Executive Watch

Perspective

If you think finding properties at reasonable cap rates ischallenging, try finding good asset and portfolio managers tooversee and create value in your portfolio. We hear a lot about theconsolidation of assets by REITs and investment funds intoincreasingly larger portfolios, and this might lead one to think ofeconomies of scale, that fewer asset managers can effectivelymanage a greater number of assets. While that is true to a certaindegree, asset and portfolio managers who can truly get their armsaround these larger portfolios, let alone the demands ofsophisticated investors, are far rarer in today's markets than thenumbers of positions available to them. We have seen an up-tick indemand for senior asset managers over the past 12 months. In fact,there is a particularly acute shortage of asset managers with 10 to15 years of experience, especially those with experience balancingthe process (finance, accounting, reporting) and thetransactional (development, leasing) sides of assetmanagement, no matter what the product. Better take out yourcheckbook because the price-point for these top performers is onthe rise.

Anthony J. LoPinto is CEO of Equinox Partners, an executive search firm specializing in the real estate industry, and parent company of SelectLeaders.

The views expressed in this article are the author'sown.

Job Opportunities

URBAN LAND INSTITUTE
(WASHINGTON, DC) Director, Real Estate Industry/FinanceProgramsThe selected candidate will direct and manageresearch and program activities related to real estatefinance/capital markets and real estate industry trends, includinggeneral oversight of the Emerging Trendspublications series.

NEWMARK KNIGHT FRANK
(NEW YORK) Lease Abstractor

The lease abstractor handles all aspects of commercial leaseabstracting and administration, including initial tenant billings,commissions and security deposits. A minimum of five years ofexperience working with leases in a commercial real estate settingis required.

SELECTLEADERS
(FLORIDA) Investment Analyst The ideal candidatewill have a proven track record of analyzing development andinvestment properties along with excellent communication andorganizational skills. He or she must have a minimum of two tothree years of real estate investment/acquisition experience.

TRAMMELL CROW CO.
(CALIFORNIA) Property Manager We are seeking aproperty manager in our Los Angeles class A high rise office. Thisposition will be responsible for managing a commercial property orgroup of properties and fulfilling the manager's obligations underthe property's management agreement.

GENERAL GROWTH PROPERTIES
(CALIFORNIA) Senior Operations Manager The senior operations manager has a thorough understanding ofadvanced mechanical systems, construction practices and preventivemaintenance. This position requires a comprehensive understandingof operations methods and understands the need to increaseprofitability and will keep common area costs at or belowbudget.

RBS GREENWICH CAPITAL
(ILLINOIS) Associate Responsibilities include performing quantitative analysis onvarious types of real estate loans including fixed rate, floatingrate and mezzanine; coordinating and reviewing due diligencepackages and loan files; managing transactions with outsideattorneys and consultants; and packaging loans for inclusion insecuritizations.

SELECTLEADERS
(TEXAS) Senior Accounting Manager The WoodlandsDevelopment Co. is seeking a senior accounting manager to belocated in its Houston area offices. The ideal candidate willpossess a strong accounting and financial reporting background togo along with excellent oral and written communication skills.

Promotions

MOHR PARTNERS
(DALLAS) John Shaunfield inheritstitle of managing partner in the local office. He previously workedas managing director, overseeing account management.

VENTURE ONE
(CHICAGO) The firm taps Daniel J.Polenska as senior associate. He will be responsible for financialanalysis, market research, due diligence activities, investmentbrokerage services and development services.

LaSALLE BANK
(CHICAGO) Trish Kelly is named executive vice president for thecommercial real estate group after 10 months as head of the bank'snational institutional real estate group. She's been with the ABNAMRO organization since 1982.

GHP OFFICE REALTY
(WHITE PLAINS) Michael Cinicolo rises to vice president ofproperty management after one year with the firm. He will beresponsible for managing physical plants of all GHP officebuildings and oversee a staff of 28 property managers, supportpersonnel and building engineers.

GRUBB & ELLIS CO.
(ALBUQUERQUE) Tim MacEachen comes on board as a vice presidentspecializing in land and industrial transactions. The 27-yearprofessional spent the past eight years with the local firm,Maestas & Ward.

New Hires

TISHMAN SPEYER
(NEW YORK) Elaine Philis joins thefirm as senior director in the Equity Capital Markets Group. Philispreviously worked for DRA Advisors as a director ofmarketing/finance.

IDI
(ATLANTA) The firm welcomes David Nix and DebbiKvietkus. Nix will be senior acquisitions manager, and Kvietkus hasjoined as director of human resources. Scott Robinson is namedconstruction manager at the firm's National Fee Development Groupand is in charge of handling projects for the firm's DividendCapital Trust account. In the Philadelphia office, Richard O'Neillis construction manager. Leslyn Ballew has been hired as realestate manager in Dallas and in charge of the Dividend CapitalTrust property management account.

FREMONT
(BREA, CA) Shawn Wardlow is brought aboardas vice president for the commercial real estate division. Hepreviously served as project executive with C.W. Driver.

VENTURE ONE
(CHICAGO) Drew Reynolds has joined thefirm as associate. He will work directly with the principals,assisting with financial analysis, marketing, development, andinvestment brokerage services.

TCN WORLDWIDE
(PLANO, TX) The firm has announcedPhillip Rosenberg as the north central regional vice president. Hecurrently specializes in the Chicago industrial real estatemarketplace.

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Tony LoPinto is the Global Sector Leader of Korn Ferry’s Real Estate Practice and founder of SelectLeaders. For the past 18 years LoPinto has been serving his clients with deep knowledge and perspective on talent needs and organizational challenges to public and private companies – knowledge gained from a 25-year career in real estate. Prior to his current position, he founded and served as chief executive officer of a boutique real estate executive search firm, where he oversaw offices in New York, Chicago, Washington, DC, San Francisco and Los Angeles. He has successfully led several high profile search engagements for chief executive officers, directors and a wide-range of executive level positions across all industries and sectors. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in European history from Loyola University in Chicago.