Best Bosses

Guiding a company in the commercial real estate space is never easy even in the best of times. In times of disruption and upheaval, as the last two years have been, it can be downright difficult. And we can expect another year of choppy waters as inflation grips our economy, to say nothing of the uncertainty brought on by the Russian-Ukrainian war. It is these years where identifying and acknowledging the top leaders in our industry matter the most. On the following pages you will find our selection for Best Bosses in commercial real estate—men and women who have had an indelible impact on their companies and our industry even as they navigated the unprecedented events of the last two years.

INDIVIDUALS

AL APUZZO Al Apuzzo is known for his encouraging and celebratory spirit and is often heard saying “go team” throughout the office. Apuzzo is president and managing broker of Lee & Associates’ North San Diego County office, where he oversees all commercial real estate business and operations for the office and leads the Lee land team. Apuzzo holds 25 years of experience in real estate and financing, including three years in his current position. As a principal for the past ten years, he has expanded the land team and been part of hundreds of significant industrial and retail deals. In addition, he established committees focused on philanthropy and team building and implemented incentives, such as retreats and awards. Throughout the pandemic, Apuzzo has kept the team motivated and inspired, and led the firm to its most successful year to date in 2020. Team members describe Apuzzo as a consistent mentor who always makes time to answer questions and facilitate deals. He focuses on professional development for his team through initiatives such as a mentored training program, which pairs new agents with senior team members for two years to allow new agents to experience each CRE discipline and benefit from the guidance of seasoned agents. Apuzzo is described as approachable, patient, relentlessly positive and a leader who makes the good of the team his top priority. He has worked to create an accepting, creative and fun company culture where success is celebrated and struggles are met with a helping hand.

MICHAEL ARNOLD Michael Arnold is vice-chairman of global corporate services at NAI Global, and EVP and founder of the Tenant Consulting Group at NAI Capital in Southern California. With 24 years of industry experience, Arnold currently leads a team of 15 tenant representation professionals and oversees 50 people on his team nationally and internationally. Arnold and his team have a proven record of creative problem solving, responsiveness and attention to detail in completing complex real estate transactions that are financially beneficial to clients. As one of the largest members of NAI Global, NAI Capital provides a complete range of transaction, valuation, investment, property management and consulting services. Arnold has represented companies such as John Paul Mitchell Systems, F19, Vista Studios, Live Nation and HBO, as well as both local and national law firms, such as Cooley and Miller Barondess. He is described as an outstanding leader with a positive outlook, patience and a willingness to help. His guidance and mentorship have helped brokers grow in their careers. Arnold holds weekly and monthly calls with his team to discuss potential pursuits and existing business. Team members say that in a business of individuals, Arnold is always thinking about how his team can further improve and provide clients with the highest level of service.

TANYA BRADY Tanya Brady is adept at personally connecting with people, particularly young women, and helping them identify their goals and a path to achieve them. Brady is SVP and general counsel at Phillips Edison & Co., where she is a strategic advisor and counselor to the firm’s CEO and other members of senior management. Brady holds more than 20 years of experience in commercial real estate and corporate transactions. She oversees Phillips Edison’s full-service, in-house legal department with 24 team members focused on all areas of the company’s legal needs, ranging from corporate matters to securities, transactions and leasing. As part of this leadership role, Brady drives a comprehensive mentoring and development program to ensure her team is constantly growing its bench and has a detailed succession plan. In addition, Brady is active in all aspects of the company’s culture; promoting a sense of community and service, continuous learning and development, and open and honest communication with the highest of ethical standards. She frequently contributes her time and financial resources working with PECO Community Partnership, the firm’s associate-led community service program, as well as to the Edison Foundation, a charitable organization that grants scholarships to family members of PECO employees. Brady is also active in PECO Networking Opportunities for Women, which is dedicated to providing leadership opportunities to women at PECO. Brady’s team members describe her as a kind, sincere and personable leader who empowers her team members and challenges them to rise to the occasion.

LEE J. BRODSKY For five years, Lee Brodsky has served as CEO of the privately held real estate firm BEB Capital, which he joined in 2013. With16 years of industry experience, Brodsky continues to lead BEB Capital’s growth as an institutional-grade owner and operator of industrial assets along the East Coast. He has grown the company’s multifamily and office portfolio, including overseeing the company’s first New York City ground-up development, and he launched the firm’s lending division, which offers loans of up to $50 million. Brodsky also has recruited institutional and corporate real estate specialists and expanded the company’s research and support staff. Prior to joining BEB Capital, Brodsky worked as a corporate real estate advisor at Newmark. He is described as a strategic thinker and great problem solver who is focused not just on the growth of the business but also on cultivating a family atmosphere and work environment that drives communication, collaboration and culture. Brodsky holds quarterly town hall meetings to educate and empower staff to understand business objectives and achievements. He built out an infrastructure for employees to work from home, recognizes employee milestones and provides weekly lunches for employees. Employees are encouraged to pursue their passions and the company is committed to helping them accomplish their goals. Brodsky serves on several boards, including at the ALS Association Greater NY chapter, the UJA Federation of NY Emerging Leaders and Philanthropists, the Joseph Gurwin CCRC development board and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.

CAROL CLINE-ONG Carol Cline-Ong makes her rounds of the office every morning to greet her team and takes time throughout her day to connect with each employee personally. Cline-Ong is co-founder, CEO and principal at MDL Group, which provides brokerage and property management services in the Las Vegas Valley. She is committed to the continual growth of the firm, which she founded in 1989. She oversees the entire property management department and manages more than 45 people along with a personal portfolio of more than 80 tenants. As CEO, Cline-Ong communicates on behalf of MDL Group and strives to personify the company’s core values of integrity, professionalism, pride of ownership, community, family and gratitude. She is described as having a down-to-earth approach and unwavering integrity. During the pandemic, rather than downsizing during the crisis, Cline-Ong made bespoke arrangements to meet individual team member needs; a strategy that led to company growth. She nurtures in-house talent as a compassionate and relatable boss who displays genuine concern, not only for her employees, but also for their families. In addition, Cline-Ong feels a responsibility to her local community and gives back through a wide variety of organizations, including Boy Scouts of America, the Police Athletic League, Opportunity Village, the 911 Help America Foundation and local at-risk schools.

MEGAN CREECY-HERMAN Megan Creecy-Herman believes that great leadership and a strong culture drive outsized profits and shareholder returns. As SVP and head of operations for the west region at Prologis Inc., Creecy-Herman is responsible for all operating portfolio real estate strategy and business performance, dispositions, 3Cs strategy and execution, as well as the leadership of the 175-person regional operations team. She holds 19 years of experience in developing, acquiring and leasing office and industrial assets throughout the West Coast. Creecy-Herman joined Prologis in 2018 after spending six years at Liberty Property Trust and 10 years at EJM Development Co. She served as the first female president of the NAIOP Arizona chapter, and she also served on the NAIOP national executive committee and the NAIOP national board of directors. She consistently strives for excellence and creates a climate of continuous improvement, while also mentoring managers and staff to lead and inspire by example. Creecy-Herman’s team members describe her as a supportive leader and mentor who has a clear vision of company goals and fosters an environment of collaboration among teams that have historically operated in silos. She actively works to create the optimal culture for her team by using a blend of both traditional and servant leadership styles, including anticipating future outcomes and removing obstacles from her team’s path; demonstrating decisiveness in the face of uncertainty; prioritizing trust among all team members; and fostering a psychologically safe environment where people are comfortable being their authentic selves and taking risks in the pursuit of value creation and innovation.

DANIEL CUNNINGHAM Daniel Cunningham is a technologist, author and thought-leader in the field of institutional real estate management. He has two decades of industry experience, including seven years in his current role as CEO of Leonardo247, where he oversees the company’s vision and direction, processes, workflows, policies and procedures, and gives daily guidance in risk management, preventative maintenance and marketing. With a degree in civil engineering from the University of Arizona, Cunningham utilizes his passion for process and innovation to bring new ideas to real estate development and management. He previously co-founded LivingHomes (now Plant Prefab), which built the world’s first LEED Platinum home, and then joined AIMCO as director of asset management, prior to founding Landmark Property Management Group in 2008. His “nested action cycle’’ approach to property operations, detailed in his book 365 Days of Property Management, became the basis of Leonardo247, a software company that launched its first beta product in 2014. Under Cunningham’s leadership, Leonardo247 has become one of the fastest-growing software companies in the multifamily industry and has grown organically more than 100% year-over-year with more than two million units under care. Team members describe him as a genuine, fair, humble and gracious boss that is interested in everyone’s perspectives. In leading a company that has always worked fully-remote, Cunningham ensures that his employees are engaged and work together to give clients the best service possible. He flies his employees to varying locations quarterly to conduct meetings and dedicates time for fun team-bonding activities, such as footgolf or escape rooms. His first company value for Leonardo247 is that a positive attitude is fundamental to success.

EVAN DENNER Evan Denner’s background in various roles within the commercial real estate industry has cultivated a leadership style that empowers individuals and guides his company to continued success. Denner serves as EVP and head of business at Marcus and Millichap Capital Corp., the financial intermediary of Marcus & Millichap Inc. With 30 years of industry experience, Denner is currently responsible for developing and executing the firm’s long-term growth strategy. He has enhanced processes, built relationships, increased market share, completed multiple acquisitions of synergistic companies and individuals and successfully integrated them into the fabric of the corporation. Prior to joining MMCC, Denner was CEO of the US arm of Hypo Real Estate Capital Corp. and head of merchant banking at Cantor Fitzgerald, where he helped execute several acquisitions that established Newmark, now a publicly-traded real estate services firm. Denner additionally founded Quadra Realty Trust, a commercial mortgage REIT externally managed by Hypo Real Estate Capital, where he served as CEO. He has a direct and welcoming approach with clients, capital sources, peers and MMCC employees across the country. To maximize MMCC’s capabilities, Denner is laser-focused on providing the best tools, technology and resources to the team and leads by example. He has pushed the company to do more in the area of corporate social responsibility and uses his power of influence for the betterment of communities and neighborhoods.

ANNEMARIE DICOLA Annemarie DiCola has worked at Trepp Inc. for more than 30 years. She began her career at the firm as SVP and chief legal and administrative officer, and for the past 16 years, she has served as CEO. Under DiCola’s leadership, Trepp has expanded its expertise and solutions into the broader CRE finance, banking and corporate credit CLO sectors and acquired CRE finance data firms Foresight Analytics and InvestCap Advisors; content companies REITCafe and Commercial Real Estate Direct; and CLO technology firms Codean and Cerulean. As CEO, DiCola provides support and insight to all teams within Trepp on new product development, marketing strategies, sales initiatives and financial decisions. She was instrumental in launching TreppMERG (multi-cultural employee resource group) and actively participates in its events to further diversity and inclusion efforts within the company and accelerate internal workplace discussions. DiCola additionally continues to be visible in the industry. She has been a member of CRE Financial Council for 27 years and was the first woman chair for CREFC in 2000. During the fiscal crisis, Trepp was selected by the Federal Reserve to provide insight and analysis of newly issued CMBS assets, which DiCola was involved with firsthand. More recently, under DiCola’s leadership, Trepp has worked with US banks to help them assess their commercial real estate risk for stress testing and addressing new CECL accounting regulations. An encouraging, perceptive and smart leader, DiCola is hands-on and leads by example but also encourages her team to speak their mind. Through weekly meetings and one-on-one conversations, DiCola ensures all team members, including interns, feel welcome and valued. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she continues to be a hands-on CEO and has expanded the company by hiring more than 30 new employees and promoting more than 20 internally.

MARK DUKES Mark Dukes is VP of asset management at Physicians Realty Trust, where he oversees all operations of the company’s healthcare assets, including a 37-state health care portfolio valued at more than $5 billion. Dukes’ core responsibilities include asset management, property management, client relations and customer satisfaction, along with managing a 27-member team. Dukes began his property management career at Carter & Associates in 1991, where he spent 15 years leading property management teams in the office, retail, mixed-use and corporate facility sectors. Before joining Physicians Realty Trust in 2016, Dukes managed Duke Realty’s healthcare portfolio, totaling more than 6.5 million square feet in 16 states. He currently serves as chair and chief elected officer of BOMA International, for which he previously served a two-year term on the executive committee. In addition, Dukes is a past president of BOMA Georgia and served two terms on the southern region board of directors. Despite personal and professional challenges faced by the company’s healthcare partners and team members during the pandemic, Dukes’ entire team remained selflessly dedicated to their buildings, tenants, staff and patients, which allowed their partners to keep their focus on delivering care to the community when it was needed most. Dukes is described as a relationship builder, an outstanding leader and a consummate real estate professional. He exemplifies the company’s core values: communicate and collaborate, act with integrity, respect the relationship and execute consistently. As a mentor and teacher, Dukes provides guidance and education in an effort to help employees reach their potential.

KENNETH “KEN” GRAY Through nearly half a century of experience with the ups and downs of the commercial real estate industry, Ken Gray has learned to meet challenges with a sense of humor, a positive attitude and a calm and steady demeanor. These qualities served him and his team at EagleBank well when the recent challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. Gray is SVP and market executive for CRE lending at EagleBank, a Washington D.C.-based community bank focused on commercial banking services for small and medium-sized businesses. Gray oversees EagleBank’s Northern Virginia CRE Lending function, including a portfolio of more than $1.4 billion of commercial real estate loans and a team of more than 17 employees. During his career, Gray has served as a lender, team lender, liquidation group manager, lending group manager and market executive. Prior to joining EagleBank, he served as EVP at Xenith Bank, Regions Bank, SouthTrust Bank and Signet Bank. He follows the professional mantra F.I.R.S.T., which stands for flexible, involved, responsible, strong and trusted. Gray’s team members say that he holds an enormous amount of industry knowledge that he willingly shares as a mentor. He trusts employees to do their job and make smart decisions and brings his team together through respect and camaraderie. The morale and commitment of Gray’s team is a testament to the success of his leadership style. Despite his focus on goals and productivity, Gray genuinely cares for the wellbeing of his team members and actively works to foster strong relationships with customers.

DAVE HARDT Throughout Dave Hardt’s 35-year career, he has worked as an estimator, superintendent, project manager and project executive. Now, Hardt serves as VP of Howard Building Corp., a firm he joined in 2015. He was recently promoted after amplifying HBC’s reputation for client service, project excellence, staff development and organizational growth. Within his role, Hardt works with high-profile clients, oversees and assists project teams in the firm’s Orange County office and provides support for upper-level management. A strong analytical background helps him solve complex problems in unique and creative ways. Hardt is described as an inspirational mentor with a wealth of experience and knowledge. He is a patient and open-minded leader who welcomes dialog with employees and is willing to jump into different roles. Hardt’s strong leadership is credited with helping HBC remain stable throughout the pandemic, during which time he also served as a trusted advisor for clients while their projects were underway. Hardt is a proponent of making an impact in the community, and he has long been involved with youth and educational charities. Most recently, he helped HBC build a partnership with the American Heart Association by becoming involved with its annual Heart Walk and Go Red for Women events and raising more than $165,000 to support the association.

DAVE HEGEMANN As a teenager, Dave Hegemann began developing software code to help his father automate his lengthy to-do list for their mixed-use property. At the time in the early 1980s, property management was a hands-on endeavor consisting of keeping the books, tracking utilities and managing countless other details manually. This early work led Hegemann to develop Rent Manager property management software and then establish London Computer Systems shortly after graduating from college. In 1990, after earning his MBA, Hegemann decided to pursue LCS full time. His initial vision has grown into a software developer that supports property management portfolios of every industry and size. As CEO of LCS, Hegemann oversees the development of all products and leads more than 400 employees. Hegemann is constantly available to provide direction and feedback, while also encouraging and empowering his teams to make their own decisions. He fosters a work-hard, play-hard mentality that allows time for engaging events across teams. He has built a culture of employee satisfaction and retention built on meaningful work, engagement across all levels of the company, a predictable and consistent environment, a willingness to take risks as a company but never be reckless, an unrelenting focus on technological innovation and responsible leadership. When COVID-19 disrupted the world in 2020, Hegemann quickly reshaped LCS’ operations and when the firm reopened its headquarters in June 2021, Hegemann worked with his leadership team to create worksite-choice options that gave employees additional flexibility. At a time when many organizations were forced to impose layoffs and cut staff, the company’s careful management and debt-free status allowed it to continue to hire.

JOSH HOWES Since beginning his career in banking 22 years ago, Josh Howes has developed a deep respect for effective, hands-on leadership and has heeded the advice of a mentor to always keep the big picture in mind including the health, happiness and effectiveness of his team. Howes is group head of CRE institutional specialties at Capital One, where he leads coverage of real estate fund managers, REITs and agency lenders. Prior to joining Capital One, Howes held relationship management and underwriting positions at Wachovia Bank and FleetBoston Financial. Howes believes effective communication is the foundation of strong leadership and orients his management style around four key principles: transparency, consistency, empowerment and empathy. The last principle has been especially important during the unprecedented amount of change impacting life in the workplace during the pandemic. Howes recognizes that company culture can have an enormous impact on the success and wellbeing of his teams and he works to create a culture that balances both personal curiosity and ambition with partnership and cooperation. He encourages his team to be inquisitive and entrepreneurial and gives them the freedom to explore new avenues, raise unconventional ideas and even take calculated risks. Those who have worked for Howes say he is an effective mentor with patience and a knack for knowing when to provide autonomy and when to get more involved. He often is the smartest person in the room but always listens to others’ feedback and provides thoughtful, appropriate responses. He advocates for his team and builds a culture of loyalty and respect, while providing useful feedback and praise when earned.

ADAM IFSHIN Adam Ifshin founded DLC Management Corp. 30 years ago and today, he oversees acquisitions and dispositions, capital markets activities, redevelopments, joint-ventures and corporate strategy as CEO. Since establishing the company, Ifshin has grown it into one of the country’s premier owners and operators of real estate and one of the most active acquirers of assets with value-added potential. As a principal, he has been involved with more than $4.5 billion of real estate transactions. Ifshin is also the co-founder and president of the specialty real estate brokerage firm Delphi Commercial Properties Inc., and the co-founder and president of First Man Investment Securities Corp., the placement agent for all DLC real estate investments. Ifshin is a member of the board of trustees of ICSC and chair of the ICSC government relations advisory committee. Known as a thought-leader in the industry, he is a guest lecturer at both the University of Vermont and NYU, and he mentors emerging entrepreneurs through a business plan program at Williams College. He is personally invested in the company’s hiring process and takes an interest in employees’ goals and aspirations by offering guidance, encouragement and support to help them succeed. He provides opportunities to grow, develop and remain with the company long-term and many employees have risen from entry-level positions to leadership. Team members say Ifshin’s willingness to engage with people creates confidence and empowerment across the organization.

CLAIRE JOHNSTON Claire Johnston is managing director of Lendlease’s Google Development Ventures, a $15 billion joint undertaking of master planning, entitlement and development of Google’s Bay Area landholdings in California. With more than two decades of industry experience, Johnston has led a variety of complex projects and worked to create thriving communities, from supporting US military families through sustainable housing to redeveloping underutilized neighborhoods. Prior to her current role, Johnston served as managing director of Lendlease Communities, project director of Island Palm Communities in Hawaii and project director for Lendlease’s Docklands in Australia. Johnston offers a broad and global perspective that comes from working internationally in a diverse range of communities. Lendlease’s global expansion is directly linked to Johnston’s ambition and ability to connect with talent around the globe. She has a spirit of collaboration, an innovative mindset and exceptional organizational skills. In addition, she not only embodies the company culture, but she adds to it. Team members say there was no one better suited than Johnston to be at the helm as Lendlease navigated the pandemic. Johnston received a Bachelor of Commerce, Labor and Industrial Relations from the University of Western Sydney, and a Master’s Degree in business from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Johnston has previously served on boards with Destination Docklands, Kunia Water Association and Newport Haven.

ANAND KANNAN Anand Kannan likens his leadership style to that of a conductor, orchestrating a multitude of employees, partners and housing agencies with varying agendas and guiding them to find the best solution to be of greatest benefit to all. As president of Community Preservation Partners, Kannan is a respected authority on affordable housing preservation and development. He is passionate about the organization’s mission to enhance, restore and preserve the affordability of aging communities to provide safe, quality homes for low-income families and seniors. Kannan began his career as a CPA for Novogradac & Co. LLP before pivoting to be at the center of the complex deals that he helped support. Kannan is greatly respected among his team and across the industry for his dynamic leadership, innate talent for solving complex issues and his commitment to people. Since 2010, Kannan has led CPP’s growth from a West Coast firm into a national company with headquarters on both coasts and a vision to be the top preservation developer in the country. Under his direction, CPP has grown from two professionals to 27 employees, and it has invested more than $2.6 billion into neighborhoods across the US, holding more than 12,500 low-income housing units in its portfolio. Team members say Kannan has an infectious laugh and a constant smile. He is able to push through internal politics to get committee members comfortable with bridging both easy and difficult deals. He is passionate about his team members, their success and their ability to have opportunities to grow. One employee described Kannan as an unforgettable boss who sees more in his employees than they see in themselves.

MICHAEL KAPLAN As someone who grew up in real estate and has played a wide variety of roles in the industry, Michael Kaplan is well-equipped to lead by example. He is VP of property management at Premier Development, a family-owned developer, owner and manager of multifamily properties in New Jersey. In this role, Kaplan heads up the company’s property management division; overseeing leasing, management, maintenance and capital projects throughout the entire portfolio. His 15 years of experience in the real estate industry through different affiliations includes purchasing, financing, rehabilitating and managing thousands of apartments of different classes throughout the New York Metropolitan area. Kaplan is recognized throughout the industry as an experienced apartment management professional and often consults with ownership on effective hiring, training, contract negotiation, operating expense reduction and building staff. He has a knack for identifying high-quality and high-potential employees and is excellent at training and developing his existing staff by challenging them and encouraging them to think outside the box. Kaplan works to build a team spirit on projects, listens to his team’s ideas and encourages employees to take on additional challenges. He is described as a thorough and conscientious leader with internal teams, as well as contractors and subcontractors. He is tough but fair, demanding yet reasonable in his expectations. He clearly articulates goals, timelines and budgets but understands setbacks and always treats people with respect.

SHARON KARAFFA During the pandemic, Sharon Karaffa ensured her team remained closely connected to provide reassurance and comfort. Working remotely for the first time, Karaffa brought her team together as a tight and cohesive unit, and they have emerged more successful than ever. As vice-chairman and co-head of production for the multifamily capital markets debt & structured finance team at Newmark, Karaffa is responsible for strategic planning, business development and leading a team of 50 producers that generate nearly $15 billion in multifamily debt financing annually. With 16 years of industry experience, she serves her current role in addition to managing the team’s prescreen group, marketing and communications teams, and reporting and analytics teams. Prior to joining Newmark, Karaffa led numerous initiatives with Fannie Mae, serving as director of priority borrower relationships and head of structured transactions for multifamily. Under her leadership at Fannie Mae, credit facilities experienced triple-digit growth. Karaffa joined Newmark in 2017 as head of multifamily strategy, where she partnered with business heads to lead the integration of the multifamily investment sales and debt platforms. Her simultaneous focus on relationship building and establishing trust; bringing investment sales brokers, debt producers and clients together to leverage resources and capabilities; and building infrastructure and a playbook for others to follow has helped drive a substantial increase in conversions and debt production. Karaffa approaches everything with a spirit of partnership and collaboration, and she takes on the most complicated problems with enthusiasm and creativity. Her willingness to tackle any situation is motivating and inspiring. Karaffa’s management style allows employees to grow and become leaders themselves, and the culture she has created empowers everyone to be heard and encouraged to take initiative.

CAROLINE KASE Caroline Kase has earned the nickname “the velvet steamroller” thanks to her kind, encouraging and fun demeanor along with her ability to deliver a tough message in the nicest way possible. Kase is director of property management at BKM Management Co., where she is responsible for overseeing BKM’s rapidly expanding property management division, assessing and serving the growing needs of 11 satellite offices, and supporting business plan execution for BKM’s portfolio of assets. She has more than 30 years of industry experience and she has worked on everything from high-rise offices to shopping centers to industrial parks to ground leases; managing more than 30 million square feet of commercial real estate throughout her career. She has managed properties in nearly every market in California and has expanded her reach to top-tier markets throughout the Western US. Kase joined BKM from Newmark Grubb Knight Frank where she held the position of associate director of management services. During her seven-year tenure there, her responsibilities included developing standardized processes and procedures for the company’s two-million-square-foot portfolio, including industrial, retail and office properties across multiple counties. Kase was integral in growing the property management and operations teams and establishing key vendor and broker relationships. At BKM, Kase oversees a team of more than 25 individuals with eight direct reports. She has been adept at creating a cohesive team even though team members are scattered throughout 11 offices. Kase is supportive and open to new ideas but consistent with procedures and processes.

DR. STEVEN KAUFMAN At Zeus Lending, Dr. Steven Kaufman serves as president and CEO. As an accomplished investor, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Kaufman manages his family assets with a focus on thesis-driven opportunistic investments in three asset classes including real estate financing, real estate investment and private equity in small growth companies. For more than 20 years, Kaufman has held C-level positions at various real estate enterprises and he has continually invested in real estate. During the past two decades, he has coordinated more than $1 billion in real estate financing for companies, such as American Express, Hewlett Packard and Exxon Mobil. He additionally founded ZeusLending.com, which is a leading online provider of real estate financing, and he founded ZeusEquityGroup.com, which is a commercial real estate investment firm that acquires and develops trophy assets that revitalize communities. At Zeus Lending, Kaufman manages a team that is responsible for more than $4 billion of retail mortgage loan originations. During the pandemic, he presented expert leadership and risk-taking, and pushed the company ahead by never taking his foot off the gas. Goal-driven and always ready to achieve more, Kaufman is constantly open to innovative ideas and he continually seeks new ways to improve or add value. Described as a role model and force of excellence, Kaufman’s team members gladly fight along his side and appreciate his leadership and expertise.

TOM LAWYER When Tom Lawyer joined Transwestern Real Estate Services in 2018, he saw an opportunity to apply his 43 years of industry experience to help the company grow and innovate. While he had no direct commercial real estate service experience when he joined the firm from JPMorgan’s Real Estate Banking Group, he possessed significant experience in leading and mentoring teams. Lawyer has since implemented lessons learned from JPMorgan and Citibank, including the importance of goal-setting and holding leaders accountable for achieving results. As president, he leads a team of 2,000 employees across 33 markets. Colleagues and clients say that he is the embodiment of the firm’s purpose statement – empowering good people to do extraordinary things together – through leading by example, encouraging collaboration and respecting the views of every individual. Lawyer has built upon Transwestern’s culture of empowerment, inclusion and innovation by bolstering the firm’s platform of resources and professional development opportunities; deepening relationships with team members and clients; and establishing relevant, measurable goals for the organization. Examples of his success include preserving jobs by employing collective salary reductions for all Transwestern team members at the onset of the pandemic; formalizing the objectives and structure of Transwestern’s national diversity, equity and inclusion initiative; overseeing the creation of the firm’s first corporate social responsibility and environmental, social and governance reports; and driving investment in technology and analytics to achieve deeper insights and greater efficiencies both internally and for clients. Lawyer additionally advocates for Transwestern’s younger generation of team members through efforts such as Transwestern Young Professionals and a national, comprehensive brokerage training program. Deeply committed to the growth and success of others, he often serves as a mentor to colleagues regardless of service line or experience.

ERNESTO LOPES As a structural engineer in his native Brazil, Ernesto Lopes has extensive knowledge and work experience designing formwork and shoring systems for bridges, high-rise buildings and infrastructure projects. He is passionate about helping solve the US housing crisis; a goal that intensified during the pandemic. In 2012, Lopes co-founded AHS Residential, a full-service real estate company with a mission to offer a reasonably-priced living alternative to rent-burdened individuals and families in major metropolitan areas. As president and CEO of AHS Residential, Lopes is responsible for leading the development and execution of long-term business strategies. He holds 36 years of industry experience in construction and real estate through high-profile projects in Latin America, Europe and the US. Prior to founding AHS, Lopes founded Portland Services, a full-service construction company in Miami, FL. He also served as president and CEO of the Greenwich Development Group, where he was responsible for more than $450 million in commercial and residential projects. Lopes is described as an exemplary leader and entrepreneur with a clear vision and an innate ability to evaluate risk. Team members say that he is a motivator and passionate about the organization’s mission and the importance of embracing culture in the workplace. As an avid reader, Lopes always recommends books to his employees that will help them find their true passion in life. His concern for his employees was evident in the plans that he quickly put into motion during the COVID-19 pandemic. He continued to be strategic and thoughtful in his approach, and not one employee was laid off.

JEFF LUGOSI Jeff Lugosi is a preeminent appraiser in the Pacific Southwest as well as a trusted advisor to firms big and small, locally and globally. As EVP of CBRE Hotels, Lugosi heads CBRE’s hotel appraisal and advisory practice and counsels firms in the hotel industry, with a targeted strategy for both start-ups and well-known players. He has 34 years of industry experience, including eight years in his current role. Before CBRE acquired PKF Consulting, Lugosi was established as the go-to expert for complicated hotel assignments; a quality that has only grown as he has expanded the practice in collaboration with other CBRE lines of business. Lugosi continues to train and mentor those who work with him to ensure that CBRE Hotels remains a one-stop-shop for clients with hotel needs long after he has retired. His leadership skills were on display during the pandemic, which severely disrupted the hotel industry. Colleagues say that Lugosi is not afraid to ask questions and he always gives his team members credit, while never seeking the spotlight for himself. He is sought out by hotel lenders, attorneys, developers and investors from all over the country for his wisdom, superior communication skills and deep hospitality experience, and he never shies away from complex projects. He is described as altruistic and eager to help employees advance their careers.

PAUL J. MASSEY JR. With more than 35 years of industry experience, Paul Massey Jr. serves as founder and CEO of B6 Real Estate Advisors. Massey began his career at CBRE and soon became head of the market research department as an investment sales broker. While working for CBRE, Massey met Robert Knakal and the pair eventually founded Massey Knakal Realty Services, which became a dominant commercial investment sales brokerage firm in the New York metropolitan area. In 2014, Cushman & Wakefield acquired Massey Knakal, and Massey was appointed president of New York investment sales. In July 2018, Massey launched the commercial brokerage firm, B6 Real Estate Advisors, short for “Building By Building, Block By Block.” The investment sales and capital advisory firm specializes in the middle market. Massey has grown the organization around a culture of excellence, passion, integrity, collaboration and respect for diversity. In his role, Massey balances big-picture leadership with hands-on support to the team. He also manages to make it clear to each employee that they are important to him as individuals and not just because of the work they do for the organization. Massey has built a culture around a transparent team structure where every team member has access to the senior management team, and each team member has dedicated management support to help them achieve their goals. The system is designed to encourage the sharing of information and for brokerage professionals to work together in an environment free of internal competition. Colleagues say that Massey is selfless with his time and shares his expertise without hesitation. He has mentored and coached hundreds of real estate professionals over the years.

KYLE MATTHEWS Kyle Matthews started his career in real estate after graduating from college and meeting with an alumnus who owned several apartment buildings. Intrigued by the opportunity of property ownership and the concept of passive income, he became a broker at Marcus & Millichap where he learned the business and honed his sales skills. Matthews later joined Colliers International where he continued to build his business and became the leader of Matthews Retail Group. In 2015, he branched out on his own and started Matthews Real Estate Investment Services, which has grown from six professionals to more than 400 employees and 13 offices nationwide in six years. As chairman and CEO of the firm, Matthews works to pave a path of success for each entrepreneur who walks through the firm’s doors by offering adept management skills, providing leading technology and resources, and hosting extensive mentorship and training programs. He believes in hiring mindset over skillset and collaboration among all departments. Matthews is referred to as an outlier who rejects the stereotypical, uninvolved nature of C-suite executives and he makes it a point to engage with employees and agents. As an industry veteran and respected mentor, Matthews is intricately involved in the development and implementation of Matthews University, an advanced mentorship and training program designed to coach and encourage young professionals in the art of client relationships and help them learn the ins and outs of brokerage and commercial real estate. He is described as a leader defined by strategic thinking, intelligent risk-taking and skilled communication. Matthews strives to embody his favorite mantra, “work hard, play hard,” by working extremely hard and taking time to celebrate big wins.

PETER A. MERRIGAN As the leader of Taurus Investment Holdings, Peter Merrigan has consistently demonstrated transparency by being honest with his team and building a collaborative culture that embodies trust and loyalty. He oversees more than 130 employees; a responsibility he does not take lightly. With more than three decades of industry experience, Merrigan serves as CEO and managing partner of Taurus, a global real estate private equity firm with a focus on turning strategic investments into value-add, core-plus and development opportunities. At Taurus, Merrigan has overseen the acquisition and development of more than 54 million square feet of commercial space to date with a value in excess of $8 billion. As CEO and a member of the firm’s investment committee, Merrigan has guided Taurus in developing and executing investment strategies in multifamily housing, logistics, retail, office, hospitality and renewable energy across 25 US states and nine foreign countries. Merrigan has been instrumental in shifting Taurus’ strategy to focus on sustainability and he has established multiple lines of business around such initiatives as energy-efficient building and de-carbonization became central to the firm’s purpose. He is described as a leader with great strength and the ability to meet challenges in difficult times. As an engaged mentor, Merrigan provides honest and valuable personal and professional advice. He has high expectations for all employees and is invested in seeing them succeed.

CHRIS MOLIVADAS Chris Molivadas is on a first-name basis with every person who enters a JLL office for work each day. He exudes a positive and welcoming demeanor and maintains an open-door policy. Molivadas is market director for the Mid-Atlantic region at JLL, where he oversees the company’s Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia markets and provides strategic leadership and support to nearly 700 professionals across agency leasing, capital markets, project and development services, property management and tenant representation. During his 30-year industry career, Molivadas previously served as the director of the investor suite for JLL in the Mid-Atlantic region and the regional manager for the project & development services business. Molivadas is known for his meticulous attention to detail, his calm demeanor in the face of adversity and his reassuring, thoughtful leadership style. Having led the region through one of the largest mergers in its history and then only a few short years later through the global COVID-19 pandemic, Molivadas is looked to as a dependable leader with enormous empathy and understanding. He leads with a steady hand, is well-liked by both clients and employees and is widely-regarded as one of the most well-respected professionals in the industry. Molivadas was recognized as a senior-level executive who consistently demonstrates a commitment to advancing women, promoting diversity and serving as a catalyst for change in his company and throughout the industry. He is described as a great listener who provides different perspectives on how to approach challenges. He is familiar with what success looks like and he helps employees find their own path to that success.

KEVIN MORGAN Kevin Morgan balances concrete leadership with a charming and delightful management style. He consistently offers empathy and desires to do well for his company and create great things. Morgan is president of the northwest and north-central regions and head of agency leasing for Colliers US, where he has been responsible for stabilizing, assessing, reorganizing and restructuring the region. He leads the operations and business strategy in the region with a focus on developing, recruiting and retaining top brokerage professionals and providing clients with the highest level of service. During his 20-year industry career, Morgan previously served as EVP and CEO for multinational corporation Crystal Lagoons, where he led offices spanning 15 countries and managed more than 55 real estate partnerships valued at more than $364 million in revenue with leading development and investment companies. Morgan inherited challenging circumstances and faced the tough situation of assessing people to determine who was a right fit for Colliers, while carefully shaping a new region, acting with decency, respect and thoughtfulness. His focus remained steadily on doing what was best for the business, so that the company could ultimately thrive and grow. Morgan is described as friendly, welcoming and supportive. He sees the value in building relationships across Colliers and he always acts to benefit employees and clients. He is a leader who sees talent in diverse people and champions their careers by mentoring and coaching new hires and paving opportunities for them. Morgan invests a significant amount of time and energy in ensuring his employees have a positive experience in their roles.

JOHN A. ORR John Orr’s drive and resourcefulness have positively shaped Carolina Retail Experts’ culture and continue to make his employees excited to go to work every day. His willingness to think outside the box and explore new systems and ideas allows the company to be at the forefront of retail commercial real estate. Orr founded Carolina Retail Experts in 2020 with partners Elyse Welch and Lindsey Halter. As president and broker in charge at the firm, Orr manages the retail services platform and day-to-day operations of the company at its Charleston headquarters. He has 31 years of experience including everything from site selection, contract and lease negotiation, due diligence, entitlement, design, financing, construction, property and asset management, and disposition. Orr has completed more than five million square feet of retail transactions including leases, acquisitions, dispositions and build-to-suit development. As a retail expert, he specializes in the creation of value by executing retail commercial real estate strategies for property owners, retailers and investors throughout the Southeast and provides special asset management and disposition for the courts, financial institutions, individual developers and investors. His broad range of experiences makes him a resourceful problem-solver who can rally a team and successfully move a project through the commercial real estate process. His activity and engagement on various social media platforms have led to national recognition and speaking engagements. He is invested in the success of his team and community, leading his company by example through intellect, creativity and kindness. Team members say that he is a mentor who provides opportunities and guidance. Founding a company amid a global pandemic forced Orr to plan for the unknown, and he was deliberate and thoughtful in his strategic planning to ensure the long-term viability of the company in a post-pandemic world.

ALEX ROBINSON While public equities have undergone a digital evolution during the past 20 years, Juniper Square CEO and co-founder Alex Robinson believed the same was necessary for the commercial real estate industry, only on a much faster timeline. A serial entrepreneur with a track record of success as a founder at GreenDoor and New Energy Risk prior to founding Juniper Square, Robinson experienced the inherent limitations of investing in commercial real estate firsthand and saw an opportunity to change the status quo in a way that would benefit every player in the commercial real estate ecosystem. He joined forces with Adam Ginsburg, co-founder and VP of product at Nextdoor, and engineering veteran Yonas Fisseha, and the three co-founded Juniper Square in 2014. In addition to his role as CEO, Robinson serves as chairman of the board of Juniper Square. His responsibilities include defining the vision and strategy for the company and overseeing a leadership team made up of executives from Google, Salesforce, Pagerduty and more. Robinson has successfully led Juniper Square through extraordinary growth, with assets under management of $1.5 trillion in 2021. Robinson continues to set a good example as a leader. He’s productive and results-oriented, which motivates employees to be better. He recognizes that knowledge is power so he listens and he is a good communicator who is transparent and willing to share information so employees know the “why” behind the “what.” He shares sincere and specific praise, but he does not back down from providing critical feedback; making sure to frame it in a way that is both tactful and constructive. He has a clear strategy for Juniper Square and employees are inspired to follow him in executing that strategy not because they have to but because they want to.

JOE H. RYAN In 1991, on his first day sitting in a London office thousands of miles and an ocean away from his family, Joe Ryan knew he needed something different. His dream was to create something that offered flexibility and the freedom to work hard and play hard. Walking away from the security of his job, Ryan founded Oppidan, where he now serves as CEO. Oppidan is the Latin word for investing in your city, and Ryan lives up to that definition by investing significant amounts of money and resources into the communities that the firm builds, even after the properties are completed. The company is focused on the development of senior housing, retail, mixed-use and market-rate apartments. Since 1991, Oppidan has grown into a nationally-recognized real estate development company; successfully developing 550 projects valued at more than $4 billion and spanning 25.7 million square feet across 39 states and parts of Canada. 2020 was the company’s most successful yet thanks to Ryan’s leadership. It achieved a 105% increase in activity year-over-year, and it expanded its California and North Carolina offices. Ryan is driven by core values such as community, accountability and respect, and he instills these core values in his team. He is described as a servant leader with an infectious laugh who leads with humility and transparency and who believes that loyalty goes both ways in an organization. Ryan creates a sense of urgency among the team, ensures there is a relentless obsession with customer value and respect across the board, and motivates his team to work toward excellence with the goal of being best-in-class.

ERIC TERMANSEN Eric Termansen turned a potentially unfortunate event into a catalyst for a successful career. 25 years ago after completing graduate school, Termansen went to work for PetSmart, which was then a start-up company, in its real estate department. A few years later, the company downsized, and Termansen’s position was eliminated. However, the company allowed him to represent it as its master broker as it continued to expand across the US. Termansen earned the business of additional retailers, including Sports Authority, Target and Whole Foods, and he continues to represent PetSmart today. He is now president of Western Retail Advisors, the company he founded as a tenant representation firm, 20 years ago. WRA currently represents more than 125 tenants throughout Arizona and beyond. Termansen is described as inspiring, encouraging and collaborative. He has built a company culture around the TRIP philosophy, which stands for teamwork, respect, integrity and pursuit of perfection. He is open to new ideas about how to improve work products and processes. Despite the company’s exponential growth during the past five years, Termansen prioritizes connecting with employees on a personal level and he encourages an environment of teamwork rather than competition among brokers. He also invests in brokers and employees by paying for training, which fosters loyalty among the team. Termansen made sure all employees were equipped for remote work during the pandemic, including sending laptops, monitors, printers and keyboards to everyone. Regular Zoom meetings kept team members connected. Under Termansen’s leadership, the company recovered from the downturn in 2020 and was on pace to record its highest annual revenue of all time in 2021.

ROBERT THORNBURGH For nearly 30 years, Robert Thornburgh has been a leader in the commercial real estate industry, most recently as CEO of the Society of Office and Industrial Realtors. While he joined SIOR in his current role at the beginning of 2021, his leadership and influence have been instrumental to the organization for many years, both as a recent past president of SIOR Global and a volunteer in many committees to help enact change. Thornburgh joined SIOR from Kidder Mathews, where he served as the regional president and shareholder, and led the firm’s overall vision, growth and strategic planning. Prior to Kidder Mathews, he was CEO of Heger Industrial in Southern California for 17 years. Thornburgh holds four CRE designations – SIOR, CCIM, CPM through the Institute of Real Estate Management, and Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. His leadership style is described as innovative and service-oriented. In his short time as CEO of SIOR, Thornburgh has already established a new C-suite team that is dedicated to bringing renewed energy to the organization. He has outlined a five-year strategic plan and vision that embodies a strong mission of connecting people, knowledge, markets and business opportunities. Thornburgh has led SIOR to take a pledge to enhance diversity and inclusion both in the organization and in the commercial real estate industry. He has also served as the driving force behind SIOR’s recent commitment to join the CREW Network’s CRE Pledge for Action to support the advancement of women and underrepresented individuals in the industry. Thornburgh is known for his charisma, work ethic and dedication to his team, peers, clients, industry and the community.

CARLY TRIPP Carly Tripp sets a stable and confident tone for Nuveen Real Estate and is not afraid to face challenges that come with overseeing a global investment platform. Those challenges include navigating the pandemic while increasing AUM and tackling diversity and inclusion initiatives. Her leadership was rewarded by her promotion to the newly-created role of global chief investment officer at Nuveen in 2019 and head of Nuveen Real Estate Investments in 2021. Tripp began her career at LaSalle Investment Management, where she was a member of the portfolio management team. She has taken on several leadership roles, including CIO of the Americas for Nuveen Real Estate, global head of real estate and alternatives for TIAA’s $260 billion general account, and deputy portfolio manager on the TIAA real estate account where she managed more than $13 billion in transaction activity. Tripp leads a team of more than 200 investment professionals responsible for all transactional and asset management functions at Nuveen, and she is a member of the global executive leadership team. Tripp led the company’s public commitment to make its global property portfolio operationally net zero carbon by 2040, and she is the author of Nuveen Real Estate’s RealAccess report, which offers global insights for real estate investors. Tripp is expected to be many things to many people, and she has the ability to step into a meeting covering any topic, whether it be deal stress points, investor conversations or reviewing ESG objectives, and has a way of not giving the answer but helping facilitate a resolution within the group. She is a strong leader with exceptional people skills and values, and she has been an active participant in NRE’s mentoring program by providing coaching and advice to the firm’s next generation of diverse talent.

MIKE WADDELL During a career spanning more than three decades, Mike Waddell has combined an enthusiasm for real estate with a passion for helping investors achieve their goals. He is president of Capital Square, a national real estate investment and management company that focuses on tax-advantaged real estate investment offerings, such as Delaware Statutory Trusts, qualified opportunity zone funds and other private placement offerings. Waddell is responsible for leading all activities of the company’s asset management group and driving the company’s future growth and profitability. He has led the firm to take 15 DST offerings full-cycle, sponsor 100 tax-advantaged real estate investment offerings and reach $4 billion in transaction volume. Waddell has held several key leadership positions with national, institutional and private real estate companies and has experience in investment and asset management, property management, leasing, financing and refinancing, dispositions, acquisitions and development across multiple asset classes. He has completed more than eight million square feet of lease transactions valued at more than $1 billion and has managed the purchase and sale of 5.6 million square feet of assets and unimproved land with a total transaction value in excess of $1 billion. Team members say that Waddell willingly shares his real estate knowledge and is patient and kind. Even during challenging times such as the global financial crisis and the pandemic, Waddell maintains a strong, positive attitude and focuses on finding solutions to benefit clients, colleagues and his company as a whole. He is an outstanding communicator who provides useful feedback, is accessible to his team and works to create an enjoyable working environment for all employees.

JESSICA WARRIOR Jessica Warrior is director of property management at Granite Properties, where she oversees and mentors the property experience team and operations in the Dallas, Houston, Denver, Atlanta and Southern California markets. Warrior has worked in the Dallas commercial real estate market for 26 years and at Granite Properties for 11 years. She started at Granite Properties as a property manager after serving as a general manager at JLL and a property manager at Lincoln Property Co. Warrior is actively involved with IREM and was recognized for leading her IREM chapters in a DEI initiative that explored how DEI efforts impact the workplace. She also has published multiple articles on topics ranging from sustainability to company culture. To continue her leadership education, Warrior began a Ph.D. program on leadership and change at Antioch University and earned her Mindful Leadership graduate certificate. Prior to the pandemic, Warrior led the firm’s property experience team in in-person strategy sessions, which became virtual sessions during the pandemic. The sessions provided keynotes and optional training taught by subject matter experts. Team members describe Warrior as a kind leader who handles delicate situations with care, compassion and grace. She has served as a source of strength at Granite Properties during the pandemic. Warrior has a passion for education and ongoing learning, both in her own life and in that of her team, and she makes it a focus to know everyone on her team by finding out what makes them unique, so she can nurture their talent. She is dedicated to finding ways for each team member to grow, knowing that they may grow beyond the company. Warrior believes that individual growth is just as important as the success of the company.

ADRIAN G. WASHINGTON Since founding Neighborhood Development Co. in 1999, Adrian Washington has led the development of more than one million square feet of real estate in the Washington metropolitan area. Washington, who is CEO of the firm, has more than 30 years of experience in real estate development, construction and management and has led the start-up of four private companies and one public/private entity. Washington spends most of his energy and focus on NDC’s strategic plan and partnerships, both financially and programmatically. In 2005, Washington took a leave of absence from NDC to lead the Anacostia Waterfront Corp., which redeveloped the city’s Southwest and Anacostia waterfronts, including Nationals Stadium, the Navy Yard and the Wharf. In 2021, Washington founded Platform LLC, a start-up company focused on the construction and development industry. Washington takes a hands-on approach to management while still allowing his team to manage effectively. He has also taken a strong interest in helping to promote employees’ professional development. He has built a company culture in which accomplishments are not only measured in dollars and cents but also by the impacts they make to the community and environment. He takes a genuine interest in mentoring others in the industry, supporting the community and being a strategic partner. He motivates his team to identify their passion, build on their strengths and grow as entrepreneurs. Community involvement is also important to Washington, as he supports nonprofit and local organizations. He is the chair of the Real Estate Committee for Enterprise Community Development.

JANET WOODS Having worked previously as a broker, Janet Woods understands the stresses of the job, and her experience and knowledge have earned the respect of her peers and team members. With more than 25 years of industry experience, Woods currently serves as vice-chairman, northeast region lead and director at Savills. Within her role, Woods manages the firm’s tenant representation services in Boston, Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey and all future offices in the region. She communicates with northeast branch managers in each of the region’s cities and collaborates with other regional managers and senior management professionals to implement firm-wide growth initiatives, such as the expansion of various service lines like occupier services, project management, and industrial and retail brokerage. Prior to joining the firm in 2019, Woods served as a regional director and regional managing director at Stan Johnson Co., where she led the firm’s East Coast expansion. Before that, Woods worked with Cushman & Wakefield as an executive managing director, where she provided brokerage services throughout the Tri-State area. Because Woods does not work in a brokerage capacity, she provides unconflicted guidance and leadership, often serving as a support system for brokers so that they can feel confident in the fact that there is someone who is looking out for their best interests versus their bottom line. Woods’ daily responsibilities range from discussing, planning and executing regional initiatives to recruiting and retention efforts, as well as supporting national endeavors alongside other key executives. She has recruited key team members and was responsible for implementing and launching Savills’ Junior Broker Development program. Woods is also active in the firm’s employee resource groups and understands the importance of diversity in the workplace.

MIKE ZEI Mike Zei is a PropTech pioneer who has helped lead TenantBase from its beginnings as a small start-up to one of the leading on-demand commercial real estate marketplaces. Zei holds more than 15 years of industry experience and he currently serves as co-founder and COO at TenantBase. His prior experience includes serving as an associate at Cassidy Turley in Dallas, TX and a senior associate at Advocate Commercial Real Estate Advisors in Chicago, IL. Zei additionally founded and served as a partner in several start-ups and small businesses in Nashville, TN. At TenantBase, Zei is responsible for all revenue-generating operations, including business development activities to aggregate tenant demand, as well as growing TenantBase’s network of partner brokers. His role has evolved during the past few years, as TenantBase shifted from recruiting and hiring brokers directly to creating a network of partner brokers that also believe in the culture that he helped create. Since 2013, Zei has helped grow TenantBase to 12 satellite offices in 10 markets across the US. TenantBase has more than 200,000 tenants signed up on the platform and has aggregated information on more than 1.6 billion square feet of available space. Zei is also actively involved in the financial aspects of the business, preparing budgets, forecasts and investor updates. He is known for his strength of leadership and drive. Team members applaud his ability to communicate, build trust and inspire those around him. He seeks to create efficiency at TenantBase through training and mentoring efforts that help employees flourish in their roles.

JONATHAN ZIMMERMAN After graduating from Loyola University Chicago summa cum laude in 1995 with a degree in business economics, Jonathan Zimmerman went to work at a large financial brokerage firm as a marketing coordinator for its retirement planning division. Within months he was ready for a change. Venturing into the world of downtown Chicago commercial real estate as a temporary experiment, Zimmerman instead found his permanent career. He worked for Norwood O’Hare Realty Group for three years and Rubloff for 13 years, before founding Willard Jones Real Estate in 2012 to represent smaller landlords and tenants in downtown Chicago. He has designed his career around three tenets: ethics, honesty and determination. As president of the firm, Zimmerman executes a leadership style that places trust in his employees, while appreciating them and rewarding them for loyalty. He does not believe in punishment or an overly corporate approach to management. His reputation in the industry reflects not only his kind and generous heart, but his impressive track record as the “king of class C.” Zimmerman is also a staunch supporter of work-life balance. He encourages and empowers his employees to pursue their careers even if that means time is taken away from his own business. He invests in people and rewards them for their returned investment in him. He approaches every idea and every person with optimism and trust. Zimmerman is endlessly patient and affords his employees the opportunity to learn and make mistakes without fear of reprimand. His most strictly enforced rule is that family and health come first. One team member described him as a leader who sees humanity in the corporate world and seeks to nurture it rather than repress it.

TEAMS

JOSHUA VOLEN & TREVOR SMITH Joshua Volen and Trevor Smith are people-first leaders and talented entrepreneurs who are known for being highly intelligent, open and available, and deeply invested in the wellbeing of employees. Volen and Smith are co-founders and principals of CIRE Equity. Before forming the firm, Volen was the youngest senior director of the National Office and Industrial Properties Group for Marcus and Millichap, where he represented owners and investors in more than 150 transactions totaling more than $1 billion in commercial real estate investments nationwide in under six years. At CIRE Equity, he has played a significant role in the strategic growth of the firm’s portfolio from a small family business to now acquiring 2.3 million square feet of space, including office, data centers, industrial, multi-tenant retail and multifamily properties. Smith previously served as a project manager and later VP at Silverberg Development Corp., a boutique real estate investment and development firm in Los Angeles, where he oversaw the identification, underwriting and negotiation of new opportunities and coordinated the construction, repositioning and stabilization of various projects throughout the southwest US. Smith now oversees ongoing operations of all departments at CIRE Equity and directs the company toward strategic goals and objectives, as well as monitors the performance of assets, valuations and the reforecast process. As a leader, Volen is described as optimistic with a can-do attitude, an open-door policy and a focus on the company’s core values to create a healthy and prosperous work environment. In 2021, he completed his certificate of mastery in DEI to ensure that CIRE Equity implements ongoing DEI training key program initiatives, following his example and leadership. Smith is described as a critical thinker and keen decision-maker with an open mind and high expectations for his team. He is a patient mentor who is willing to thoroughly explain concepts.

FERAS MOUSSA & BEN SUTTLES Ben Suttles and Feras Moussa work to create a team-oriented environment that encourages entrepreneurship and innovation. Moussa and Suttles are owners and managing partners of Disrupt Equity, which is a Houston-based multifamily real estate syndication operation focused on markets in the Southeast. Since founding the firm in 2018, Suttles and Moussa have grown its portfolio by more than 3,000 apartment units, including acquiring three large multifamily properties in Houston to increase the firm’s portfolio by more than $100 million in 2021, despite the challenging economic environment. In 2020, Suttles and Moussa made the strategic initiative to bring multifamily property management in-house and created Disrupt Management LLC. Throughout 2020 and 2021, Disrupt Management grew to more than 3,200 units under management and now employs more than 100 professionals in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. The duo’s day-to-day responsibilities include underwriting apartment complexes, educating the real estate community through social media and online platforms and actively working with brokers to identify opportunities for their investors. They also work closely with their team to refine asset management strategies to achieve the success of each investment and improve the community at each of their properties. Team members note their willingness to work long hours alongside their staff while providing autonomy and freedom that leads to inspiration and innovation. The office culture they have built includes a balance of work and fun, as well as a focus on personal and professional growth through mentorship and investment in education. In 2021, Disrupt Equity started Disrupt Gives, a nonprofit organization with a mission to provide rental assistance and financial education to struggling renters across the US. Disrupt Equity gives a portion of its operating fee on each multifamily acquisition to fund the efforts of Disrupt Gives.

JAMES HUANG & STEPHANIE GILEZAN Since eXp Commercial launched in November 2020, James Huang and Stephanie Gilezan have helped grow the agent-led, cloud-based CRE brokerage firm from six agents licensed in nine states to nearly 500 agents licensed in 47 states and Washington D.C. As president, Huang oversees the building and running of commercial and ancillary services to support the growth of eXp’s commercial real estate division. His CRE experience includes several years at Marcus & Millichap, as well as 15 years leading his own full-service commercial real estate brokerage firm based in Los Angeles. Huang has a long history of service to the industry with board and leadership positions at for-profit and nonprofit organizations, such as the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association and the Asian Real Estate Association of America. At eXp Commercial, Gilezan oversees commercial brokerage operations, as well as ancillary partnerships, technology and growth. In addition to serving as director of commercial brokerage operations, Gilezan is principal broker of the Gilezan Commercial Real Estate team. She specializes in commercial and residential real estate with focuses on land development, industrial, retail sales and leasing, bank liquidations, multifamily and short sales. Team members describe Huang and Gilezan as a dynamic duo that never gives up. The two professionals are innovative, inspirational and energetic and lead their teams with passion and collaboration. The pair teamed up with the National Commercial Real Estate Association to provide a free quarterly training and certification course for all real estate licensees new to CRE, and internally they created a new agent education course that partners less-experienced agents with industry experts to cover the basic fundamentals of starting and building a successful commercial real estate career. Huang and Gilezan’s efforts to foster a positive culture have helped eXp Commercial’s agents earn more than $7 billion in referrals through collaboration.

MATT GIFFUNE & ANDREW FLINT Matt Giffune and Andrew Flint co-founded PropTech company, Occupier, in 2018 in an effort to provide lease management software solutions to tenants and tenant-rep brokers. Prior to founding Occupier, both Giffune and Flint worked at JLL as VP and SVP respectively, before joining VTS as national director of strategic sales and head of sales, respectively. While at VTS, Flint recruited Giffune to join his team. Giffune and Flint are described as leaders with an innate ability to motivate and empower their teams and each employee in a culture that is inclusive, curious, diverse and motivated. Team members are given ownership of their departments and goals, which gives them a stake in the success of the business while allowing them the freedom to prioritize and build processes as they see fit. Under Giffune and Flint’s visionary and democratic leadership, Occupier’s team has more than doubled during the past year, thanks to a culture built on open communication, empathy and trust. Giffune and Flint exhibit poise and calm in the midst of Black Swan events such as the pandemic, which is a testament to their ability to embrace risk and uncertainty.

CHRISTOPHER RISING & SCOTT MCMULLIN Christopher Rising and Scott McMullin work as complementary leaders who are engaged with their team, remain accessible and lateral, and encourage internal growth. At Rising Realty Partners, the two professionals have built a culture where people connect and an environment where people are excited to come to work. Rising founded the Rising Realty Group in 2003 and as CEO, he manages day-to-day business activities and serves on the firm’s investment committee. He is skilled at managing acquisitions and creative development. As principal and CIO at Rising Realty Partners, McMullin oversees the firm’s capital market needs and serves on its advisory board and investment committee. Prior to joining Rising Realty Partners, McMullin was a founding principal of Suntex Marina Investors and founded other real estate ventures including Stratford Hospitality and Stratford Golf. Both professionals hold more than 20 years of industry experience. As leaders, the pair has created a flat management structure that allows all levels of employees to work alongside them rather than for them. Rising and McMullin are described as supportive, helpful and invested in employees’ career aspirations. The effectiveness of their leadership style is reflected in the firm’s employee retention statistics.

JOE MORRISON & DAVID WILKES Myrtle Beach-based Sands Cos. was founded in 2014 by industry veterans Joe Morrison and David Wilkes with a focus on the horizontal apartment segment of the multifamily industry. The firm, which was among the first to introduce the development concept of building deconstructed apartments, has a portfolio of more than 2,000 units across the Southeast. As president of Sands Cos., Morrison leads the company’s acquisition, business development, construction and strategic planning efforts. He began his career as a licensed commercial general contractor and real estate broker in the Carolinas and worked for private home builders, developers and real estate companies before starting his own company focused on real estate development and single-family, commercial and multifamily construction. Wilkes serves as VP of Sands Cos. and oversees the firm’s land acquisitions, entitlement through local municipalities, construction budgeting, negotiating construction contracts and financing, and marketing. He has a background in the development of resort-style communities, high-rise condominium development and traditional neighborhood development. Described as disruptors in the multifamily industry, Morrison and Wilkes hold extensive knowledge in development and construction and have cultivated a supportive team that appreciates their horizontal community concept. Team members say that Morrison and Wilkes are caring and humble, and carry themselves with character and integrity. The two professionals address challenges positively and constructively and have established a family-like culture through team-building exercises, retreats and collaborative meetings that make the firm an attractive employer. Morrison and Wilkes encourage an inclusive approach on projects, seeking the input of all involved.

MARK HARRYMAN & GRIFFIN COGORNO Unire Real Estate Group was founded in 2000 to provide property, transaction, construction and asset management services to owners and tenants of institutional-quality commercial real estate. Mark Harryman founded the company and now serves as CEO and principal. With more than 30 years of experience in commercial real estate, Harryman effectively serves as an executive-level point of contact for clients. As president, Griffin Cogorno directs the entrepreneurial growth strategy for the firm and he is responsible for growing the platform throughout the West Coast. Cogorno has more than 15 years of industry experience and has held positions with JP Morgan, Chase Bank and the O’Donnell Group. Unire Real Estate Group currently manages more than 50 million square feet of industrial and office assets throughout Northern California, Southern California and Las Vegas. Harryman is described as a leader and mentor who provides feedback, guidance and support. Cogorno, who joined the firm in 2014, provides fresh ideas and new perspectives and has the ability to see the big picture while understanding the small details. As a strong team, the two professionals continue to articulate the firm’s mission and cultivate a company culture that supports long-term growth. The growth of the company during the past 21 years speaks to their leadership abilities, having increased assets under management from roughly one million square feet with one client at inception, to more than 50 million square feet with 18 clients today. The firm has been recognized as a top workplace in Orange County on multiple occasions.

VIKRAM RAYA & RAVI GUPTA The co-founders of Viking Capital have combined the care of a medical provider and the business acumen of an MBA to create a real estate company that focuses on sustained multifamily growth while ensuring quality of life for both tenants and employees. Vikram Raya is a board-certified cardiologist who earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Emory University and his medical degree from Medical College of Georgia. As CEO of Viking Capital, Raya is focused on syndication strategies, multifamily investing and asset management and he is a member of the DC REIA chapter. Prior to forming Viking, Raya was the co-founder and CEO of Dare Investments, where he was instrumental in the firm’s start-up, acquiring numerous single-family and commercial assets across Georgia. He holds years of real estate investment experience in single-family, multifamily and commercial properties. Ravi Gupta serves as COO and director of operations at Viking Capital. Gupta holds expertise in value-add renovation, construction and asset management, and he additionally directs Viking Capital’s charitable arm. Gupta graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry, and he also received his medical doctorate from the University of Virginia. He completed residency and research fellowship training at UNC and Duke. Prior to forming Viking Capital, Gupta was the founder and CEO of MMG Capital, a real estate company with a multi-million-dollar portfolio in the greater Washington D.C. area. Both Raya and Gupta are adept at inspiring employees to think outside the box and to perform beyond what each employee thinks is possible.