CBRE Taps Three EVPs, One Vice Chairman

[IMGCAP(1)]NEW YORK CITY-CB Richard Ellis taps Scott Gamber as vice chairman. CBRE also promoted Ronald Danko to EVP of the firm’s hotels group, Paul Leibowitz as EVP in the investment properties institutional group and added Paul Amrich as EVP.

In 2007, Gamber, a commercial real estate veteran with nearly two decades of experience, successfully executed more than 500,000 sf of real estate transactions for Latham & Watkins globally. Last fall, he represented the firm in its 70,000-sf expansion at New York City’s iconic Lipstick Building, 885 Third Ave., in a transaction that will allow the firm to occupy a total of 420,000 sf. He also negotiated a 300,000-sf relocation for Latham & Watkins’ Los Angeles office. Gamber continues to manage the firm’s global expansion, recently working on multiple office lease transactions in Europe and Asia.

In 2007, Danko, a 21-year commercial real estate veteran, was involved in 26 transactions with total proceeds of $367 million. Leibowitz, a 14-year veteran has been with CBRE for 10 years and has provided financial strategy for investors in support of the acquisition and disposition of more than 10 million sf of residential and commercial properties. A CBRE spokesperson tells GlobeSt.com that both Danko and Leibowitz are based in Manhattan.

[IMGCAP(2)]“Ron is not only one of the top sales professionals with CB Richard Ellis, but one of the premier hotel brokers in the global hospitality industry,” notes Mitchell Rudin, president of CBRE’s New York Tri-State Region in a prepared statement. “His ability to execute creative solutions for hospitality clients of any size has made him one of the most valued members of our firm, and I am exceptionally pleased to welcome him to the level of executive vice president.”

The spokesperson tells GlobeSt.com that Danko has been with CBRE proper since 2003. Danko’s 2007 transactions include the sale of a diverse selection of assets, including hotel properties on behalf of Hilton, Radisson, Courtyard, Best Western and others. Among Danko’s largest transactions were a portfolio sale of three Residence Inns in California, Missouri and Georgia for longtime client Ashford Trust, as well as the purchase of three assets for Blackstone Group. Additionally, Danko represented Rockrose Development in the sale of a hotel development site in Lower Manhattan.

Since 2003, Danko has been involved in 116 transactions worth more than $1.1 billion. His major institutional clients include Highgate Holdings, Ashford Hospitality Trust, Innkeepers USA Trust, FFC Hospitality, Hardin Capital, Blackstone Group and Archon/Goldman Sachs & Co.

Matt Van Buren, senior managing director in the Midtown office of CBRE says that Leibowitzhas closed some of the most significant property sales transactions in New York City. During the past five years, Leibowitz has worked on more than $6 billion of transactions. His assignments include the $918 million sale of One Madison Ave., the $623 million sale of Manhattan House and the $251 million sale of the 22-property, 2,100-unit Kings & Queens residential portfolio. He has also worked with the New York City Educational Construction Fund to raise capital from the disposition of surplus development rights on existing school sites, which includes the under construction residential tower at 91st Street and First Avenue.

Other noteworthy career transactions include the $1.9 billion sale of the Kushner Cos.’ residential portfolio, the $705 million sale of 230 Park Ave., the $600 million sale of 450 Lexington Ave., the $225 million sale of 26 Broadway and the $125 million sale of 200 W. 57th St.

Amrich, a 13-year commercial real estate veteran, has built a business that is 80% landlord representation and 20% tenant representation, in which his five-member team oversees 10 properties totaling in excess of seven million sf, located primarily in Midtown and Midtown South. During his career, he has completed more than six million sf of leasing transactions. Amrich joined CBRE in May 2006 after spending 10 years at Cushman & Wakefield.