"I'm going to be very thoughtful," James C. Swaim, who also claimed an executive vice president's title with the move from Security Capital Group Inc.. He tells GlobeSt.com that there are no plans to downsize, but there are plans for change, particularly on the technology side. "They have some excellent technology," he says, "but we're going to bring it up one more notch." The goal, he adds, is to free up more time for the team, specifically the hands-on real estate hierarchy, through standardization, web-enabled tools and automation in areas like reporting. "Hopefully, it will be seamless to the outside world," he stresses.

Swaim, who came on board a week ago, spent the past five years as managing director and senior vice president in Dallas for Stamford, CT-headquartered Security Capital Group. The 31-year professional says he plans to implement similar technology at Hillwood as he did during his stint with the international real estate investment and operating company's portfolio of powerhouse corporations. Swaim will be overseeing the full spectrum of corporate services for Hillwood.