MIAMI—Related Group founder and CEO Jorge Perez just did something he's never done before—appointed a female as the president of a company division. Lissette M. Calderon is now president of Related's International and Strategic Projects.
“The goal is to leverage our South Florida platform and expand it to national and international levels within our strategic framework,” says Calderon. “In addition to a very large push in Spain, we are pursuing opportunities in Mexico, India, Brazil, Panama, and other strategic opportunities within the US as we continue to grow our multibillion dollar portfolio.”
Earlier in her career, Calderon worked at Related as a project manager to senior project manager in the 1990s. Perez has plenty of confidence in her abilities to take the division to the next level. She will work directly with him to develop and expand the firm's international and domestic presence.
“I am very pleased that Lissette has rejoined our team in this important executive position,” says Perez “She has had an outstanding career and is a brilliant, energetic and visionary real estate professional. I am looking forward to opening and developing new markets together.”
In 2002, Calderon founded her own company and developed NeoLofts, the first residential project on the banks of the Miami River. The project, which was 85% sold before groundbreaking, sparked the transformation of a neglected warehouse area into a now-vibrant urban neighborhood.
NeoLoft's design and amenities sold for $100,000 to $400,000 per unit, attracting new residents to the urban riverfront. Calderon went on to complete nearly 1,200 condominium units in Miami's urban core with a sell-out value of nearly $450 million.
Calderon calls Perez a “mentor,” explaining that he taught her to “work tirelessly, believe in myself and go with my gut” and to literally build a business from the ground up. Even when she went out on her own in the development world, Calderon says Perez always encouraged her to achieve greatness and be memorable.
“I am proud to return to Related after all these years as president of International and Strategic Projects,” Calderon says. “Jorge is one of a few men to place a woman in this capacity at such a high-ranking executive position within a global real estate investment and development company. He is a true visionary.”
Calderon is a LEED Accredited Professional. She graduated cum laude from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania with concentrations in finance, real estate, and multinational management.
In 2003, Calderon was named South Florida's “Up and Comer” for the real estate and construction industries. Accolades awarded to her companies include the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce's Outstanding Minority Business of the Years (2007) and the Chamber's Top 100 Awards for Innovation in the Workplace (2006). In 2007 she was named Woman Entrepreneur of the Year by the South Florida Business Journal.
© Touchpoint Markets, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to asset-and-logo-licensing@alm.com. For more inforrmation visit Asset & Logo Licensing.