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Speakers and Panels

Steven Fifita
Water St. Project - FL

Steven Fifita

Chief Digital Officer

Strategic Property Partners

Office Investor Outlook: Catching Tomorrow’s Tailwinds

Tom D'Arcy
River Point

Tom D'Arcy

Senior Managing Director

Hines

Brad Serot
Moderator

Brad Serot

Executive Vice President

CBRE

Vicki Noonan
Moderator

Vicki Noonan

Managing Principal

Cushman & Wakefield

Stephen Sotoloff
401 North Michigan Avenue

Stephen Sotoloff

Senior Principal

Walton Street Capital

Bill Rogalla
The Wrigley Building

Bill Rogalla

CIO

Zeller Realty Group

Gene Leone
Moderator

Gene Leone

Partner

White & Case

Tom D'Arcy

River Point

Hines

Mr. D’Arcy is a senior managing director and has been involved in headquarter development management projects for several companies. He also has been working on Hines equity developments, as well as multifamily projects, and on leading new business initiatives or projects. Mr. D’Arcy has been with the firm since 1998 and has also been responsible for assisting in the acquisition, leasing and development of several Chicago-area projects.

D'Arcy earned a BA in Political Science from Kenyon College.

Vicki Noonan

Moderator

Cushman & Wakefield

Victoria L. Noonan leads Cushman & Wakefield in metro Chicago. As Managing Principal, Noonan

provides strategic leadership to a team of more than 300 professionals who create holistic solutions

for the firm’s investor and occupier clients across the region. Additionally, she shapes the firm’s

Chicago growth strategies and recruiting efforts.

A Chicago native, Noonan joined Cushman & Wakefield from Tishman Speyer, where she enjoyed a

three-decade career and led the firm’s Chicago and Milwaukee leasing teams. As one of Chicago’s

most respected commercial real estate executives, her market knowledge, brand-management skills

and vision are unsurpassed.

Vicki has built her career on a reputation for being tenacious, people-centered and bold. She is a

connector of people and ideas, and she’s a person of principle. She believes in the advantages of a

varied and empowered workforce and encourages those in the industry to seek out employees who

share this ethos. Vicki’s openness, accessible nature and wealth of industry knowledge are guiding

forces for Cushman & Wakefield brokers and employees and have left an enduring mark on Chicago

commercial real estate.

Stephen Sotoloff

401 North Michigan Avenue

Walton Street Capital

Stephen Sotoloff is a Senior Principal of Walton Street Capital, LLC, a private real estate investment company based in Chicago. He joined the firm in 2003 and currently oversees all activities related to the investment process across multiple strategies and asset classes. Mr. Sotoloff is also a member of Walton Street’s Investment Committee. His investment experience spans opportunistic and core-plus equity as well as high-yield debt transactions within the U.S. and abroad, including the acquisition, development and redevelopment of office, lodging, retail, industrial, for-sale residential and mixed-use

assets. Mr. Sotoloff received a Bachelor of Science in Policy Analysis and Management from Cornell University.

Bill Rogalla

The Wrigley Building

Zeller Realty Group

Bill Rogalla joined Zeller Realty Group in 2015. As President of Zeller Investment Corporation, he handles oversight of the acquisition and disposition activities of the firm. He leads a team of investment professionals in the identification of targeted markets for investment and all aspects of the transaction process. During his tenure, the firm has acquired approximately $375 million of office assets, which included expansion into Portland and Atlanta. He is a member of the firm’s Management and Investment Committees.

With a career spanning twenty-five years, Bill brings a wealth of experience having been involved in excess of $8 billion in acquisitions, dispositions and development projects across the United States. Prior to joining Zeller Realty Group, he was a Partner with GlenStar Properties, a real estate investment firm in Chicago. He led the expansion of the firm’s investment platform outside of the Chicago area with the acquisition of portfolio investments in Texas and Ohio. Prior to GlenStar Properties, he was SVP - Head of Acquisitions/Dispositions, Central Region for KBS Realty Advisors. While with KBS, he directed the acquisition of nearly $3 billion and disposition of $900 million of assets in the Central United States. Notable acquisitions included 300 N La Salle (Chicago), Providence Towers (Dallas), Carlson Center (Minneapolis) and the Opus Multi-State Industrial Portfolio.

Prior to opening the Central Region office for KBS, Bill was Director of U. S. Development/Investment for UK based SEGRO plc, where he led the development of $1.5 billion and acquisition of $600 million in projects concentrated in the Central and West Coast regions. He led the firm’s expansion into the biotech/pharmaceutical industry with multiple development projects in San Diego and the Bay Area including the 1.1 million square feet Torrey Pines Science Center, in La Jolla, subsequently sold to Pfizer.

Bill received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from De Paul University. He is active as a member and speaker for real estate organizations including Urban Land Institute (ULI) and National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) as well as several charitable and civic organizations. He is a licensed Real Estate Broker and CPA (inactive).

Gene Leone

Moderator

White & Case

Eugene "Gene" J.M. Leone is a Partner in the Global M&A Practice

Group and a member of the Real Estate Industry Group, based in the

Chicago and New York offices. Gene represents some of the most

recognizable names in real estate and has a track record of leading,

structuring and executing complicated deal transactions for a broad

universe of investors, including private equity, entrepreneurs and public

companies. His practice focuses on all aspects of commercial real

estate, including joint ventures, acquisitions, dispositions, leasing,

financings and workouts.

A highly rated lawyer and sought-after speaker, Gene is a member of

the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and the Real Estate

Roundtable and frequently speaks on a variety of real estate topics at

conferences around the country.

Megadevelopments & the Amazon Effect

Christine Torres
The Willis Tower, The Wrigley Building, 150 North Riverside

Christine Torres

Head of Chicago

WiredScore

Bill Baker
Burj Khalifa – Dubai

Bill Baker

Structural Engineering Partner

SOM

John Murphy
155 North Wacker and 200 West Jackson

John Murphy

Chairman & CEO

Murphy Development Group

Nathalie Palladitcheff
CIBC Square, DUO – Paris

Nathalie Palladitcheff

CEO

Ivanhoé Cambridge

Joseph Shaw
55 West Monroe & One South Wacker

Joseph Shaw

Managing Director

Manulife/John Hancock Financial

James Letchinger
One Chicago Square

James Letchinger

Founder & CEO

JDL

Tim Henry
Moderator

Tim Henry

Principal

Avison Young

Randel Waites
Moderator

Randel Waites

Principal, ​Managing Director/Real Estate Mgmt Services Group

Avison Young

Jason Burian
Moderator

Jason Burian

Partner

CohnReznick

Christine Torres

The Willis Tower, The Wrigley Building, 150 North Riverside

WiredScore

Christine Torres began her career in commercial real estate as a tenant rep broker for Colliers International and MB Real Estate. There, she saw tenants’ connectivity requirements become increasingly sophisticated and leasing teams struggling to effectively communicate how their buildings stacked up in response. As Head of Chicago for WiredScore, Christine leads the adoption of Wired Certification in the Chicago market to solve this issue for tenants and property owners.

Bill Baker

Burj Khalifa – Dubai

SOM

William F. Baker is a structural engineering partner at SOM where he has led the structural engineering practice for over 20 years. Since joining the firm in 1981, he has dedicated himself to extending the profession of structural engineering through design, research, teaching, and professional activities.

Baker is best known for the development of the “buttressed core” structural system for the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest manmade structure. While widely regarded for his work on supertall buildings, Bill’s expertise also extends to long-span roof structures and specialty structures such as the Broadgate Exchange House in London and the Entrance Pavilion for General Motors’ Headquarters in Detroit. Baker has also collaborated with numerous artists, including James Carpenter (Raspberry Island – Schubert Club Band Shell), Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle (Gravity is a Force to be Reckoned With), James Turrell (Roden Crater), and Jaume Plensa (World Voices).

Baker is actively involved with numerous professional organizations and institutions of higher learning. He is an Honorary Professor at the University of Cambridge; he has received honorary doctorates from the University of Missouri, the University of Stuttgart, Heriot-Watt University, and the Illinois Institute of Technology; the Gold Medal from the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Outstanding Projects and Leaders Lifetime Award for Design; the Gustav Magnel Gold Medal from the University of Ghent; the Fazlur Rahman Khan Medal from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat; and the Fritz Leonhardt Preis (Germany).

John Murphy

155 North Wacker and 200 West Jackson

Murphy Development Group

Recognized as one of the leading real estate experts in Chicago for his development, advisory and management skills, Mr. Murphy has been on the real estate scene since 1989. As President of Murphy Asset Management, LLC, he develops corporate opportunities, advances company initiatives and serves as a principal and advisor to institutional clients. He also leads development initiatives and has been involved in various equity syndications for the acquisition and repositioning of assets across the United States.

Primarily as a principal and owner, Mr. Murphy has been involved in, and in most cases, led the development and repositioning of several million feet throughout the Midwest and East Coast. His recent notable accomplishments include Lincoln Park 2550, a prestigious three-tower, 219-unit luxury condominium development in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood; the Hyatt Centric “The Loop” Chicago,” a redevelopment of 100 W. Monroe, a 183,275 square foot historic office high-rise in Chicago into a 257-room, full-service hotel; the 88,000 square foot redevelopment of the Chicago Motor Club building at 68 E. Wacker into a 143-room, select-service Hampton Inn; and a 237,200 square foot redevelopment of the Oriental Theater Building at 32 W. Randolph into a 199 room Cambria suites hotel. He is also actively involved in the development of a 227-acre private marina and beach resort on Lake Erie in Ohio.

Over the years, Mr. Murphy has also brokered high-profile properties such as the development site at 155 North Wacker and 200 West Jackson. Other notable past achievements include successfully leasing several Chicago properties such the Citadel Center, 200 North LaSalle and 230 West Monroe. Mr. Murphy received his bachelor’s degree from John Carroll University in Ohio. He is an active member of the Building Owners & Managers Association, the Urban Land Institute and the Executive Club of Chicago. In addition to participating in various civic organizations, he also serves as Trustee for the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and is co-chair of the buildOn organization (formerly Building with Books).

Nathalie Palladitcheff

CIBC Square, DUO – Paris

Ivanhoé Cambridge

Nathalie Palladitcheff is responsible for developing and ensuring the execution of the company’s global strategy and for supervising the alignment of its investment and corporate activities. She leads the strategic planning process, ensuring that portfolio development is achieved in an optimal and balanced way according to asset allocation and the risk-return ratio. She is also responsible for specialized research activities and she guides the business units concerning the identification of investment opportunities in various sectors, geographies and products.

Ms. Palladitcheff also manages all activities related to Finance in the Company: Corporate Accounting, Operational Accounting, Treasury, Financing, Property Valuation and Taxation. She leads the Human Resources, Legal Affairs and Information Technologies teams, and is responsible for the implementation of the best practices and technological trends to meet business needs and maintain Ivanhoe Cambridge’s leadership in the field.

Nathalie Palladitcheff began her career with Coopers & Lybrand Audit (1991 to 1997), before joining Banque Française commerciale de l’Océan Indien (1997 to 2000) as Director of Financial Affairs and Management Audits. She then served as Deputy Managing Director of Société Foncière Lyonnaise de Paris (2000). In 2006 and 2007, she was Managing Director of Dolmea Real Estate, which is principally engaged in the acquisition, management and rental of residential properties in the Ile-de-France region.

Ms. Palladitcheff joined Icade in 2007 as a member of the Executive Committee in charge of Finance, Legal Affairs and Information Technology. In 2010, she also assumed responsibility for the Property Services division (Facility, Property Management and Council). In February 2015, she was appointed Acting CEO of Icade. She joined Ivanhoé Cambridge, in August 2015, as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Ms. Palladitcheff was a Director of various Companies such as Silic, Qualium Investments, Crédit agricole CIB and Gecina, and presently sits on the Board of Directors of Spie, the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Canada, the Fondation CHU Sainte-Justine as well as Otéra Capital.

Ms. Palladitcheff is a graduate of École Supérieure de Commerce de Dijon (ESC Dijon) and holds a Diplôme d’Études Supérieures Comptables et Financières (DESCF) and a Diplôme d’Études Financières et Comptables (DECF). In 2012, she received France’s insignia of Chevalier of the Ordre national du mérite (Knight of the National Order of Merit).

Joseph Shaw

55 West Monroe & One South Wacker

Manulife/John Hancock Financial

Joseph Shaw is Managing Director, Real Estate Investments at Manulife Financial, a global financial institution operating in 19 countries with $550 billion in assets under management. Mr. Shaw’s current responsibilities focus on the acquisition and disposition of Canadian and American commercial real estate complementing Manulife’s existing $16 billion portfolio. He has transacted over $3 billion and 10 million square feet of real estate since 2009. He was instrumental in the creation and structuring of Manulife’s first real estate fund. Mr. Shaw was previously based in Boston as Managing Director, Bond and Corporate Finance, John Hancock Financial Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Manulife Financial, where he was involved in the origination, structuring and management of public and private corporate debt across a wide range of industries and domiciles. Prior to Boston, Mr. Shaw was based in Washington, DC as Regional Vice President, Real Estate Finance, Manulife Financial, responsible for origination, underwriting, loan structuring and commercial mortgage portfolio management in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Mr. Shaw has 20 years of real estate and finance industry experience primarily focused on debt, property and capital market transactions in both the United States and Canada. Prior to his return to Manulife in 2001, Mr. Shaw was Vice President, Corporate Finance at Deloitte & Touche LLP and was responsible for real estate advisory services to over 30 clients in four countries. Mr. Shaw has previous investment banking experience specializing in real estate at CIBC World Markets and additional real estate and cross- border merger and acquisition experience through consulting engagements at TD Securities, Ontario Power Generation, and Bentall Kennedy. Mr. Shaw holds the Chartered Financial Analyst and the Chartered Realty Investor designations, a Masters of Science in Real Estate from Johns Hopkins University, a Masters in Business Administration (Finance) from the University of Windsor, and an Honours Bachelor of Arts (Urban Development) from the University of Western Ontario. Mr. Shaw is a Fellow of the Life Management Association and is licensed in Ontario as real estate sales and mortgage agent. Mr. Shaw teaches at the Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto and the Urban Development Program at the University of Western Ontario. Mr. Shaw was adjunct professor at The Johns Hopkins University in Real Estate Finance and Investment, the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University in Toronto, and has lectured on real estate at Harvard University and for the Urban Land Institute. Currently, Mr. Shaw is Chairman of the Independent Review Committee of Edgepoint Wealth Management, a Canadian regulated investment management company. He is former Vice Chairman of the Education Committee of the Chartered Realty Investor Society. Mr. Shaw is a graduate of the Future Leaders Class of 2003 for the Mortgage Bankers Association of America and sat on their Portfolio Investor’s Committee. He is former Chairman of the Income Property Committee and a member of the Board of Governors of the Mortgage Bankers Association of Metropolitan Washington. Mr. Shaw participates as a committee member with local real estate associations in Canada and the United States and is Treasurer of the Greater Toronto National Association of Office and Industrial Properties (NAIOP), formerly chair of the Education Committee. Mr. Shaw has been an active volunteer with the Chartered

Financial Analyst Institute since 1997. Mr. Shaw volunteers for Sleeping Children Around The World, a federally registered charity supplying necessities to third world children, where he acts as Portfolio Manager and is a member of the Real Estate Task Force of the Greater Toronto YMCA. He also oversees the annual distribution of the Shaw Family Scholarship for Real Estate Finance at Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School. Mr. Shaw was a member of the 2009 Canadian National Wildwater Kayak Team, coaches minor hockey and performed with the Toronto Ecumenical Choir for the Papal Mass in the Vatican, 2014. Mr. Shaw is married and has two children.

James Letchinger

One Chicago Square

JDL

Jim Letchinger founded JDL Development in 1993 and to date, has developed more than 1,200 residential units with another 1,500 currently preparing to be in construction.

He launched his development career with a conversion of a 1940’s Benjamin Marshall building at 210 E. Walton St. in Chicago where he transformed 21 apartments into five unique residential condominiums. Mr. Letchinger quickly became known as one of Chicago’s most creative and respected residential developers, specializing in urban development where his expertise in entitlement and infill design provides a significant competitive advantage. Mr. Letchinger is intimately involved in all aspects of JDL’s projects, from inception to completion. His hands-on approach has helped JDL survive a number of real estate cycles.

Mr. Letchinger is a graduate of the University of Michigan. A life long resident of the City of Chicago, Mr. Letchinger is married with two grown children.

Tim Henry

Moderator

Avison Young

Tim Henry is a Principal of Avison Young’s national Retail Advisory Services Group. Based out of Chicago, Tim assists Real Estate owners, Branded Manufacturers and retailers with site selection, dispositions, lease, and build-to-suit negotiation throughout the Midwest. His current client list includes Chase Bank, AT&T, The Fresh Market, Jos A. Bank, UPS Stores, USPS and Starbucks among others.

In addition to representing national and regional retailers, Tim provides leasing and marketing expertise for developers and owners of shopping centers and office buildings. He has a significant record of achievement in providing comprehensive real estate and consulting services to users and owners of real estate.

Henry also brings unique experience with Real Estate Technology, Consulting and eCommerce to Avison Young. An expert in Lease Administration, Integrated Workplace Management systems and the 3 leading eCommerce platforms, Henry assists many of his client’s navigate an “Omni Channel” approach to modern retailing.

With a 25+ year career, Tim has held senior positions at a number of prominent real estate firms. He was most recently with Staubach Retail Services as Senior Vice President and Market Leader in Chicago. In this role, Henry served as exclusive Leasing Agent for such diverse assets as Streets of Woodfield and the Ford City Mall while working with many retailers and commercial owners.

Credentials

Tim is an Illinois licensed Real Estate Broker, a member of ICSC and ULI and a Commissioner of the City of Lake Forest Plan Commission.

Henry holds a BA from Denison University, Granville, OH. with a double Major in History and Economics.

Randel Waites

Moderator

Avison Young

Prior to joining Avison Young, Mr. Waites was the Senior Managing Director and Midwest Regional Lead of Investor Services with Cushman & Wakefield. Mr. Waites grew property management and agency leasing from 4.5 million square feet to over 45 million square feet of office, industrial and retail properties for key institutional investors and owners. Prior to Cushman & Wakefield, Mr. Waites served as Chief Operating Officer of John Buck International where he helped establish a property and asset management division based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Mr. Waites built a property management and consulting portfolio of approximately 10 million square feet of office, retail, mixed use and university facilities. Prior to his role with John Buck, he held an Executive Vice President, Asset Management position with Riverway formerly, Prime Group Realty Trust, a self-managed and administered publicly traded REIT, where he managed approximately 8 million square feet of class A and B Chicago and Suburban office buildings, structured in excess of 5 million square feet of leasing and participated in the disposition of approximately 4 million square feet of office assets as well as the sale of the REIT’s controlling ownership to the Lightstone Group. Mr. Waites also acted as asset manager for approximately 38 facilities totaling approximately 4 million square feet of industrial and mixed use properties acquired from Sealy in the South, South East and Puerto Rico on behalf of Prime Group Realty Trust’s parent, The Lightstone Group

Jason Burian

Moderator

CohnReznick

Jason Burian is a partner in CohnReznick’s Chicago office and a member of the Firm’s Assurance Practice. He also leads the Commercial Real Estate Industry Practice in the Firm's Chicago office. Jason has 12 years of experience in public accounting, providing clients with audits, compilations, compliance, due diligence, agreed-upon procedures, and other accounting services. His clients include real estate operating companies, real estate syndicators, real estate investment funds, and real estate developers.

Jason specializes in the audits of commercial real estate entities, developments benefitting from the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), and employee benefit plans. He is responsible for many aspects of client engagements including planning, determining audit scope, identifying audit issues, selecting audit procedures to be applied, supervising staff, coordinating all fieldwork, establishing budgets, reviewing workpapers , facilitating client communications, and preparing financial statements or reports.

In addition to Jason’s client responsibilities, he develops programs and techniques specifically tailored to auditing commercial real estate entities for the Firm. He also takes an active role in developing staff, recruiting, scheduling initiatives, and leading the Chicago office’s efforts for the Firm’s volunteer and charity outreach.

Repositioning Office CRE to Generate A-Class Returns

R. David Trumpy
Schaumburg Corp. Center, Presidents Plaza, Continental Towers & Bannockburn Lakes

R. David Trumpy

Senior Managing Director

GlenStar

Marc Turner
Advenir

Marc Turner

Managing Director of Investment

Origin Investments

Scott Glassberg
Citadel Center, 200 W Jackson & Presidents Plaza

Scott Glassberg

VP

Angelo Gordon

David Schreiber
123 North Wacker

David Schreiber

Managing Director, Acquisitions

LaSalle Investment Management

Ronnie Gul
Moderator

Ronnie Gul

Mesa West Capital

Principal

R. David Trumpy

Schaumburg Corp. Center, Presidents Plaza, Continental Towers & Bannockburn Lakes

GlenStar

Dave, a 30-year industry veteran, oversees suburban Chicago leasing for GlenStar Properties, including Continental Towers, President’s Plaza, 2400 Cabot Drive and Bannockburn Lakes.

Marc Turner

Advenir

Origin Investments

Marc is a senior commercial real estate investment professional with 23 years of experience in

asset management, acquisition, disposition, underwriting and valuation, leasing, and due

diligence. As Managing Director of Investment Management at Origin, Marc is responsible for

overseeing the company’s real estate portfolio and executing Fund and property-level business

plans.

Before Origin Investments, Marc served as Vice President of Asset Management at Lightstone,

a New York investment firm with $2 billion of assets under management. Prior to Lightstone, he

was involved in the HSBC Amanah Global Properties Income Fund ("GPIF"). As Head of Asset

Management for the U.S. portfolio, he held responsibility for the investment performance of a

36- building national office, R&D, and an industrial portfolio containing 7 million square feet.

Earlier in his career, Marc performed in various asset management and acquisition roles at

Equity Office Properties Trust, previously the nation's largest publicly traded office building

owner and REIT. During his decade long tenure at Equity Office, Marc was involved in the

underwriting and valuation analysis on corporate acquisitions with a total value in excess of $15

billion and conceived investment strategy for assets with an aggregate value over $2 billion.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana

University. Marc lives with his wife and two daughters in a north suburb of Chicago. He is a avid

Cubs fan who also enjoys travel and history.

Scott Glassberg

Citadel Center, 200 W Jackson & Presidents Plaza

Angelo Gordon

Scott Glassberg is a Vice President in the real estate group of Angelo, Gordon & Co., a leading

alternative investment money management firm with $28 billion of capital under management. Scott

joined the firm in 2012 and is responsible for acquisitions, asset management and disposition of the

firm’s assets in the Midwest region. Prior to joining Angelo Gordon, Scott worked for

PricewaterhouseCoopers where he worked on real estate valuation, acquisition underwriting and

securitization due diligence. Scott is on the Generation Harvest board for City Harvest. He received

his B.S. in Corporate Finance & Accounting and M.S. in Accounting from Bentley University.

David Schreiber

123 North Wacker

LaSalle Investment Management

David is a Managing Director in LaSalle’s U.S. Acquisitions Group. In this role, he leads office and retail acquisitions for the firm with a primary geographic focus on the Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis and Texas markets and has completed over $4 billion in transactions across a variety of markets, property types and risk profiles.

David leads all phases of the deal origination process, including sourcing, market research, underwriting, structuring, negotiation, due diligence and closing. David joined LaSalle in 2004 and his experience includes direct property acquisitions, development and forward commitments, as well as arranging joint ventures, recapitalizations, entity-level purchases, loan assumptions and other heavily structured transactions.

David holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a BA from Colgate University. He is active in numerous industry organizations including Urban Land Institute, International Council of Shopping Centers and NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Development Association.

Ronnie Gul

Moderator

Principal

Ronnie Gul is a Principal and co-head of west coast originations at Mesa West Capital.  Ronnie has

structured and closed over $4 billion in transactions on over 10 million square feet of commercial real

estate properties.  Ronnie’s real estate experience also includes the acquisition, management and

renovation of a private multifamily portfolio in Los Angeles.  Ronnie received a B.A. in Economics with

honors from UCLA and an MBA from UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Management.

Fireside Chat: Space-As-A-Service

Ryan Simonetti
The Willis Tower

Ryan Simonetti

Co-Founder and CEO

Convene Hospitality Group

Lisa Picard
The Willis Tower

Lisa Picard

President & CEO

EQ Office

Ryan Simonetti

The Willis Tower

Convene Hospitality Group

Ryan Simonetti is the CEO and co-founder of Convene Hospitality Group, a global hospitality company that manages a growing portfolio of lifestyle brands focused on revolutionizing the way people meet, work, and gather. The company designs, develops, and operates premium meeting and event venues, flexible office spaces, membership clubs, and hospitality infused amenity centers across its core brands: Convene and etc.venues by Convene.

After a dynamic career spanning real estate finance, acquisitions, and development, Ryan co-founded Convene in 2009 with the goal of bringing lifestyle hospitality into commercial real estate assets. Under his leadership, Convene has become the largest single provider of non-hotel meeting and event venues in the US and UK with a network of nearly 40 locations across nine cities.

Ryan has been named to Crain’s New York “Most Notable in Real Estate” list, Commercial Observer’s Power PropTech List,Real Estate Forum’s 50 Under 40, Inc. magazine’s 30 Under 30, and was a finalist for Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year® New York. Beyond Convene, he is the co-founder and chairman of Ease Capital and an active supporter of CoreNet Global.

Lisa Picard

The Willis Tower

EQ Office

Lisa Picard is President and Chief Executive Officer of Equity Office. In this role, Ms. Picard drives the strategic direction and investment execution for the company on a portfolio of diverse office assets within core urban markets. Ms. Picard has a passion for building a culture that uncovers relevant work place trends and market desires that drive office demand.

Ms. Picard joined Equity Office in 2016 as its Chief Operating Officer responsible for advancing the Company's organizational vision, technology platform and investment strategies in transforming office investment assets into desired work environments that generate new value. In 2017 she became CEO. Prior to Equity Office, Ms. Picard worked for Skanska Commercial Development US where she served as Executive Vice President establishing the company's strategic development, investment and execution for the Pacific Northwest. She also founded Muse Development in Seattle, worked several years for Hines Interests, and managed several national accounts for pension fund investments in real estate.

Ms. Picard received her Bachelor of Science degree in Urban Planning from Cal Poly and holds two master's degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She lectures on topics at MIT and the University of Washington on design thinking, mindful leadership, real estate innovation and understanding risk in changing markets.

The Amenities Arms Race: Building for Top Tenants

Bob Chodos
Moderator

Bob Chodos

Vice Chairman

Newmark Knight Frank

Adam Hurley
Emerging Risks Of The Modern Office

Adam Hurley

Head of Real Estate & Hotel Segments

Zurich North America

Scott Phillips
110 North Carpenter

Scott Phillips

Senior Director, Global Workplace Solutions

Salesforce

Richard Blum
625 West Adams

Richard Blum

Managing Principal

White Oak Realty Partners

Courtney Valenti
1330 West Fulton Market

Courtney Valenti

Head of Real Estate

Dyson

Amit Parekh
North Branch & 1131 West Blackhawk

Amit Parekh

CEO

Next Gravity Inc

Bob Chodos

Moderator

Newmark Knight Frank

Bob Chodos joined Newmark Knight Frank in January of 2016 as a vice

chairman at the firm’s Chicago office, bringing to his position more than

35 years of real estate brokerage and advisory experience, with over

17.5 million square feet in completed assignments valued at more than

$8.1 billion. Mr. Chodos is a recognized leader in Chicago’s real estate,

business and civic communities. His primary focus is delivering

workplace performance-driven real estate business solutions that

increase employee performance and thus, enterprise profits. Having

spent 15 years of his career with The John Buck Company, one of

Chicago’s premier “core asset” high-rise office developers, he provides

his clients with a unique understanding of the ground-up development

process that ensures his clients maximize negotiating leverage while

minimizing the risks inherent in real estate projects.

Prior to joining NKF, Mr. Chodos was principal for 11 years at Colliers

International, where he was the chairman of its Occupier Advisors

Practice Group. Mr. Chodos applies a tenacious and analytically

focused negotiation style to every project and has a proven reputation

for delivering the most aggressive, tenant focused outcomes for his

clients. Industry sectors he focuses on include Law, Financial Services,

Communications, Food and Beverage to mention a few. Some of his

more notable clients include:

PARTIAL CLIENT LIST:

 Dorsey & Whitney, LLP

 Aon Corporation

 Jenner & Block LLP

 Kirkland & Ellis LLP

 McDermott Will & Emery LLP

 McGuireWoods LLP

 Nuveen Investments Inc.

 Hillshire Brands (Tysons Foods)

 Schiff Hardin LLP

 U.S. Cellular Corporation

 Greenberg Traurig LLP

ACHIEVEMENTS AND AFFILIATIONS:

 Downtown Office Transaction of the Year NAIOP - 2005

 Innovative Deal of the Year, Greater Chicago Food Depository -

2013 Chicago Tenant Rep Broker of the Year, Greater Chicago

Food Depository 1991 and 1997; nine-time nominee

 Board member of:

o Junior Achievement of Chicago,

o Chicago Central Area Committee and

o The American Red Cross of Greater Chicago

 Major awards include:

o The 2016 Legacy Award from Junior Achievement

o The 2018 Heritage Award from the American Red Cross

o The 2006 Westbury Award from the American Red Cross

Mr. Chodos earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from

the University of Vermont in 1978.

Adam Hurley

Emerging Risks Of The Modern Office

Zurich North America

Adam Hurley is head of the Real Estate customer industry segment for Zurich North America. He is responsible for setting the strategy and direction for all products and services Zurich provides to real estate customers in the United States. He first joined Zurich in 2012 as Risk Engineering Manager in its Chicago office for The Zurich Services Corporation, where he led a team of 17 remote risk engineers in the Midwest Region. In this role, he achieved significant business growth for the Risk Engineering department in the region.

Prior to joining Zurich, Hurley managed risk engineering services for mid-market customers at another large commercial insurance company. Before working in insurance, he applied his engineering skills in the manufacturing industry designing tools and improving manufacturing processes, and at an oilfield services company providing logistical support.

Educational background

Hurley holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan Technological University and a Master of Business Administration in finance from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University.

Scott Phillips

110 North Carpenter

Salesforce

Scott Phillips is Senior Director, Global Workplace Solutions on Salesforce's Real Estate and Workplace Services team. Phillips is responsible for guiding global workplace strategy and change enablement aligning to the company's approach to the future of work for over 75,000 employees.

Prior to Salesforce, he spent over eight years as Director of Corporate Real Estate for McDonald's Corporation where he was responsible for an office portfolio of over 2M square feet and successfully led their Global Headquarters relocation project in 2018. He has nearly 30 years of Corporate Real Estate experience with workplace strategy, transactions, project and facilities management.

Phillips graduated with his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana and lives in the Greater Chicago Area.

Richard Blum

625 West Adams

White Oak Realty Partners

Richard is currently the Managing Principal for White Oak Realty Partners and oversees all of the firm's activities with a focus on acquisition, financing, operations and disposition activities. Prior to forming White Oak Realty Partners in 2009, Richard was Executive Vice President, CFO & Principal at Fifield Companies managing all transaction and property level operations in the acquisition, disposition, and financing process including responsibility for all offices, parking, retail and residential properties. After initially joining Fifield in 1994 for the acquisition, financing and repositioning of the Civic Opera Building in Chicago, Richard rejoined Fifield as a principal in 1996 where he spent 14 years placing over $4 billion in debt and equity for all of the firm's projects including the USG Headquarters Building, Dulles View office campus in Northern Virginia, the Quaker Oats Company Headquarters Building, the Windy Point office complex, the Zurich American Insurance Headquarters, the 550 West Washington Building, all residential projects and numerous land acquisitions. Prior to Fifield, Richard was a mortgage banker at Mesirow Financial, a leading Chicago financial services firm, where he specialized in real estate finance and acquisitions of several bank REO and RTC owned office properties. Prior to Mesirow Richard was with Banbury Development/BASSAC Financial where he was responsible for the firm's development financing and placement of third party equity and debt for several local and national based real estate owners. Richard received his real estate education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA in Real Estate Finance at DePaul University in Chicago.

Summary

In less than a decade we have seen change on an unprecedented scale. Phenomena such as the acceptance of working from home reflected by the fact that 1 in 5 Americans reportedly now do so and the emergence of terms like “unicorn” to describe the 279 and counting startups valued at over $1B, are just a couple of hot topics that have bubbled to the surface.

The head waves of these changes have been reflected in the nation's office commercial real estate market with corresponding updates from the rise of coworking giants to the death of the corner office and the introduction of office petting zoos to help calm stressed-out employees. While having our four-legged friends at work is all fine and dandy, the list of resulting questions we are left with is expansive. 

Whether you want to establish if the corner office layout is gone for good, get the inside scoop on the hottest office projects coming online, or establish the upside of a pets at work policy (let us know if you want some practice pitching to your boss), team Bisnow is here to help and to answer the following questions:

1) How does the Midwest's office real estate market stack up nationally and what should we be on the lookout for in the short to medium term?

2) Is it likely that Chicago will secure a mega tech tenant and how will this transform areas such as Goose Island given the local talent and demand driving growth?

3) How will the increased sourcing of capital from retail investors impact the nation's office developers' pipeline and which segments will we see the most activity in?

4) How does the rollback of Dodd-Frank and the corresponding space for smaller debt providers in the market change office deal flow?

5) Are private transit options such as bike sharing spurring growth in unexpected submarkets and can we rely on such innovations if transit updates aren’t made?

As always feel free to share your questions for our all-star panelists, comments and post your photos using #BisnowChicago on Twitter and Instagram, and follow us at @BisnowCHI on Twitter for more local news.

Venue

Loews Chicago Hotel
455 North Park Dr.
Chicago IL 60611

Ballroom: Wright Ballroom, First Floor


Valet: $30

Agenda

Time Activity
12:30 PM
1:45 PM
Registration Opens | Breakfast and Networking
1:45 PM
2:30 PM
Office Investor Outlook: Catching Tomorrow’s Tailwinds

Bill Rogalla, President, Zeller Investment Corporation
Tom D'Arcy, SMD, Hines
Stephen Sotoloff, Senior Principal, Walton Street Capital
Moderator: Gene Leone, Partner, Pircher, Nichols & Meeks

2:30 PM
3:15 PM
Megadevelopments: Building For the Future

William F. Baker, Partner, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
John T. Murphy, Chairman & CEO, Murphy Development Group
Joseph D. Shaw, Managing Director, Manulife
Christine Torres, Head of Chicago, Wiredscore
Moderator: Tim Henry, Principal, Avison Young

3:15 PM
3:35 PM
Snacks + Networking
3:35 PM
4:20 PM
Repositioning Office CRE to Generate A-Class Returns

David Trumpy, Senior Managing Director, GlenStar
Scott Glassberg, VP, Angelo Gordon
Marc Turner, Managing Director of Investment, Origin Investments
David A. Schreiber, Managing Director, Acquisitions, LaSalle Investment Management
Moderator: Ronnie Gul, Principal, Mesa West Capital

4:20 PM
5:15 PM
Power Networking + Lunch
5:15 PM
6:00 PM
Fireside Chat: Space-As-A-Service

Lisa Picard, President & CEO, EQ Office
Ryan Simonetti, CEO, Convene

6:00 PM
6:45 PM
The Amenities Arms Race: Building for Top Tenants

Amit Parekh, CEO, Next Gravity
Adam Hurley, Head of Real Estate & Hotel Segments, Zurich North America
Courtney Valenti, Head of Real Estate, Dyson
Rick Blum, President, White Oak Realty Partners
Scott Phillips, Director of Real Estate, McDonald's
Moderator: Bob Chodos, Vice Chairman, NKF

6:45 PM
7:30 PM
Coffee & Networking