SPEAKERS

Brian Carr, Co-Head of Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing, Americas, MORGAN STANLEY

Brian Carr is Co-Head of Investing Americas and Managing Director of Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investment Management based in New York.  Prior to this position, Brian most recently was Head of Latin America Real Estate Investing.  Brian has also worked for MSREI in London, Tokyo and Los Angeles.  During his time with MSREI, he has executed a wide range of acquisitions, land purchases, commercial and residential developments in Europe, South America, Asia and the United States. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Brian worked at CB Commercial Realty Advisors where he was involved in the acquisitions of portfolios of commercial properties in the United States. Brian received a BA from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

Norman Gertner, Economist, FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION (FDIC)

Norman Gertner is the Regional Economist for the Division of Insurance in the FDIC's New York Region.  Prior to joining the FDIC in1996, Mr. Gertner was the chief economist and market analyst for Kirkbride Asset Management, Inc., an investment advisory and money management company.  There he focused on tracking changes in the equity and fixed income markets and assisted in managing a portfolio of about $350 million.  Between 1979 and 1993, Mr. Gertner was the assistant director and chief economist for the New York State Comptroller’s Office.  During that time, he was responsible for forecasting changes in New York City and New York State tax revenue collections and economy.  Mr. Gertner has bachelors and masters degrees from Brandeis University and the City University of New York, where he graduated summa cum laude and a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Jeffrey Barclay, Managing Director, ING CLARION

Jeffrey A. Barclay is Managing Director and head of acquisitions at ING Clarion Partners, a real estate investment management firm with $25 billion in assets invested through both funds and institutional separate accounts.  ING Clarion Partners is part of ING Real Estate, one of the world’s largest real estate investment managers.

Mr. Barclay directs the firm’s private investment activity throughout the United States and Mexico, including investments in office, retail, apartment, industrial and storage properties.  This activity includes operating properties as well as ground-up developments and re-development.  Mr. Barclay serves on the firm’s Executive, Operating and Investment Committees.

Prior to joining ING Clarion, Mr. Barclay was a partner at Hamilton Securities, a Washington, DC–based investment bank.  From 1989 to 1992 he was responsible for investment sales at Jones Lang LaSalle.  He began his real estate investment career in 1983 at the Lawrence Ruben Company, a private development and investment company.  Mr. Barclay also worked in the real estate department of Chemical Bank and in the Equity Research group at CS First Boston.

Mr. Barclay currently serves as Adjunct Professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business, where he earned his MBA in Finance and Accounting.  He served as adjunct professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business from 1996 through 2001.

Mr. Barclay is chairman of the Institute Committee of the Pension Real Estate Association (PREA).  He is a member of the board of directors of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Managers (NAREIM) and vice chairman of the Industrial and Office Product Council of the Urban Land Institute (ULI). 

Nicholas E. Stolatis, CPM, RPA, Director - Strategic Initiatives Asset Management | Global Real Estate, TIAA-CREF

Mr. Stolatis holds the position Director – Strategic Initiatives Asset Management at TIAA-CREF, where he has leadership responsibility for the Asset Management unit’s Strategic Initiatives team.  This team is focused on the identification, evaluation and implementation of industry leading best practices, in areas such as “green” and sustainable initiatives, tenant relations, property services and systems, across the entire US real estate equity investment portfolio encompassing office, industrial, retail and multi-family properties with a total area in excess of 125 million square feet.   Nick also serves on various committees within TIAA-CREF dealing with policies and procedures, computer technology, financial reporting, insurance and disaster planning.  He was a key participant in the effort which established TIAA Realty, Inc., a $1.8 billion REIT created by TIAA-CREF in 1998.  Nick has been with TIAA-CREF for over twenty five years, and has been directly involved in asset management for more than thirty years.

Nick has earned the Certified Property Manager (CPM®) designation from the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) and is very active in the Greater New York Chapter #26 where he is currently serving on the Executive Committee as Treasurer.  He has previously served as its Treasurer (1991-93, 1999-2008), President-Elect (1994) and President (1995).  He was named Certified Property Manager of the Year in 1991 and again in 2004.  Nick also holds the Real Property Administrator (RPA®) designation from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA).  He is a facilitator for IREM's Course #800, "Ethics in Real Estate Management", and was an instructor in the BOMI Institute's RPA designation program, specializing in the “Real Estate Investment and Finance” and “Asset Management” courses offered by BOMI.  Nick has earned the LEED Accredited Professional designation from the US Green Building Council.  He has served as a panelist for EPA, USGBC, BOMA, IREM and SIOR, and has authored several articles for various trade publications.  Nick is a licensed Real Estate Broker in New York State, and is a member of the Real Estate Board of New York.  Nick is also a co-founder, and a member of the Board of Directors for the Hudson Arts Foundation, Inc., a tax-exempt charitable organization dedicated to expanding the availability of live theatrical performances.  He is also a past President (1989-90) of the Hellenic University Club of New York, and has served as a member of the City Centre Advisory Board for the City of Southfield, Michigan.  Nick is the Scoutmaster of Troop 12, Pleasantville, New York.

Nick earned his Bachelor of Business Administration (Magna Cum Laude) in Management at Baruch College, City University of New York, and a Masters of Business Administration in Marketing at New York University's Graduate School of Business.    TIAA-CREF is a national financial services leader and the premier retirement system for education and research employees, currently with approximately $370 billion in assets under management, including approximately $25 billion in real estate investments.

Stephen M. Coyle, Chief Investment Officer, Global Realty Partners, COHEN & STEERS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.

Steve joined Cohen & Steers in May 2008 as the Chief Investment Officer for Global Realty Partners, a private multimanager real estate investment business.  As of June 30, 2009, Cohen & Steers managed $16.3 billion on behalf of its clients and has offices in New York, Seattle, London, Brussels and Hong Kong.  Steve was a Managing Director at Citigroup Property Investors (CPI) from 2002 through 2008, where he was the founder and portfolio manager of Citigroup Real Estate Partners, a series of globally focused multimanager funds. 

Prior to joining Citigroup, Mr. Coyle was the Senior Strategist at Property & Portfolio Research.  From 1990 to 1996, Steve conducted strategic research and due diligence for office, land, and industrial acquisitions for TCW/Westmark Realty Advisors (now CB/Richard Ellis Investors). During the late 1980s, Mr. Coyle was also a Research Director at Grubb & Ellis and worked for Park Square Associates, a New York – based developer.

Steve has been published in many journals and newspapers, and he is a frequent speaker at industry-sponsored events.  Mr. Coyle received a B.A. in Economics and German from Hampden-Sydney College, and an M.A. in Economic Policy from Boston University.

Merrie S. Frankel, Trustee and Chair, URBAN LAND INSTITUTE, NEW YORK,   Vice President, Senior Credit Officer, MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE

Merrie S. Frankel is a Senior Credit Officer/Vice President in the Commercial Real Estate Finance group at Moody’s Investors Service, the global rating agency.  At Moody’s she is responsible for a ratings portfolio of over 20 real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate operating companies (REOCs) in the United States and Canada.   In this capacity, she interacts daily with senior management at issuers, institutional investors, and investment bankers. Ms. Frankel has extensive experience in real estate portfolio management, commercial real estate and mortgage transactions, real estate law, and strategic consulting.  She is a frequent speaker at conferences and seminars on real estate capital markets, net lease transactions, and retail real estate.  Prior to joining Moody’s, Ms. Frankel was a Senior Vice President and Director of Portfolio Management for the Argo Funds, a real estate opportunity fund with $1.5 billion in assets.  Fund assets consisted of stock in operating companies, CMBS, and direct property investments throughout the United States and Mexico.  Ms. Frankel was directly responsible for portfolio management, financing, investor relations, and all dispositions. 

Ms. Frankel previously held various positions in the commercial real estate industry including that of Senior Manager at Ernst & Young Kenneth Leventhal Real Estate Group; a Director in the Financial Services Group at Cushman & Wakefield, Inc.; an Officer who played a key role in establishing the commercial mortgage group at J.P. Morgan Securities, Inc.; and a real estate investment banker and senior tax attorney at Salomon Brothers Inc.  In these positions, her experience encompassed initiating, negotiating, and executing equity and debt transactions for corporate and institutional clients. 

•Urban Land Institute (ULI) – Trustee; Chairperson of New York District Council (over 2,500 members and oversee 48 person board); Council Counselor; Chair of Urban Development Mixed-Use (UDMUC/Gold) Council, May 2001-04; former Chair of Education Committee for NY District Council -- started UrbanPlan real estate course in New York high schools
•Adjunct Associate Professor, New York University Schack Institute of Real Estate –  teach graduate course in Real Estate Capital Markets; member of Advisory Board
•Adjunct Assistant Professor of Real Estate Development, Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation
•University of Pennsylvania – Trustees’ Council of Penn Women
•Real Estate New York – selected to be one of 50 “Women of Influence” for 2008
•Net Lease Forum, member of Editorial Advisory Board
•IRETO (International Real Estate Trade Organization), member of Board of Experts
•New York Women Executives in Real Estate (WX) – Secretary/Board of Dirs 1996-99; Scholarship Committee 2002 - Present
•Young Men’s/Women’s Real Estate Association of New York (YM/WREA) – Treasurer/ Board of Governors 1998
•Financial Women's Assoc of NY (FWA) - Secretary, Exec.Comm. and Board of Directors (1995-97); Co-Chair, High School Mentoring Comm (1993-95) and mentor (1992-2005)
•Listed in Who’s Who
•Admitted to the New York Bar and Licensed real estate broker
•Publications: articles in NAREIT Portfolio; Real Estate Forum; National Real Estate Investor; UrbanLand; The Handbook of Inflation Hedging Investments, Chap. 8 “Real Estate as an Investment: Overview of Alternative Vehicles.”

She holds J.D. and M.B.A. degrees from Hofstra University School of Law and Graduate School of Business and graduated with a B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania from which she was awarded various honors.

Gil Tenzer, Director of Real Estate & Founding Member, CONTRARIAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC

Mr. Tenzer is the Director or Real Estate and a founding member of Contrarian, an institutional money management firm with over $3 billion in funds under management including a dedicated real estate fund.  Since Contrarian’s formation in 1995 he has been responsible for sourcing, managing and coordinating the disposition of the firm’s real estate investments as well an active role in Contrarian’s corporate investments.  From 1993 to 1995 he was a senior analyst and co-head of the high-yield real estate group at Oppenheimer & Co.  The prior six years he was responsible for the analysis, financing, acquisition, disposition, restructuring and asset management of a nationwide portfolio for investor Arthur G. Cohen in the real estate, lodging, restaurant, aviation and manufacturing industries.  Mr. Tenzer received a BSBA from Georgetown University in 1984 and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in 1987.

Walter A. Stackler, Managing Director and Co-Head, Real Estate Private Fund Group, CREDIT SUISSE

Walter A. Stackler is a Managing Director of Credit Suisse and Co-Head of the Real Estate Private Fund Group (REPFG), based in New York. REPFG acts as an advisor and placement agent for real estate private equity funds and joint ventures sponsored by private investment firms, real estate operating companies and public REITs. REPFG markets products on a world-wide basis to over 1,400 investors, including public and corporate pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, foundations, endowments, insurance companies, commercial banks, and other institutional and accredited investors. REPFG has a dedicated team of 26 professionals based in New York, Chicago, London and San Francisco and has raised approximately $40 billion of equity for 67 different funds since 2001.

Mr. Stackler joined Credit Suisse First Boston in November 2000 when the Firm merged with Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ), where he was a Vice President in DLJ's Real Estate Private Fund Group. Prior to the formation of REPFG in 2000, he was with DLJ's Commercial Mortgage Group where he specialized in the origination, underwriting and structuring of multi-family and commercial mortgages. Prior to joining DLJ, Mr. Stackler was with the Ernst & Young Kenneth Leventhal Real Estate Group where he specialized in distressed debt valuation, feasibility studies and strategic planning.

Mr. Stackler received a B.S. from the University of Richmond and a M.B.A from Columbia Business School.

Robert Quinn, Vice President, NEW YORK LIFE INVESTMENTS

Robert Quinn is Vice President of Real Estate in the Structured Finance area of NY Life Investments. Bob has over 28 years experience in the sector covering all investment property types across the US, Canada and Mexico. Current responsibilities include: origination/syndication of high-yield debt, underwriting and asset management for the company’s real estate funds.

At Merrill Lynch, he worked on a high-yield desk that originated/traded real estate debt. Bob co-founded an offshore BPO firm in India, providing loan analysis, underwriting and due diligence services to US financial institutions. Prior to that, Bob was with CB Richard Ellis in Manhattan.

He received a B.A. in Economics from Boston University. He is a member of the New York Society of Securities Analysts, ICSC, RELA-NYC, MBA, ULI, speaks at industry conferences and is a guest lecturer at local universities.

Francisco Andragnes, Chief Investment Officer, PRUDENTIAL REAL ESTATE INVESTORS

Mr. Andragnes is the Chief Investment Officer for PREI in Latin America, the global real estate investment and management business of Prudential Financial Inc. (NYSE:PRU). He is responsible for all acquisition, partnership and portfolio management activities of PREI in Latin America, and supervises a staff of more than 40 transactions and portfolio management professionals.  During his ten years in PREI Latin America, he has been responsible of structuring and negotiating more than twenty joint venture partnerships for the development of industrial, retail, office, hotel and residential properties in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Chile. In 2000 he underwrote and executed the acquisition of Atlântica Residencial S.A. (a Brazilian homebuilder) which resulted in PREI’s first investment in Latin America. In 2003, he structured an innovative land bank program with Corporación GEO S.A.B. de C.V. (Latin America’s largest homebuilder), which was the first structure of that nature in Latin America, which was later complemented with a similar structure with URBI Desarrollos S.A.B de C.V. and established a strategic partnership with Infonavit. Under his responsibility, PREI Latin America closed on more than 280 properties, for a total gross investment of more than $7 billion, including the acquisition of Galerias Valle Oriente in Monterrey, Costa Baja Resort and Marina in Baja California, the headquarters of BVBA Bancomer in Mexico City, and Torre Colonos in Buenos Aires. Mr. Andragnes is a member of the Executive Committee and the chairman of the Investment Committee of PREI Latin America. Prior to joining PREI, Mr. Andragnes worked for seven years as a real estate consultant and financial advisor for Ernst & Young in Buenos Aires.  Mr. Andragnes has a Business degree from the University of Buenos Aires, where he also served as adjunct professor. Mr. Andragnes obtained a Masters degree in Real Estate Development from Columbia University. He is also a registered representative with FINRA.

Ben Fanger, Co-Founder and Managing Director, SHORELINE CAPITAL

Mr. Fanger is a co-founder and managing director at Shoreline Capital, which manages investments in distressed assets in China. He oversees much of the firm’s sourcing and exits. In this capacity, Mr. Fanger is involved in the pricing, bidding, litigation, negotiations, liquidations and restructurings involved in acquiring and disposing distressed debt in China.  Prior to Shoreline Capital, Mr. Fanger was a founding member in the start-up and exits of several firms, with the majority of his career being China-focused. He has done work on Chinese non-performing loan and private equity transactions with the field’s leading team of attorneys. Mr. Fanger has been fluent in spoken and written Chinese for over ten years. He also holds a JD and MBA from the University of Chicago and is a licensed attorney in the State of California.

Shoreline Capital is a private fund manager specializing in finding and creating value in distressed assets in China. It currently manages approximately $250 million in acquired assets and committed capital.  Shoreline has three offices in China and over thirty professionals.

William P. Bowman, Senior Vice President, Real Estate, HARTFORD INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT

William P. Bowman is a Senior Vice President of Hartford Investment Management, joining the firm in 2005.  Mr. Bowman’s primary duties involve structured real estate debt investment origination, capital markets, fund management, and third-party fund investing.  He has over 19 years of commercial real estate experience.  Prior to joining Hartford Investment Management, Mr. Bowman worked for Citigroup Alternative Investments (“Citigroup”), where he was involved in high yield debt, equity and fund investments and in the evaluation and creation of real estate investment products.  Prior to joining Citigroup, Mr. Bowman worked in real estate lending and capital markets on the west coast.  He began his real estate career with a developer in Chicago.  Mr. Bowman received his B.A. in Economics from Princeton University. 

John I. Bralower, Managing Director, THE CARLTON GROUP

Mr. Bralower is president of Carlton Hospitality Group and managing director of The Carlton Group. During his career, Mr. Bralower has completed over $20 billion of debt, equity, corporate finance, M & A, advisory and leasing transactions for many of the real estate and hospitality industry's leading companies. These have included properties and firms located in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America. Recent transactions include the placement of $350 million of senior and mezzanine construction debt for Trump Soho, a 400 key Manhattan condo-hotel, the $840 million equity and debt capitalization for the acquisition and conversion of Manhattan House, the largest single asset residential transaction in history and the $240 million equity and debt capitalization for the acquisition and re-branding of the Wyndham (now Westin) Aruba.

Mr. Bralower's positions prior to joining Carlton include managing director and co-head of global real estate investment banking at Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin, and president of Sonnenblick-Goldman Company.

Mr. Bralower has been quoted and featured in industry and mainstream publications, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The New York Sun and the New York Observer. His speaking engagements have included the New York University and ALIS hotel investment conferences, the NYU Real Estate finance conference and the IH&RA Annual Congress in London as well as conferences organized by Commercial Property News, RealShare and Information Management Network. Grid magazine ranked him in the top ten on its POWERgrid of real estate bankers and brokers.

Mr. Bralower is an advisory board member of the Lincoln Center Realty and Construction Council and the Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management at New York University. He is also a full member of the Urban Land Institute and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.. Mr. Bralower serves as chairman of the Village of Oyster Bay Cove Planning Board, is a founding director of the North Shore Land Alliance and is a founding investor of StarMine Corp. (2004, 2005 and 2006 INC. 500 fastest growing companies). He is a member of the New York State Bar.

Spencer Garfield, Managing Director, HUDSON REALTY CAPITAL LLC 

Spencer Garfield, Managing Director, oversees new loan originations, business development and business relations at Hudson Realty Capital, LLC, a certified Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE). Since he joined the firm at its inception, Mr. Garfield has spearheaded Hudson’s dominance within the middle-market opportunistic real estate investment arena. The firm has closed more than $3 billion in high-yield commercial real estate transactions and currently manages more than $2 billion in assets. During his 15-year career, Mr. Garfield originated and underwrote debt and equity transactions in excess of $7 billion. He is an adjunct professor at NYU, where he earned a Master’s Degree in Real Estate Investment and Finance, and a B.S. degree from the University of Colorado.

James H. Ross, Managing Member, ROSSROCK LLC

James H. Ross is a Member of Rossrock LLC, which he co-founded in 1992. Rossrock is one of the most active purchasers of distressed commercial real estate debt in the United States. Rossrock has formed over 30 real estate investment partnerships and is currently managing Rossrock Fund II, a real estate distressed debt fund with $160 million in equity. Mr. Ross previously practiced real estate and corporate law at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York and at Holland & Hart in Denver. Mr. Ross earned a B.A. from Yale College and a J.D. degree from Columbia Law School.

Christopher LaBianca, President, RCG LONGVIEW

Christopher LaBianca, President, RCG Longview Debt Fund IV, L.P.  Mr. LaBianca joined the Fund in April of 2008 and is responsible for the oversight of new loan originations, structuring, underwriting as well as all asset management functions.  Prior to joining the Fund, Mr. LaBianca spent eight years at Bank of America, most recently serving as a Managing Director and Co-Head of National Originations in the firm's Real Estate Structured Finance group. During his tenure as originations head, the firm consistently ranked among the top three most active contributors to CMBS issues, with total volume in the last four years exceeding $53 billion. Mr. LaBianca was responsible for developing and managing a nationwide network of fully staffed origination offices, in addition to personally originating over $8 billion of loans for securitization while at the firm. Prior to Bank of America, Mr. LaBianca spent eight years at the former Chase Manhattan Bank, holding senior management positions in the Real Estate Finance and US Securities divisions.  Mr. LaBianca began his career as an Analyst with The Prudential Insurance Company of America.  He currently serves as the Chairman of the Finance Committee for the Real Estate Board of New York, and is an active member of the Mortgage Bankers Association, the International Council of Shopping Centers and the Real Estate Lenders Association. He holds a Bachelors degree from Rider College and an M.B.A.in Accounting and Finance from the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University. 

David A. Barksdale, Partner, BALLARD SPAHR LLP

David A. Barksdale is a partner in the Real Estate Department and co-partner-in-charge of the Distressed Real Estate Initiative and Economic Stabilization and Recovery Initiative. He focuses his practice on distressed real estate, real estate development, finance and construction, and secured finance. Mr. Barksdale advises both lenders and borrowers on workouts and the financial restructuring of distressed real estate projects, including master planned and mixed-use developments, retail and office centers, casinos, hotels, industrial properties, and other types of commercial real estate. He represents financial institutions in loan restructurings and private equity companies and investors in the purchase of distressed assets.

Mr. Barksdale has experience: 

•advising institutional lenders and special servicers concerning workouts and restructurings of real estate structured finance;

•advising lenders and investors on distressed asset acquisition and disposition, including loan sales; and

•representing investors and owners of distressed projects in the financing, development, construction, conversion, leasing, and disposition of commercial, residential, and mixed-use property.

Mr. Barksdale is listed in the 2008 and 2009 editions of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as a leader in the field of real estate law and in the 2019 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.. Mr. Barksdale was general counsel and vice president of Triple Five National Development Corporation, a national real estate development company.

Mr. Barksdale is a member of the Urban Land Institute, the International Council of Shopping Centers, and the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties. He is also a member of the American Bar Association, State Bar of Nevada, and State Bar of California, and an adjunct professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He holds B.A. and B.S. degrees from Oral Roberts University (magna cum laude, 1985) and a J.D. from the University of California Hastings College of the Law (1988).

Spencer G. Levy, Senior Managing Director, CB RICHARD ELLIS

As Senior Managing Director in Capital Markets, Spencer Levy is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the activities of more than 300 investment sales and debt/equity finance professionals in the Eastern Region of the United States.  In addition to his duties in Capital Markets, Mr. Levy is the national head of CBRE’s Restructuring Services initiative.   Restructuring Services is CBRE’s group that is focused on servicing both large financial institutions and government entities to assist them with real estate services required for both REO and whole loan assets.    

Prior to joining CBRE, Mr. Levy was a Principal at Stifel Nicolaus (formerly Legg Mason Capital Markets), one of the most active and diverse real estate investment banking practices in the US.  As Principal, he was responsible for leading overall execution several major merger and acquisition assignments.  Mr. Levy played a significant role in the initial public offering of six REITs, as well as dozens of other public and private capital-raising transactions.

Previous to this position, Mr. Levy served as Assistant General Counsel of the Witkoff Group, formerly one of the largest property owners in the New York City area.  Prior to that, he practiced real estate law at Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson and Jones Day Reavis & Pogue.  Mr. Levy is on the Board of Directors of the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women.    Mr. Levy is a frequent lecturer and panelist at real estate industry events and is often quoted in prominent real estate publications.    Most recently, Mr. Levy has been quoted in The New York Observer [cover story/photo], Crain’s New York Business and Real Estate Forum. 

Ignatius Fogarty, Manager, Real Estate, PREQIN

Ignatius heads up Preqin’s Real Estate Department, overseeing the collection of investor and fund data for Preqin’s real estate products.  He is responsible for the maintenance and development of Preqin’s Real Estate Online database which contains information on over 1200 institutions investing into the unlisted real estate market as well as over 2000 funds.  He is also responsible for the data collection and analysis for three real estate publications that Preqin produces.  Ignatius regularly writes articles on the real estate industry for Preqin’s monthly newsletter Real Estate Spotlight as well as commenting on the unlisted real estate industry in publications such as IPE Real Estate and Reuters Real Estate.  Ignatius holds a History degree from Kings College London.

Ronald M. Dickerman, President, MADISON INTERNATIONAL REALTY

Mr. Dickerman is the President and Founder of Madison International Realty with primary responsibility for investment strategy, capital formation and risk management.  Since founding Madison in 1996, Mr. Dickerman has raised and invested over $540 million in commercial real estate.  Mr. Dickerman has significant experience providing joint venture and preferred equity to commercial real estate owners and investors within all major asset classes who are looking to recapitalize investments, restructure balance sheets, provide existing partners with an exit strategy or redeploy capital for new investments.

Mr. Dickerman has over 25 years of experience focused on the analysis, acquisition, financing, management and disposition of income-producing assets such as real estate, mortgage products, healthcare properties, leased equipment, media properties, oil & gas, as well as other specialty assets.  Prior to founding Madison in 1996, Mr. Dickerman was President and Founder of First Equity Realty, LLC, a real estate investment firm specializing in the acquisition of under-performing real estate assets from financial institutions.

During the period from 1987 to 1991, Mr. Dickerman was an investment banker in the Real Estate / Partnership Finance Group at Smith Barney, Harris Upham & Co., Inc., where he was responsible for the origination, analysis, structuring, acquisition, asset management, disposition and marketing of real estate and other limited partnerships.

Mr. Dickerman is an active member of the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate (AFIRE) and a frequent speaker on the topic of secondary investments and liquidity at real estate conferences throughout the country.  Mr. Dickerman earned an MBA degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business and a BA degree from Tufts University.

Jeffrey M. Giller, Managing Principal  & CIO, LIQUID REALTY PARTNERS

Mr. Giller has worked in the real estate private equity sector for over 20 years and has closed real estate transactions totaling in excess of $4 billion.  His experience includes the acquisition, asset management, structuring, financing, underwriting, pricing, and closing of transactions around the globe including in the U.S., the UK, Western Europe, Mexico, and Asia.  During his career, Mr. Giller has led transactions to acquire partnership interests, individual properties, large portfolios, and real estate operating companies in the private equity, distressed commercial mortgage, and commercial real estate mortgage backed securities markets.

Prior to joining Liquid Realty Partners, Mr. Giller held senior positions in or formed various real estate private equity investment firms. From 1993 until 2000 Mr. Giller was with JER Partners (“JER”), a leading real estate opportunity fund manager.  Following his domestic roles with the company focusing on distressed debt portfolio acquisitions, Mr. Giller moved to Paris France where he was responsible for developing and running JER France, SA, the company’s first international operation.  After leaving JER in 2000, Mr. Giller became founding partners of Towbes Capital Partners Fund I and Somera Realty Value Fund Advisors.

Mr. Giller earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Virginia.  He is currently a member of the Pension Real Estate Association, the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate, and was a founder and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of American Riviera Bank where he now serves as a Director Emeritus.

Edward M. Kobel, President & Chief Operating Officer, DEBARTOLO DEVELOPMENT LLC

Mr. Edward M. Kobel is the President and Chief Operating Officer of DeBartolo Development LLC. DeBartolo Development was formed in 2003 by Mr. Kobel and DeBartolo Family members to continue the legacy of Edward J. DeBartolo Sr., and Edward DeBartolo Jr. into Nationwide real estate development.  Since its inception Mr. Kobel has assembled a team that has created a nationwide platform from Hawaii to Florida.  DeBartolo Development LLC. was capitalized by the DeBartolo Family along with major capital commitments that Mr. Kobel arranged with Prudential Insurance Company of America and USAA Insurance Company.  These major institutions have underwritten a development pipeline of over 1 Billion dollars in value.  Mr. Kobel is responsible for the strategy and its execution along with the company’s capitalization.

Mr. Kobel Cofounded the Community Reinvestment Partners a Fund that will invest 400 million dollars into value added real estate in the States of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Alabama.  Mr. Kobel also founded the DeBartolo Community Retail Fund L.P. which is a National Fund to acquire value added retail nationwide. 

Prior to overseeing DeBartolo Development LLC. Mr. Kobel formed Fortis Advisors where he had a national development company primarily focused on retail and multifamily development.  Mr. Kobel raised 500 Million dollars to fund this company.

Prior to forming Fortis Advisors Mr. Kobel founded Trinity Development with offices in Colorado Springs Colorado, Denver Colorado, Phoenix Arizona and Chicago Illinois.  Trinity Development was primarily engaged in new retail development as well as value added shopping center redevelopment.  Trinity Development completed over 300 Million dollars in retail development.

Mr. Kobel served as Chairman of the Luis Palau Tampa Bay Festival in 2007.  He also is Chairman of the Board of Lifework Leadership a biblical based leadership training program for Executive Officers.  Ed serves on the board of Directors for Faith Tampa Bay an organization working to meet the transformation needs of the Tampa Bay area.  Mr. Kobel also serves as Chairman of the 2009 Super Bowl Breakfast a major event for National Football League and Athletes in Action.

Recently Mr. Kobel was elected to the Board of Directors for University of Tampa where he will work with the faculty, students and staff well-being, educational program, and the Universities long rang plans. In addition, Edward also sits on the Board of Directors for Meet the Need and Operation Light Force. Mr. Kobel served in the US Army in counter intelligence. 

Jason Baker, Senior Acquisitions Officer, Real Estate Investments, STATE TEACHERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF OHIO

Mr. Baker serves as Senior Acquisitions Officer for the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio Eastern Region.  Mr. Baker joined STRS Ohio in April 2008.  He is responsible for developing relationships, sourcing real estate transaction, structuring joint venture partnerships, and negotiating contracts.

Prior to joining STRS Ohio, Mr. Baker worked at Wafra Investment Advisory Group, Inc. in the Real Estate Department sourcing real estate opportunities in North America.  He also oversaw underwriting responsibilities and worked with lenders to arrange financing on acquisitions.  Before Wafra he worked for Goldman Sachs spending most of his time working with the Real Estate Principal Investment Area tracking publicly traded real estate investment trusts.  He also created advance financial models for both the merchant and investment bank.  Mr. Baker is a member of Urban Land Institute.

Aditya Bhandari, Vice President  & Senior RMBS Analyst, MARATHON ASSET MANAGEMENT

Aditya Bhandari is a Vice President and a Senior RMBS analyst responsible for building prepayment/default models and performing credit analysis in the structured finance area with specific focus on the residential mortgage backed securities sector. Mr. Bhandari has previously worked as a strategist at Bear Stearns in the area of structured credit with specific focus on private label residential mortgages. Prior to spending two years at Bear Stearns, Mr. Bhandari was at JPMorgan in the derivatives strategy area with specific focus on expressing relative value ideas in the area of swaps, swaptions, treasury futures and their derivatives. Prior to JPMorgan Mr. Bhandari was at Optiver Derivatives Trading as a junior equity derivatives trader and research analyst. Mr. Bhandari earned his undergraduate degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in Civil Engineering (1999). He has a Master’s degree in the field of Applied Mechanics from Cornell University (2001) and a Master’s degree in the field of Financial Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University (2004).

John Lustgarten, Vice President, LOWE ENTERPRISES INVESTORS, LLC

Mr. Lustgarten runs Lowe Enterprises Investors’ structured finance group and is responsible for the origination, structuring, underwriting, and negotiation of all senior debt, mezzanine debt, and preferred equity investments.  Previously, he was Director of North American Debt for GE Real Estate, Finance Director at CIM Group, and Manager in RBC Capital Markets’ Leveraged Finance Group.  Education: University of Pennsylvania, BA Economics; UCLA Anderson School of Management, MBA.

Joseph P. Smith, CFA, Managing Director, ING CLARION REAL ESTATE SECURITIES

Mr. Smith, as a member of the ING CRES global portfolio management team, is responsible for oversight of the Americas real estate securities research team.  He is active in NAREIT and a member of both the CFA Society of Philadelphia and the CFA Institute.  Mr. Smith joined the firm in 1997 and has 19 years of investment experience.

Sush Torgalkar, Managing Principal, WESTBROOK PARTNERS

Mr. Torgalkar, based in New York, serves as a Managing Principal of Westbrook Partners where he coordinates Westbrook’s operations, investor relations and asset management globally and is a member of Westbrook’s investment committee.  Mr. Torgalkar joined Westbrook in October 2000, where he has been an integral member of the project teams for many of Westbrook’s complex transactions in the United States, United Kingdom, France and Japan.  Prior to joining Westbrook, Mr. Torgalkar was in the Real Estate Investment Banking Group at Merrill Lynch, where he was involved in numerous financing and advisory assignments for real estate, hospitality and leisure companies.  Mr. Torgalkar received a B.S. from Cornell University.

Ken Bernstein, President & CEO, ACADIA REALTY TRUST

Kenneth F. Bernstein is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Acadia Realty Trust, which he co-founded in 1998.  Acadia Realty Trust is a real estate investment trust specializing in the acquisition, redevelopment and management of necessity-based retail properties.  Acadia owns, or has ownership interest in, and operates 77 properties totaling approximately 5 million square feet. 

Under Mr. Bernstein’s leadership, Acadia has successfully executed its growth initiatives through a series of strategic acquisition funds, AKR Funds I, II, and III, enabling the organization to acquire over $3 billion of real estate across the United States.  Currently, the Company has a strong pipeline with over 2 million square feet of urban redevelopment projects in New York City.

Prior to his appointment as CEO in January of 2001, Mr. Bernstein served as President of Acadia with responsibility for all investments and day-to-day operations of the Company.  He previously served as Chief Operating Officer of RD Capital until its merger with Mark Centers Trust in 1998, creating Acadia Realty Trust.  From 1986 until 1990, Mr. Bernstein was an associate with the New York law firm of Battle Fowler, LLP. 

Mr. Bernstein received his BA from the University of Vermont and his JD from Boston University School of Law.  He is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT), Urban Land Institute (ULI), and the Real Estate Roundtable.  Mr. Bernstein is also a member of the Young President’s Organization (YPO), where he is the chairman of the Real Estate Network.   He is a member of the Board of Trustees of BRT Realty (NYSE:BRT).

Thomas C.A. Boytinck, Managing Director, FARRAGUT CAPITAL LLC

Tom Boytinck co-founded Farragut Capital in 2005. The company, an investment banking boutique, raises capital for real estate fund managers around the world from pension plans, endowments, foundations, insurers and family offices. Farragut maintains offices in New York, Chicago and Cleveland, and a representative presence in Berlin and Dubai. Over the past 15 years, the firm’s principals have closed funds or investments with a gross value in excess of $15 billion.

Mr. Boytinck was previously Global Head of Real Estate for Deutsche Bank Private Wealth Management, based in New York. In this capacity he led a team which evaluated real estate fund managers around the world, structured feeder vehicles and placed approximately $800m of equity for a variety of investment strategies. Before taking on this role, Mr. Boytinck was responsible at Deutsche Bank Realty Advisors for the acquisition and/or portfolio management of a collection of US and Japanese properties valued at over $900m, on behalf of DB’s German clients.

Before joining Deutsche Bank, Mr. Boytinck spent 10 years at Wells Hill Partners, a New Yorkbased real estate investment banking company where he closed over $1bn worth of construction financings, sale-leasebacks and entity-level capital raises. Mr. Boytinck graduated in 1990 with an AB in History from Columbia University, and has taught in Real Estate Finance in Columbia’s Real Estate Development Program since 2002. He is fluent in French and German.

David A. Pessis, Principal, FIPPEX

David A. Pessis is the founder of FIPPEX.com, a customizable, web-based platform which allows firms to share information and updates with investors with just the click of a mouse. Formerly of IBM Global Services and Accenture, Pessis has devoted his career to creating and managing web solutions for companies who want to streamline and simplify their computer applications. Pessis also made his mark as a successful entrepreneur prior to entering the corporate world. In 1997, Pessis started his own web design company, and due to the company’s success, he was able to sell it to a Chicago web development firm in 1999. Pessis received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from The University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, and he recently received his Master of Science in Information Technology from Northwestern University.

Bill Burnett, Principal, FIPPEX

Bill Burnett is the managing principal of FIPPEX.com, a customizable, web-based platform which allows firms to share information and updates with investors with just the click of a mouse. In 2007, Burnett founded Missing Link Sales Solutions, a sales and marketing firm for which he currently serves as a consultant. Prior to the success of Missing Link Sales Solutions, Burnett was the top sales associate for a major branding/promotional agency, where he took the lead on major product launches for numerous Fortune 500 consumer product companies. Burnett received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from The University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.

Peter Merrigan, President & CEO, TAURUS INVESTMENT HOLDINGS, LLC

As President and CEO of Taurus Investment Holdings, LLC, Peter Merrigan oversees the daily operations of Taurus worldwide. Peter has negotiated, structured and closed more than $3 billion worth of complex real estate transactions, spanning 15 years in numerous states and 7 countries. Peter is co-founder of Taurus Investments Holdings, LLC, along with Lorenz Reibling and Gunther Reibling. He capitalizes on entrepreneurial opportunities and executes economically viable projects that yield long-term value for both investors and communities.