Subject: Executive Changes (EXEC)

Bob Knakal is launching a new company, BK Real Estate Advisors, just weeks after his exit from JLL. News of his new venture was first reported in The Real Deal. Knakal, among the best-known investment-sales professionals in New York, in 1988 ...

Partners Real Estate has opened an office in Atlanta, its first outside of Texas. The Houston company, which has an investment management arm, Partners Capital, has hired John O'Neill as president and managing partner of its Southeast operation, effective June ...

Richard Carlson, a 23-year veteran of the CMBS ratings sector, is joining Freddie Mac as vice president of multifamily surveillance, effective next week. Carlson is joining from DBRS Morningstar, where he was head of surveillance and operational risk for North ...

Northwind Group has hired Robert Kalish as managing director of capital markets, putting him in charge of raising capital and business development. He reports to Ran Eliasaf, founder and managing partner of the New York alternative lender. Kalish joins the ...

S2 Capital has named Michael Bippus vice president of acquisitions for its Southeast investment team and Will Foster senior associate. Bippus will be based in Atlanta, while Foster will be in Charlotte, N.C. Both will pursue apartment properties in the ...

Brian Brooks, who had served as acting Comptroller of the Currency between 2020 and 2021, has been named chairman and chief executive of Meridian Capital Group, effective mid-April. Brooks will replace Ralph Herzka, who had co-founded Meridian in 1991 and ...

Waterton has hired Erick Harris as executive vice president and general counsel, where he will oversee the company's legal strategies, manage contractual processes and transaction closures. He joins from Blue Vista Capital Management, where he had formed the investment manager's ...

Commercial Real Estate Direct Staff Report JLL Hotels & Hospital Group has hired James Escarzega as managing director in its San Francisco office, where he will focus on investment sales and advisory in the western United States. Escarzega joins from ...

Commercial Real Estate Direct Staff Report Christina Chiu, who had joined Empire State Realty Trust in 2020 as chief financial officer after an 18-year career at Morgan Stanley, has been named president of the REIT. Two years ago, Chiu took ...

The Real Deal Marty Burger, the former chief executive of Silverstein Properties, has formed Infinity Global Real Estate Partners in partnership with Island Capital Group's Andrew Farkas that will invest in a wide variety of commercial real estate opportunities. Among ...