Leslie Whatley, a veteran corporate real estate and economic development professional whose past leadership positions include Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase, has joined Stamford-based Building and Land Technology (BLT) to boost the developer’s efforts to draw both national and New York City tenants to Connecticut.
Leslie brings her extensive real estate and management experience to BLT, where she oversees the Commercial Portfolio. Her mission includes marketing BLT’s product and capabilities while expanding its relationships with the brokerage community. Known for her dealmaking skills, Leslie is also focused on leasing BLT’s product in Norwalk and Stamford, CT.
“Leslie has the perfect blend of experience for BLT’s office portfolio,” says BLT CEO Carl Kuehner. “With her background, we believe she can make a significant difference by helping convey the unique appeal of Harbor Point, as well as our other outstanding corporate-quality properties in Stamford, Norwalk, Westport and beyond.”
Leslie’s experience is as diverse as it is deep, spanning an impressive range of sectors and geographies. Most recently, she served as EVP at Empire State Development, New York state's chief economic development agency. During her tenure, she took public/private partnerships between government, academia and business to unprecedented levels.
Before that, she served for eight years as the global head of real estate for the Morgan Stanley, and prior to that held the same position for five years at JPMorgan Chase.
In these positions, she was responsible for portfolio strategy, space planning, data management, transaction management and project management. Previously, Leslie, a Detroit native, held several leadership positions at General Motors over a 16-year tenure.
Leslie tells us she’s pleased to join BLT’s world-class real estate organization. “It’s a privilege to join a company that is a market leader, dedicated to urban renewal through developments that create a live/work/play environment. I’m hopeful that my experience and relationships will help BLT achieve their ambitious plans for growth.”
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