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Speakers and Panels

David Gilbert

David Gilbert

CEO & CIO

Clarion Partners

Jeffrey DiModica

Jeffrey DiModica

President

Starwood Property Trust

Greta Guggenheim

Greta Guggenheim

CEO

TPG Real Estate Finance Trust

Jeff Fastov

Jeff Fastov

Senior Managing Director

Square Mile Capital

Warren de Haan

Warren de Haan

Founder, Managing Partner, Head of Asset Originations

ACORE Capital

Michael Nash

Michael Nash

SMD & Global Chairman

Blackstone Real Estate Debt Strategies

Ralph Herzka

Ralph Herzka

Chairman & CEO

Meridian Capital Group

Richard Mack

Richard Mack

CEO & Co-Founder

Mack Real Estate Group

Miki Naftali

Miki Naftali

Chairman & CEO

Naftali Group

David Schonbraun

David Schonbraun

Co-CIO

SL Green

David Blum

David Blum

Managing Director & Portfolio Manager

GTIS Debt Capital Management A GoldenTree/GTIS Joint Venture

Mark Weiss

Mark Weiss

CIO

RFR

Jordan Slone

Jordan Slone

Chairman & CEO

Harbor Group International

Michael Maturo

Michael Maturo

President

RXR

Sonny Kalsi

Sonny Kalsi

Co-CEO and Founder

BentallGreenOak

Brahm Cramer

Brahm Cramer

Co-Head and Co-Chief Investment Officer

AllianceBernstein

Alfred Trivilino

Alfred Trivilino

Managing Director

Related Fund Management

Chris Lee

Chris Lee

Partner, Head of Real Estate Americas

KKR

Anthony Orso

Anthony Orso

President, Capital Markets Strategies

NKF Capital Markets

Melissa Farrell

Melissa Farrell

MD, Head of US Debt Originations

PGIM

Jonathan Chassin

Jonathan Chassin

Managing Director

Moinian Capital Partners

Dan Hartman

Dan Hartman

Managing Director

Terra Capital Partners

Matthew Pestronk

Matthew Pestronk

Co-Founder

Post Brothers

Robyn Sorid

Robyn Sorid

Co-Founder

G4 Capital Partners

Ned Stiker

Ned Stiker

Senior Managing Director

Cortland Partners

Zach Murphy

Zach Murphy

Co-Founder

Pender Capital

Justin Short

Justin Short

Managing Director

Hunt Real Estate Capital

Bruce Cohen

Bruce Cohen

Senior Managing Partner

Cortland

Ronnie Levine

Ronnie Levine

Senior Managing Director

Meridian Capital Group

Jessica Bailey

Jessica Bailey

President & CEO

Nuveen Green Capital

James Nelson

James Nelson

Principal, Head of U.S. Investment Sales

Avison Young

Fred Harmeyer

Fred Harmeyer

Managing Principal

Rubenstein Partners

Matt Burrows

Matt Burrows

Vice President

Kushner Companies

David Hochfelder

David Hochfelder

CIO

Naftali Group

Simon Ziff
Moderator

Simon Ziff

President

Ackman-Ziff

James Cosolito
Moderator

James Cosolito

Senior Vice President

AmTrust Title

Rab Nalavala
Moderator

Rab Nalavala

Member, Real Estate Group

Cole Schotz, P.C.

Robert Gilman
Moderator

Robert Gilman

Principal

Baker Tilly x Anchin

Wayne Cook, Jr.
Moderator

Wayne Cook, Jr.

Partner

Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf

Meyer Mintz
Moderator

Meyer Mintz

Tax Partner

Berdon

Bruce Meyerson
Moderator

Bruce Meyerson

Director

Goulston & Storrs

David Gilbert

CEO & CIO

Clarion Partners

David Gilbert is the President and Chief Investment Officer of Clarion Partners. He is a member of the firm’s Executive Board and Operating Committee, as well as Chairman of the Investment Committee. David is also responsible for oversight of Clarion Partners’ Investment Research Group. He joined Clarion in 2007 and began working in the real estate industry in 1983. David is on the Board of Directors of the Pension Real Estate Association and on the Board of Trustees for the Urban Land Institute.

Prior Experience

J.P. Morgan, New York, NY - Managing Director (1998-2007)

JP Morgan Investment Management (2006-2007)

JP Morgan Partners (private equity subsidiary) – Global Real Estate Group Head, Managing Director (1998-2005)

CalPERS, Sacramento, CA - Senior Investment Officer (1996-1998)

J.P. Morgan Real Estate Investment Banking, New York, NY - Vice President (1994-1996)

Prudential Real Estate Investors, New York, NY - Portfolio Manager (1989-1993)

First Boston Corporation, Real Estate Investment Banking, - New York, NY – Vice President (1987-1988)

Salomon Brothers, Inc. New York, NY – Vice President (1983-1985)

Education:

The Wharton School, The University of Pennsylvania, M.B.A. (1987)

University of Massachusetts, B.B.A. (1979).

Jeffrey DiModica

President

Starwood Property Trust

Jeffrey F. DiModica, CFA, has been the Company’s President since September 2014. He has also served as a Managing Director of an affiliate of the Manager since July 2014. Mr. DiModica served as a director of the Company from its inception in 2009 to July 2014.

From 2007 to 2014, Mr. DiModica was a Managing Director and the Head of MBS/ABS/CMBS Sales and Strategy for the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). In that role, he was responsible for the distribution of mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”), asset- backed securities (“ABS”) and commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”) to institutional clients, including banks, hedge funds, insurance companies and money managers. Previously, from 2001 to 2007, Mr. DiModica headed the Boston sales office for RBS. Prior to joining RBS, from 1993 to 2001, Mr. DiModica sold derivative and MBS products to institutional clients for Merrill Lynch in Boston. Mr. DiModica began his career in the Merchant and Investment Banking Group of the Commercial Real Estate Department at Chemical Bank from 1989 to 1991.

Mr. DiModica received a B.S./B.A. degree with a concentration in Finance from Boston University, an M.B.A. degree from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College and received his Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 1995. Mr. DiModica is an active member of YPO (Young Presidents Organization), and serves on the board of Virtual Enterprises International (VEI), a non-profit focused on teaching career and entrepreneurial skills to inner city high school students.

Greta Guggenheim

CEO

TPG Real Estate Finance Trust

Greta Guggenheim is Chief Executive Officer and President of TPG Real Estate Finance Trust (“TRT”) and a Firm Partner of TPG. TRT is a NYSE listed commercial mortgage REIT (ticker TRTX) that originates commercial real estate mortgage loans in major markets throughout the U.S. Previously, Ms. Guggenheim was Co‐Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Ladder Capital. Ms. Guggenheim’s prior experience includes positions at Dillon Read Capital Management, UBS, Bear Stearns and Credit Suisse. Ms. Guggenheim serves on the ULI Board of Trustees, Board of Governors of CREFC as well as several charitable foundations. Ms. Guggenheim has a MBA from the Wharton School and a BA from Swarthmore College.

Jeff Fastov

Senior Managing Director

Square Mile Capital

Jeff is responsible for establishing, overseeing and implementing Square Mile’s strategic direction with respect to all credit initiatives. Prior to joining Square Mile in 2013, Jeff served as co-head of Credit Suisse’s Real Estate Finance and Securitization group. Prior to Credit Suisse, Jeff founded Oasis Real Estate Partners, a capital markets advisor to foreign and domestic financial institutions, private equity funds and other significant real estate credit market participants. From 1992 to 2009, Jeff was with Goldman Sachs, where he ultimately served as co-head of its commercial real estate lending business. Jeff started his career at Moody’s Investors Service where he established and led the Commercial Real Estate Ratings group from 1983 to 1992. Jeff received his B.A. from the University of Rochester and his M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.

Warren de Haan

Founder, Managing Partner, Head of Asset Originations

ACORE Capital

Warren de Haan is a founder and one of the four Managing Partners of ACORE, with

$11+ billion in assets under management in commercial real estate debt strategies. He

is the Head of Asset Originations and is a member of ACORE’s investment committee.

Mr. de Haan has 21 years of experience in the commercial real estate finance industry

and capital markets. Prior to ACORE, he was the Chief Originations Officer of Starwood

Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE: STWD), a public mortgage REIT, from October 2010 to

September 2014.

Prior to Starwood he, along with Mr. Fellows, Mr. Tokarski and Mr. Ward, founded

Countrywide Financial Corporation’s commercial real estate finance business that was

launched in 2004 and grew into one of the largest lending platforms in the United States

focused on middle markets, closing over 1250 commercial real estate loans totaling

over $11.5 billion. He was co-head of loan originations, overseeing the expansion of the

division’s footprint to 15 offices across the United States. In 2001 Mr. de Haan was a

founding partner of Coastal Capital Partners, LLC, a firm focused on acquiring

distressed debt and advising clients on restructurings. Prior to Coastal Capital, he was a

member of a large loan group in Nomura’s commercial real estate finance division in

NYC.

Mr. de Haan received a B.S. degree from the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. He

also graduated from Hotel Institute Montreux, Switzerland, where he obtained his Swiss

Hotel Diploma and American Hotel and Motel Association Diplomas.

Ralph Herzka

Chairman & CEO

Meridian Capital Group

Ralph Herzka is the chairman and CEO of Meridian Capital Group. Since co-founding the commercial real estate advisory firm in 1991, Mr. Herzka has remained the guiding force behind the company’s evolution from a small Brooklyn-based commercial mortgage brokerage to a national leader in real estate capital markets, having personally arranged over $100 billion in financing. Additionally, Mr. Herzka has led Meridian’s recent expansion into New York City investment sales and retail leasing in 2015 and 2018, respectively.

Mr. Herzka demonstrates an exceptional ability to foster multi-generational relationships with real estate owners and investors and forms critical alliances with lenders to achieve success across the asset spectrum. He is a member of the Real Estate Board of New York, the Mortgage Bankers Association, the Commercial Real Estate Finance Council, and the International Council of Shopping Centers.

In addition to his professional leadership, Mr. Herzka is a dedicated philanthropist, raising millions of dollars for various organizations over his career. Most notably, he is a passionate participant of Bike4Chai, an annual 180-mile cycling fundraiser for children fighting pediatric illnesses and disabilities.

Mr. Herzka is a lifelong resident of Brooklyn, NY. He and his wife are proud parents and grandparents.

Richard Mack

CEO & Co-Founder

Mack Real Estate Group

Mr. Mack co-founded MREG in 2013 and MRECS, its affiliated credit business, in 2014. He serves as Chief Executive Officer and is a member of the Investment Committee of each of MREG and MRECS. Mr. Mack also serves as Chief Executive Officer & Chairman of Claros Mortgage Trust, Inc. (CMTG). Mr. Mack was one of the initial employees of AREA Property Partners (founded in 1993 as Apollo Real Estate Advisors) and, prior to founding MREG, was Chief Executive Officer of AREA’s North American business and a member of its Global Investment Committees. For over 20 years, Mr. Mack was involved in the investment of billions of dollars of equity capital in debt and equity real estate transactions on behalf of AREA’s primarily institutional investors and was specifically responsible for creating new business lines to capitalize on evolving market trends, including an in-house development business, a subordinate debt business, and a special servicing and CMBS investment and trading business. Earlier in his career, Mr. Mack worked at Shearson Lehman Hutton in the Real Estate Investment Banking Department.

Mr. Mack currently serves on The Wharton School of Business Board of Advisors and previously served on the school’s Undergraduate Advisory Board. Mr. Mack created a course on Real Estate Disruption, which he co-teaches with Professor Gilles Duranton, at The Wharton School of Business. Mr. Mack serves on the Board of Trustees of Northwell Health, as well as on the Board of Directors of the Child Mind Institute. He is President Emeritus of the HES Community Center in Canarsie, Brooklyn, and a member of the Robin Hood Foundation’s Housing & Homelessness Committee. Mr. Mack also serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Met Council, which serves impoverished New Yorkers. Mr. Mack holds a B.S. in Economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from Columbia Law School.

Miki Naftali

Chairman & CEO

Naftali Group

Miki Naftali is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Naftali Group, established in 2011. With over 25 years of experience in the international real estate industry, Mr. Naftali has a track record of acquiring, developing and managing properties with a total of $9 billion in assets, across North America, Asia, Europe and Israel. Mr. Naftali has developed a vast portfolio of 18 luxury condominium buildings in New York City with a total of 1,333 residential units- among other projects including luxury rental buildings and mixed-use properties.

Mr. Naftali is noted for spotting unique opportunities and launching projects that raise the bar for creative development in the domestic and international real estate industries. From an array of ground-up new development to meticulously preserving and restoring landmark buildings, Mr. Naftali’s success in development creates unparalleled demand and value. His most notable project in New York has been the $450 million restoration and reconfiguration of the iconic Plaza Hotel, preserving its beauty and history while transforming it into a successful mixed- use development, containing a five-star hotel, private residences, and celebrated shops with a world-renowned gourmet food hall.

Prior to establishing Naftali Group, Mr. Naftali was the President and CEO of Elad Group and its subsidiaries, overseeing all operations in New York, Florida, Canada and Singapore. He was instrumental in launching Elad Canada’s IPO, and served as the chairman after it became public. He established and was the President and CEO of Elad Properties, the development arm of Elad Group, which acquired The Plaza Hotel among other notable properties.

Miki Naftali was recognized for his development, marketing and financial activities- ranked No. 18 on the list of the Top 100 Most Powerful People in New York Real Estate by the New York Observer. Mr. Naftali is the former Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors of DGRE, a European real estate investment firm with an impressive portfolio of holdings. Mr. Naftali is an active keynote speaker and accomplished guest lecturer. He has addressed a Private Society at Yale University, the YJP Real Estate Investment Summit, Friends of the IDF and audiences of University of Sothern California and Columbia Business School.

David Schonbraun

Co-CIO

SL Green

David Schonbraun is Co-Chief Investment Officer of the company with a primary focus on structured finance, residential, and alternative investments, and has been with SL Green since 2002. He is also directly responsible for Green Loan Services, the company’s special servicing arm that serves both SL Green and third-party lenders. Mr. Schonbraun has either led or has been a senior team member in the execution of over $25 billion in equity and debt investments. Prior to joining SL Green in 2002, Mr. Schonbraun was a real estate investment banker at Credit Suisse First Boston, where he worked on a variety of mergers and acquisitions transactions, as well as debt and equity financings. Mr. Schonbraun received a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Economics and Politics from Princeton University. He is also an active member of the UJA Real Estate Executives (REX) Steering Committee and the Urban Development Mixed Use Council of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), as well as serving on the Finance and Grantmaking Committees of the Kessler Foundation.

Jordan Slone

Chairman & CEO

Harbor Group International

Jordan E. Slone is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of HGI, a diversified real estate investment and financial services company with offices in the United States and Israel. Mr. Slone serves as a member of HGI's Investment Committee. HGI’s real estate portfolio totals in excess of $7.3 billion.

Prior to forming HGI in 1985, he was co-founder and Vice President of International Spring Corporation, a Portsmouth, Virginia, manufacturer of inner box springs for the mattress industry. In 1986, the Slone family sold International Spring to Leggett and Platt, Inc., a Fortune 500 company. In addition, he is a member of the National Multi-Housing Council Board.

Michael Maturo

President

RXR

Michael Maturo is a founding Managing Partner and serves as President of RXR Realty LLC (“RXR”), a multi-billion dollar private real estate company which was formed subsequent to the sale of Reckson Associates Realty Corp (“Reckson”)(NYSE:RA) to SL Green, one of the largest public Real Estate management buyouts in REIT history. In this capacity, he develops, implements and oversees RXR’s corporate strategy and investment fund and asset management businesses as well as all capital markets activities. Mr. Maturo is a member of RXR’s Investment Committee and its Board of Directors. He is also a Principal and member of the Investment Committee of RXR Real Estate Opportunity Fund, LLC, RXR Real Estate Value Add Fund LLC and RXR Emerging Markets Fund LLC.

Prior to the Reckson/SL Green merger, Mr. Maturo served as President and a member of the Board of Directors at Reckson. Mr. Maturo was also Chairman of the Investment Committee and had oversight responsibility over the company’s allocation of capital. Mr. Maturo worked closely with the Company’s CEO in developing and implementing Reckson’s corporate and operating strategies. Mr. Maturo was at Reckson from 1995 until January 2007 and during his tenure completed over $20 billion in capital markets transactions.

In addition, Mr. Maturo serves on a number of outside Boards and Committees including Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Long Island Association (LIA), as well as a Member of its Executive Committee and Chairman of its Economic Development Committee, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Catholic Foundation of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, the Investment Committee of the Diocese of Rockville Centre Pension Plan and Member of the Real Estate Roundtable. Mr. Maturo was appointed by Governor Cuomo in December 2012 to the Board of Trustees of the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) where he served as Chairman of the Personnel and Compensation Committee and member of the Finance and Audit Committee and the Operations Transition Committee. Mr. Maturo completed his tenure on the LIPA board in January 2014.

Alfred Trivilino

Managing Director

Related Fund Management

Mr. Trivilino is a Managing Director at Related Fund Management overseeing the high-yield credit strategy and new investment originations. Mr. Trivilino most recently was a Senior Vice President at Gramercy Property Trust (NYSE: GPT) responsible for net lease equity investment originations. Previously, he was a Senior Vice President with Gramercy Capital Corp. (GPT’s predecessor company), responsible for new loan originations and special situation loan asset management. Mr. Trivilino was previously a Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of the real estate private equity fund at American Capital Energy Corporation, an affiliate of Zhong Rong Group, the largest private commercial real estate development company in Shanghai. Previously he was a Managing Director at the Related Investment Fund. Mr. Trivilino was a Principal and Senior Vice President at BayNorth Capital LLC, formerly Charlesbank Capital Partners LLC (with Harvard’s endowment as its primary investor). Prior to that time, Mr. Trivilino was a Partner at Apollo Real Estate Advisors, L.P. Preceding his tenure at Apollo, Mr. Trivilino specialized in mergers and acquisitions at Victor Capital Group (now Capital Trust). Before Victor Capital, Mr. Trivilino was Manager of Treasury Services at Pearson Inc. and prior to that, a Banking Analyst at Lazard Frères & Co. Mr. Trivilino received a BS in Finance from St. Johns University and completed graduate level coursework at Fordham University.

Chris Lee

Partner, Head of Real Estate Americas

KKR

Chris Lee joined KKR in 2012. He is responsible for KKR's Real Estate business in the Americas, overseeing both equity and credit investing platforms in the region. Mr. Lee serves as Portfolio Manager for KKR Property Partners Americas. He is currently Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Inc. (NYSE: KREF) where he previously served as Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President since October 2015 and March 2016, respectively, through March 2020. Mr. Lee sits on KKR's Real Estate Equity and Credit Investment Committees in the Americas, KKR's Real Estate Equity and Credit Portfolio Management Committees in the Americas, KKR's ESG Committee, KKR's Global Inclusion and Diversity Council, co-chairs KKR's Americas Inclusion and Diversity Council and chairs KKR's Real Estate Valuation Committee. Prior to joining KKR, he spent three years at Apollo Global Management on their global real estate team where he focused on real estate acquisitions. Mr. Lee also worked at Goldman Sachs in the merchant banking division's real estate principal investment area (REPIA) for over five years after spending two years in the investment banking division. He earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and his Bachelor's degree in Economics from Emory University. Mr. Lee is a former trustee of St. Mark's School of Texas in Dallas, Texas. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) in New York, New York, as a member of the Board of Directors of the PREA Foundation in Hartford, Connecticut, as a trustee of Collegiate School in New York, New York and as a member of the Dean's Advisory Council for Emory College of Arts and Sciences in Atlanta, Georgia. Mr. Lee is a member of the CRE Finance Council, Pension Real Estate Association, Real Estate Capital Policy Advisory Committee for the Real Estate Roundtable, Real Estate Executive Council, Manhattan Chapter of YPO and Urban Land Institute where he sits on one of its Urban Development and Mixed-Use Councils.

Anthony Orso

President, Capital Markets Strategies

NKF Capital Markets

Anthony Orso joined NKF Capital Markets as president of Capital Markets Strategies in 2018. Based in the firm's New York headquarters, Mr. Orso also serves as NKF Capital Markets' liaison with Cantor Fitzgerald's commercial-backed mortgage securities (CMBS) business and advises the firm on its third-party debt business.

Mr. Orso is the co-founder and former CEO of CCRE (Cantor Commercial Real Estate), Cantor Fitzgerald's fully integrated commercial and multifamily real estate finance company. During his tenure as CEO, CCRE closed approximately $50 billions of dollars' worth of loans and opened locations across the U.S. In 2014, CCRE was ranked as the No. 1 Fastest Growing Company by Crain's New York Business. That same year, Mr. Orso was named No. 1 in Commercial Observer's 50 Most Important People in Commercial Real Estate Finance.

Prior to CCRE, Mr. Orso was a managing director at Credit Suisse and co-head of the Credit Suisse Real Estate Direct Group, where he was responsible for over $200 billion in North American real estate loans. Mr. Orso also oversaw the expansion of the business in the United States, Mexico, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Middle East.

Mr. Orso earned a Master of Business Administration degree in finance from Columbia Business School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. John's University. Active in his community, he serves on the board of directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York.

Jonathan Chassin

Managing Director

Moinian Capital Partners

Jonathan Chassin is a Managing Director with Moinian Capital Partners. He is responsible for the Moinian Capital Partners lending platform. Moinian Capital Partners is an active lender on all commercial real estate property types in gateway cities throughout the United States. In his 18 year career in the Commercial Real Estate Finance industry, Mr. Chassin has had senior management roles at multiple Investment Banks in Origination, Capital Markets and Securitization, Rating Agency and Asset Management. Prior to joining the Moinian group in 2017, Mr. Chassin was an originator on the Large Loan team at Morgan Stanley. Prior to that, Mr. Chassin was the Head of Capital Markets for the Commercial Real Estate Finance team at UBS Investment Bank. He was a Vice President of Capital Markets at Natixis and he started his career as an analyst with Standard & Poor’s in the CMBS New Issue Ratings Group.

Dan Hartman

Managing Director

Terra Capital Partners

Dan Hartman has over 25 years of commercial real estate experience investing throughout the capital stack. At Terra Capital Partners, Mr. Hartman is a Managing Director responsible for transaction origination focusing on mezzanine and preferred equity on virtually all property types. His most recent previous position was at Ares Management, a successor to Wrightwood Capital, a position he held for nine years investing debt, mezzanine and equity. He has also held positions at GE Capital Corp, Mercedes Benz Capital, ORIX and JP Morgan Chase.

Mr. Hartman is a graduate of Cornell University, Fordham Graduate School of Business and New York University Real Estate Institute.

Matthew Pestronk

Co-Founder

Post Brothers

Matthew Pestronk is co-founder of Post Brothers, a real estate investment, development and management company with singular and unique expertise in urban real estate development. Matthew serves as President of the company, engaged in the sponsorship of Class-A multifamily, mixed-use and retail development projects comprised of over 7,000 units that are operating, under development or disposed plus, over 400,000 sf of commercial space, with a total capitalized cost in excess of $2.5 billion. Matthew shares strategic leadership of the company with his brother, Michael, and is engaged in asset management, financing, and project and capital formation. Matthew has worked in real estate capital transactions for his entire 20+-year career and was previously a real estate financing executive in New York City prior to forming Post Brothers. Matthew is also very active in his community and has board service experience for multiple charitable organizations including the Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation, Beat the Streets Philadelphia, West Nottingham Academy, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and is the Immediate past Chair of Jewish Federation Real Estate.

Ned Stiker

Senior Managing Director

Cortland Partners

As Senior Managing Director, Head of Investor Relations and Capital Markets, Ned Stiker spearheads the firm’s capital generation, fund, and investor relation strategies. To this role, Ned brings a successful track record of developing and managing successful institutional investor relationships, as well as extensive expertise in financial analysis and modeling. Ned joined Cortland from Morgan Stanley's Institutional Securities Group, where he served in several leadership roles in interest rate products over the course of his 16 years with the company. Most recently, he was Managing Director, Global Interest Rates Products and Head of Global Macro Derivatives Product Marketing, Americas, where he was responsible for expanding Morgan Stanley's structured rates client business, both domestically and globally. Previously, he served in other roles including head of US interest rate sales and head of US agency/GSE coverage, in which capacity he was responsible for Morgan Stanley's interest rate relationships with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the FHLB system. Prior to Morgan Stanley, Ned worked with UBS Securities as Director of Interest Rate Derivatives Marketing and with Bankers Trust Co. as an associate in their investor coverage group. Ned holds his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Williams College, Williamstown, MA.

Zach Murphy

Co-Founder

Pender Capital

Zach is the co-founder and Chief Investment Officer of Pender Capital. Zach co-founded Pender in 2015 and brings over 16 years of experience in both commercial real estate finance and capital markets expertise. Zach oversees the firm’s Investment and Research program which includes deal sourcing, research, and structuring and is a member of the Investment and Research Committee and the Management Committee. Prior to Pender, Zach served as Managing Director/ Senior Vice President for Liberty SBF, a commercial finance company based in Philadelphia, where he was responsible for establishing Liberty’s Western Regional HQ in Los Angeles and directed West Coast originations and operations. Zach personally originated over $60 million of commercial loans during the first year of operations on the West Coast. In 2008, Zach joined Silver Point Capital, LP in New York, a Goldman Sachs partner fund, where he was responsible for commercial real estate loan originations and insurance-linked securities trading. During his tenure at Silver Point, Zach traded more than $500 million in distressed commercial real estate debt, insurance-linked securities, and assets in the capital markets. From 2004 to 2008, Zach served as Senior Vice President/Division Director of Velocity Commercial Capital where he was the company’s highest grossing originator in e

Justin Short

Managing Director

Hunt Real Estate Capital

Justin Short has more than 15 years of experience in the real estate finance, trading

and capital markets sector. Prior to joining Hunt Mortgage Group in 2017, Justin was head

of trading for specialty real estate finance firm and investment manager Allegiant Real

Estate Capital, which spun off from FirstKey Lending, a Cerberus portfolio company. Before

FirstKey, Mr. Short was head of trading and capital markets at Blackstone’s single family

rental platform, B2R Finance, and head trader for Cantor Commercial Real Estate (CCRE),

Cantor Fitzgerald’s commercial real estate lending business. While at CCRE, he helped build

the firm from its genesis, after the financial crisis, to the largest volume US CMBS originator

at the time.

Mr. Short started his career in real estate finance at Bear Stearns and subsequently, after

the merger, JPMorgan, where during his eight-year tenure he focused on CMBS trading

and capital markets. There he was involved in: conduit, large loan, fixed and floating rate,

and large public to private commercial mortgage origination, structuring, whole loan and

subordinate debt trading and securitization.

Before entering the finance profession, Mr. Short worked as an engineer at Texas Instruments

and Raytheon. He graduated from Texas A&M with a BS in Nuclear Engineering, and from

Southern Methodist University with an MBA. Previously he taught Real Estate Capital Markets

at CUNY Baruch’s Zicklin School of Business in New York City.

Bruce Cohen

Senior Managing Partner

Cortland

Bruce leads a variety of growth initiatives for Cortland, from capital under management to both geographic and product expansion. He brings 30 years of experience in real estate investment to Cortland, with a proven expertise in how real estate operating companies differentiate themselves and create value.

Ronnie Levine

Senior Managing Director

Meridian Capital Group

Mr. Levine joined Meridian in 2004 and currently serves as a Senior Managing Director, overseeing a staff of originators and underwriters in the negotiation and placement of financing for construction, repositioning and transitional asset transactions.

Prior to joining Meridian, Mr. Levine was a Senior Vice President at Westminster Capital, a division of Kushner Companies. His job responsibilities at Westminster included coordinating all aspects of financing for Kushner Companies, including debt and equity financing. Mr. Levine also previously worked as a financial analyst in the real estate investment banking group of CIBC World Markets.

Mr. Levine holds an M.S. in Real Estate Finance from New York University and a B.A. in Finance from Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business.

Jessica Bailey

President & CEO

Nuveen Green Capital

Prior to co-founding Greenworks Lending in 2015, Jessica led the design, management, and implementation of the nation’s first successful C-PACE program at the CT Green Bank. In its first two years, the program financed $75 million in clean energy projects and executed the first securitization of commercial efficiency assets – more than doubling the volume of C-PACE transactions between 2013 and 2014. From 2004-2012, Bailey worked at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF), an $800 million foundation based in New York. As the Fund’s program officer for sustainable development, she co-managed a $7 million portfolio of grants focused on mitigating climate change and promoting clean energy.

Jessica has received numerous awards and positive recognition for her work. Most recently, she was selected for Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneurial Winning Women of 2019 program. In 2014, Bailey was named a “Champion of Change” by the White House for solar deployment. For her work designing the successful Connecticut C-PACE program, The Hartford Business Journal dubbed her a “Green Warrior;” and after co-founding Greenworks Lending and scaling C-PACE nationally, Jessica was named to Connecticut Magazine’s 2018 list of “40 under 40.”

Jessica received her graduate degree from Yale University and undergraduate from the University of Notre Dame. She is a member of YPO and sits on the board of PACENation, the League of Conservation Voters, CT and CTNext.

James Nelson

Principal, Head of U.S. Investment Sales

Avison Young

James Nelson is Principal and Head of U.S. Investment Sales where he leads Avison Young’s significant investment sale efforts and growth strategies in the top U.S. markets. Avison Young is a full service global real estate firm with over 5,000 real estate professionals located in 120 offices in 20 countries including more than 50 offices across the United States. With a differentiated approach, the cohesive U.S. Investment Sales Group leverages best in class execution to deliver superior results for clients.

Since joining Avison Young in 2018, James has been involved in over 225 sales valued at well above $3 billion dollars, resulting in his being named a top global top producer, a Commercial Observer’s Power 100, and a CoStar Power Broker. James has also been a recipient of REBNY’s prestigious Edward S. Gordan Deal of the Year award. Some noteworthy clients include The Archdiocese of New York, Breaking Ground, The Carlyle Group, JP Morgan Chase, Salvation Army and Vornado among others.

James builds unique sales platforms at Avison Young consisting of a unified, client-first sales group that is broken out by asset class and providing the best client experience. This approach aligns with Avison Young’s principally owned structure which allows principals to be personally invested in the long-term success of their clients.

Throughout his over 25-year career, James has been involved in the sale of approximately 500 property and loan sales for an aggregate value of over $5 billion dollars. Prior to joining Avison Young, James served as Vice Chairman of Cushman & Wakefield, where his team was ranked the number one Investment Sales broker nationwide in 2016. Previously, James was a partner and top producer for Massey Knakal for six of their last eight years and was named the company’s youngest partner in 2004.

James is passionate about real estate and helping others achieve success. With his Wall Street Journal bestselling book The Insider’s Edge To Real Estate Investing, podcast, videos, and weekly Forbes articles, he advises on how to navigate and stay on top of this ever-changing market. He enjoys guest lecturing at Columbia, Fordham, NYU, Wharton, and of course his alma mater Colgate. He often provides this real estate expertise to notable mainstream publications such as The Wall Street Journal, NY Times, and the NY Post.

James serves on the boards of REBNY, SparkYouth NYC, and USA Water Polo and is a former Chairman of YM/WREA. He is also a co-founder of the Real Estate Services Alliance (RESA) and the Colgate Real Estate Council. His greatest joy is spending time with his wife Allison and three sons Luke, Austin, and TJ either at home in Connecticut, up on the Cape, or travelling to their water polo tournaments on the West Coast. You can follow James on Instagram at @jamesnelsonnyc or visit jamesnelson.com for more information.

Fred Harmeyer

Managing Principal

Rubenstein Partners

Fred Harmeyer, Principal & Portfolio Manager, Rubenstein Partners. Fred is responsible for all aspects of the Rubenstein Mortgage Capital investment platform. Previously, he was the Regional Head of Capital Markets for Cushman & Wakefield, where he oversaw the firm’s Investment Sales and Equity/Debt Finance groups nationally. Prior to C&W, he served as Partner and Head of Debt Investments at High Rise Capital Management, a leading real estate securities investment manager. He joined there from Merrill Lynch, where he formed and was head of the commercial real estate large loan group. Earlier, Fred was with Morgan Stanley in the Securitized Products Group, and was also a top-ranked Equity REIT Research Analyst at the firm. Fred began his career practicing law with Cravath, Swaine & Moore. He received a B.A from Yale University and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

David Hochfelder

CIO

Naftali Group

As Chief Investment Officer atThe Naftali Group, David oversees the company’s

acquisitions group and is responsible for the sourcing, structuring and execution of the firm’s

investments.

Previously, David was Director of Acquisitions at RFR Holding, where he was instrumental in executing

more than $2.5 billion of property acquisitions and credit investments encompassing over 3.5 million

square feet of assets across the office, residential, retail and hotel sectors. Prior to RFR David worked at

The City Investment Fund, a real estate private equity fund, where he was responsible for underwriting

and executing the fund’s acquisitions. David began his career at The Lightstone Group as a financial

analyst supporting the firm’s nationwide property and credit investments.

David graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Philosophy, and

completed an MBA at Columbia Business School and an M.S. in Real Estate from New York University.

Simon Ziff

Moderator

Ackman-Ziff

Simon Ziff serves as president of Ackman-Ziff, a position he assumed in 1995. Since joining the firm as an

Analyst in 1989, Simon has overseen the arrangement of 100+ billion of debt, mezzanine, and equity

financings for some of the nation’s foremost real estate developers and owners while simultaneously

solidifying the firm’s relationships with key capital sources. He engineered the firm’s unique,

collaborative culture and directed AZ’s evolution as an industry thought leader with over 50

professionals.

Simon received a B.S. in Finance from The Pennsylvania State University and an M.S. in Real Estate

Finance from NYU. He has been recognized on multiple occasions by Penn State and NYU, as well as

being awarded REBNY’s first “Most Promising Commercial Salesperson” award, the “Most Ingenious

Deal of the Year” award six times and winning the prestigious Louis Smadbeck award.

Simon has also been active in many leadership roles for universities and not-for-profit

organizations. Simon has also been involved in teaching at University of Miami and NYU on families in

Real Estate.

Most recently, Simon has been lecturing at many undergraduate and graduate programs including a

course on Family Real Estate Business Management at NYU Schack.

Rab Nalavala

Moderator

Cole Schotz, P.C.

Rab N. Nalavala is a member of the firm’s Real Estate, Real Estate Special Opportunities, and Construction Services Departments. Rab’s practice is national in scope and encompasses all aspects of general commercial real estate, with a particular emphasis on development and finance matters. He represents major investment banks, private equity companies, opportunity funds, sovereign wealth funds, REITs, family-owned businesses and various joint venture entities in the acquisition, disposition, development, financing, management and leasing of commercial, retail, industrial and residential properties. Rab also has significant experience representing both lenders and borrowers in connection with real estate finance transactions, including construction lending, bond financing, mezzanine lending, loan workouts, restructures and deed-in-lieu transactions. He specializes in the acquisition, construction and development of domestic and international projects in the hospitality, leisure and gaming industries, including resorts, casinos, sports complexes and golf courses.

Robert Gilman

Moderator

Baker Tilly x Anchin

Robert Gilman, CPA, CGMA, is a Principal at Baker Tilly x Anchin . His practice covers a wide range of services for his clients who are mainly involved in the commercial, residential and development of real estate. These services include due diligence on acquisitions, tax structuring on deals, securing financing, and assisting with client investor relations for both domestic and international investors. Rob also advises clients with financial and estate planning, budgeting, tax planning, and cash flow strategies.

Rob is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) and the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY). He is involved with a number of Real Estate industry organizations and is actively involved with the Long Island Chapter of the March of Dimes, which he was recently honored for.

Wayne Cook, Jr.

Moderator

Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf

Wayne S. Cook, Jr. represents various institutional lenders in real estate financing transactions, including mortgage loans and mezzanine loans. He also represents clients in connection with construction loans, real estate acquisitions, dispositions, workouts, and restructuring of distressed loans on behalf of borrowers and lenders, and the purchase and sale of various loans. Recently, Mr. Cook's work has included large foreclosure actions and deed in-lieu resolutions in numerous states.

Prior to joining Windels Marx, Mr. Cook worked at a boutique general practice firm as an associate where he focused on representing private lenders and developers in real estate matters. He gained valuable finance and capital markets experience at Prudential Securities and Credit Suisse First Boston before attending law school.

Meyer Mintz

Moderator

Berdon

A tax partner and Co-Chair of the Real Estate Group at Berdon llp, Meyer Mintz has been with the firm for nearly 25 years. He has particular expertise in the tax aspects of real estate, including partnership agreements, limited liability companies, and other business organizations. Analyzing potential transactions from both a tax and an overall business perspective, he provides clients with a more comprehensive picture on which to base their decisions. Meyer has also worked with attorneys in litigation matters. He has testified as an expert witness on behalf of a defendant at a FINRA arbitration hearing. Meyer’s testimony regarding a complex tax matter was successful in sustaining the defendant’s tax position.

Working closely with clients, Meyer advises on:

Planning and structuring joint venture arrangements, including property development

Equity reorganizations of real estate partnerships

Analyzing the tax consequences of sales and purchases of real estate

Maximizing the efficiency of day-to-day business operations

Structuring for estate plans

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ACTIVITIES

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

New York State Bar Association

New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants

Vibrant Emotional Health

Board of Directors

Chair of the Audit Committee

EDUCATION AND LICENSES

Meyer holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Touro College, a Juris Doctor degree from Brooklyn Law School, and a Master of Laws in taxation at New York University School of Law. He is licensed as a certified public accountant in New York State.

Bruce Meyerson

Moderator

Goulston & Storrs

Bruce Meyerson is a real estate attorney. He counsels real estate owners, developers and lenders with interests in multifamily, office, mixed-use, industrial and condominium properties.

He closes a broad range of transactions involving joint ventures, permanent loans, construction loans, mezzanine loans, private equity investments, securitized lending, workouts, commercial real estate, development and acquisitions and divestitures.

Summary

Banks may be cautious in their lending, but they are still distributing capital. The caution though has been great for other lenders- global debt funds hitting $37B in total aggregate capital in 2017 compared to $24B in 2014.

Developers have found unique strategies to raise funds in their ventures and have succeeded in building. Will absorption follow in suit? 

Please join Bisnow and the real estate finance industry's most influential leaders for one of the most important & informative conferences of the year in New York City! 

As always, Bisnow promises plenty of networking opportunities to connect in a fun and fast-paced atmosphere in the Big Apple. we hope to see you there!

For questions, recommendations, comments, or press inquires please email our NYC event producer, Heather Crosby at Heather.Crosby@Bisnow.com.

Venue

New York Bar Association
42 W 44th St.
New York, NY 10036

Floor: 2nd floor


Agenda

Time Activity
12:30 PM
1:30 PM
Registration, Breakfast & Networking
1:30 PM
1:35 PM
Bisnow Welcome Remarks
1:35 PM
2:15 PM
Hunting for Yield: Where Is Hot and Where Is Next?

• David Gilbert, CEO & CIO, Clarion Partners
• Chris Lee, Head of RE Americas, KKR
• Jeff Fastov, Senior Managing Director, Square Mile Capital
• David Blum, Managing Director & Portfolio Manager GTIS Debt Capital Management A GoldenTree/GTIS Joint Venture
Moderator: Bruce Meyerson, Director, Goulston & Storrs

2:15 PM
3:00 PM
What's Up in the Big Apple?

• David Schonbraun, Co-CIO, SL Green
• Michael Maturo, President & CFO, RXR Realty
• Mark Weiss, CIO, RFR
• James Nelson, Principal, Head of Tri-State Investment Sales, Avison Young
Moderator: Robert Gilman, Partner, Anchin Block & Anchin

3:00 PM
3:45 PM
Moving the Needle: How Small to Mid-Market Deals Get Done

• Melissa Farrell, Managing Director, Real Estate Finance, PGIM
• Dan Hartman, Managing Director, Terra Capital
• Alfred Trivilino, Managing Director, Related Fund Management
• Robyn Sorid, Co-Founder, G4 Capital Partners
• Neil Beldock, Senior Executive, Pender Capital
Moderator: Rab Nalavala, Member, Real Estate Group, Cole Schotz

3:45 PM
4:30 PM
Lunch & Networking
4:30 PM
5:15 PM
The New Guard of Lenders - Historical Equity Investors Getting Into the Debt Game

• Jonathan Chassin, Managing Director, Moinian Capital Partners
• Fred Harmeyer, Portfolio Manager - Debt Investments, Rubenstein Partners
• David Hochfelder, EVP, Naftali Group
• Matt Burrows, Vice President, Kushner Companies
• Ronnie Levine, Senior Managing Director, Meridian Capital Group
Moderator: James Cosolito, Senior Vice President, AmTrust Title

5:15 PM
6:00 PM
Anatomy of a Deal: The Evolving Capital Stack

• Ralph Herzka, Chairman & CEO, Meridian Capital Group
• Jordan Slone, Chairman & CEO, Harbor Group International
• Sonny Kalsi, Founder & Principal, GreenOak Real Estate
• Brahm Cramer, Co-Head & Co-Chief Investment Officer, AllianceBernstein
• Jessica Bailey, Co-Founder & CEO, Greenworks Lending
Moderator: Meyer Mintz, Tax Partner, Berdon

6:00 PM
6:30 PM
Networking Break
6:30 PM
7:15 PM
Raising Equity 101: How to Land Capital (and Where to Find It)

• Bruce Cohen, CEO, Wrightwood Financial
• Matthew Pestronk, President, Post Brothers Apartments
• Ned Stiker, Senior Managing Director, Cortland Partners
Moderator: Simon Ziff, President, Ackman-Ziff

7:15 PM
8:00 PM
Solving for X: How to Get Financing in Today's Climate

• Greta Guggenheim, CEO, TPG Real Estate Finance Trust
• Jeffrey DiModica, President & Managing Director, Starwood Property Trust
• Michael Nash, Senior Managing Director, Global Chairman, Blackstone
• Warren de Haan, Founder, Managing Partner, Head of Asset Originations, ACORE Capital
• Anthony Orso, President, Capital Markets, NKF
Moderator: Wayne Cook, Partner, Windels Marx Lane and Mittendorf

8:00 PM
9:00 PM
Cocktails, Networking & Deal Making Continues