exceed that level of annual production, which, based on the firm’s current pipeline, will most likely be surpassed in the coming year.
Campbell received a bachelor’s degree in financial engineering from James Madison University and a master’s in real estate finance and investments from New York University.
Bildner brings more than 20 years experience in the real estate industry, including working 13 years at the law firm of Greenberg Traurig, LLP. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Emory University and his juris doctorate from State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law.