The Capital Stack and The Women Who Rule Real Estate Investment

Susan Tjarksen joined Cushman & Wakefield in October 2018 serving as Managing Director of the firm’s multifamily investment sales team in Chicago. Susan co-founded KIG CRE in 2015 which was acquired by Cushman & Wakefield in 2018. She brings more than 30 years of real estate experience working with both private and public investment institutions throughout the country. Prior to brokerage, Susan was a leader in apartment and mixed-use development, having planned, built, designed, financed and delivered projects totaling more than $3.5 billion in revenue. She has also successfully developed and sold 12,000 residential units, 2,500 hotel rooms and more than 2M square feet of retail and office space. Additionally, Susan is the co-founder and chair of Enodo, an AI-assisted multifamily underwriting and valuation platform. She is an active in the commercial real estate industry and her community. Susan is a member of the Forbes Real Estate Council, Roosevelt University’s MBIRE Advisory Board and the Lincoln Park Builders Club of Chicago.

As President of Fifield Companies, Erin Spears oversees national operations and leads our strategic growth initiatives. During her career, Erin has worked on over $3.5 billion of real estate transactions consisting of multifamily, office, retail and industrial projects across the country. She has directed the acquisition and development of $1.6 billion of investments including 4,600 multifamily units and 400,000 square feet of office buildings in Chicago, the Southeast and Texas. Prior to joining Fifield, Erin spent three years at Heitman as an Executive Vice President of Acquisitions for Heitman’s Value Fund. She was responsible for joint venture value-add acquisitions. Previously, Erin was Vice President of Multifamily Investments at Pearlmark and began her career as a financial analyst in investment banking at J.P. Morgan Securities. Erin graduated with honors from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She is a member of the National Multi Housing Council; the Urban Land Institute and a WLI Advisory Board member. Erin was named a Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40, a Real Estate Forum “Woman of Influence” and Real Estate Forum Fifty Under 40. Erin is the proud mother of three young children, a Peloton addict and an eternally optimistic golfer.

Lori T. Healey is the Chief Executive Officer of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, owner of McCormick Place, the USA's largest convention center and Navy Pier, Illinois top-visited tourist destination and the 1,258 Hyatt Regency McCormick Place. The Authority's activities generate approximately $10 billion annually into the economy and supports 66,000 jobs. In her role as CEO, Healey oversees the development of the McCormick Collection which includes a 10,000 seat event center and a 1,206 Marriott Marquis Headquarters Hotel, scheduled for completion in 2017