In addition to asset management of BPG's existing retail portfolio, Braithwaite will work with SVP Betsy Owens in expanding the company's retail acquisition activities, according to Daniel DiLella, president and CEO. Currently, nine shopping centers aggregating 1.2 million sf are owned by BPG affiliates.

Braithwaite and Owens have a full purse. BPG just closed BPG Investment Partnership VII, a $540-million discretionary equity fund, targeted for retail as well as office, industrial and multifamily investments.

Previously, Braithwaite was director of leasing for King of Prussia-based Kravco/Simon, where he was responsible for upgrading and leasing Kravco's 2.5-million-sf retail portfolio. Prior to his eight years with Kravco, he was a leasing specialist for locally based Metro Commercial Real Estate.

At Hersha, Hauser will underwrite new hotel acquisition opportunities while monitoring ongoing yield, operations, and quality of the company's current portfolio, according to Jay H. Shah, president and COO. He says Hersha plans to "move aggressively forward with our acquisition strategy, a key growth avenue for us."

Hauser is former director of finance for BPG's Melrose Hotel Co. where she supervised all property and corporate accounting. She has 14 years of hospitality industry experience, and, prior to joining Melrose, held financial management posts with Crossroads Hospitality Co., a division of Interstate.

Hersha owns nationally franchised, premium branded, full-service and limited-service, upscale and mid-scale hotels in the Eastern US. Its focus is on acquisitions and joint ventures in primary, secondary, and major metro markets.