AURORA, CO-ProLogis, the giant industrial REIT, hired Dessa M. Bokides as chief financial officer and executive vice president. Bokides, 45, who will join PLD next month, replaces Walter C. Rakowich, 47. Rakowich remains president and chief operating officer of the company that is building its new world headquarters in Denver, but is still currently located in Aurora.

Bokides is joining ProLogis form Pitney Bowes Inc., the world's largest provider of integrated mail and document management systems, services and solution. At Pitney Bowes, she was a vice president of finance and treasurer. She was responsible for treasury operations, pension management, tax, long-range financial planning, capital investment, enterprise risk management and worldwide real estate and facilities.

Since joining Pitney Bowes in 2001, she has restructured the debt portfolio, streamlined the treasury department, developed a long-term financial plan, established an enterprise management program, redefined the pension fund strategy and consolidated the real estate portfolio.

From 1987 to 1996, Bokides was a senior vice president and head of commitment products for Goldman, Sachs & Co. She also was a member of Goldman's risk-steering committee. At Goldman Sachs, her duties included analyzing real estate companies and retailers in the Midwest region. In the early 1990s, she played a lead role in developing capital structure and funding strategies for Goldman's Real Estate Investment Trust clients. In 1996, she joined Deutsche Bank securities Inc. as global head and managing director of its rating advisory and capital strategy group. There, she built a global business unit that advised clients on the rating implications of various recapitalizations and acquisitions as well as on new ratings. In addition, she originated fixed-income and derivative instrument of the bank's capital markets desk. She also advised sovereign and corporate entities in Eastern Europe Central Europe, Asia and the US.

She is no stranger to ProLogis or Colorado. She received her undergraduate degree from Colorado College in Colorado Springs, before receiving her MBA from Columbia University in New York City. "I have observed ProLogis; growth and the evolution of its unique operating model with great interest since the company's formation 12 years ago," she says. She says the company has achieved an "enviable position as a global market leader."

Jeffrey H. Schwartz, CEO of ProLogis, says he is "extremely pleased" to have hired Bokides. He adds that her "successful track record in global financial structuring and significant real estate experience will be valuable to ProLogis as we continue to expand our market-leading platform of distribution facilities worldwide."