Executive Speaker Series

Our executive speaker series was launched in May of 2004. Our inaugural speaker was Sam Zell. His presentation was attended by 25 students from the Kellogg Real Estate Club and several real estate faculty members. Dean Jacobs was also in attendance. The format then is much like it is today: Over lunch at the Allen Center, the executive provides an informal overview of their views on the commercial real estate market. This is followed by a question-and-answer period with the students and faculty. The series is a joint effort between the Kellogg Real Estate Program, Kellogg Real Estate Club, and the Guthrie Center for Real Estate Research.

The Kellogg Real Estate Executive Speaker Series provides our students an informal forum to exchange ideas with, and ask questions of, leading real estate executives. This interaction with key members of the real estate industry provides the students with varied and insightful perspectives on leadership, investment management, competition, personal development and other significant issues. The program also fosters positive relationships between key industry practitioners (and their company(ies)) and the Kellogg Real Estate Program.

We have been very fortunate to have hosted a distinguished roster of executive speakers:

Past Speakers:

• Bruce Cohen, Chief Executive Officer, Temerity Strategic Partners
• Bob Chodos, Vice Chairman, Newmark Knight Frank
• Karen Case, President, US Commercial Real Estate, CIBC
• Al Klairmont, President, Imperial Realty
• Dave Scherer, Principal, Origin Investments
• John Bucksbaum, Founder and Chairman, Bucksbaum Retail Properties
• Christi Graff, Partner, Winston and Strawn
• Scott Goodman '84, Founding Principal, Farpoint Development
• Chris Nolte '03, President, Marcus Investments
• Carlos Valera '17, Principal, Gensler
• Amy Diamond, Managing Director, Private Investments and Real Estate, Northwestern Investment Office
• Kevin Hites, Chief Investment Officer, The John Buck Company
• Dan Rosenbloom, Managing Director, Cadre
• Donald Dye '86, Founding Partner, Sky Lake Partners
• Barry Malkin '88, Senior Managing Partner, GEM Realty Capital
• Christopher Merrill, Co-Founder, President and CEO, Harrison Street Real Estate Capital
• Eric Mogentale, Managing Principal, Walton Street Capital
• Chaim Katzman, Chairman, Equity One
• Rich Monopoli '02, Head of Development, Boston Properties, NY Region
• Curt Bailey, President, Related Midwest
• K. Jay Weaver '95, Managing Principal, Walton Street Capital
• Jeffrey Hines, President and CEO, Hines
• Henry Bullock '80, Chairman and Founder, Menlo Equities
• Diane Morefield, Chief Financial Officer, Strategic Hotels
• Erwin Aulis ('82), Chief Operating Officer, Northwood Investors.
• Bruce R. Cohen, Chief Executive Officer, Wrightwood Financial
• David Helfand, Co-President, Equity Group Investments
• Michael Newman, Principal, President and CEO, GOLUB
• Soultana Reigle (NU '94), Principal, Prudential Real Estate Investors.
• Frank Cohen (NU '95), Senior Managing Director, The Blackstone Group.
• Robert Levy (NU '87), President and Chief Executive Officer, Centerline Capital Group.
• Peter H. Schaff, Retired North America Chief Executive Officer, LaSalle Investment Management
• Alasdair Cripps, Senior Managing Director, Mesirow Financial.
• David Helfand, Founder, Helix and Co-President, Equity Group Investments
• Jerry Claeys, Non- Executive Chairman and an equity owner of Heitman (former Chairman and CEO of Heitman)
• Ward Feste, Co-owner and President, Peregrine Group LLC
• Christopher Merrill, Co-Founder, President and CEO of Harrison Street Real Estate Capital, LLC
• John Parsons, Managing Director, MacGregor Associates
• Seth Singerman '05, President and Managing Partner, Singerman Real Estate, LLC
• William Sullivan '83, Chief Financial Officer, ProLogis
• Raymond Gellein '74, Chairman of Strategic Hotels
• David J. Neithercut, Trustee and Chief Executive Officer and President of Equity Residential
• Earl E. Webb '81, President, U.S. Operations, Avison Young
• Bruce R. Cohen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Wrightwood Capital
• David G. Miller, Senior Vice President, Colliers Chicago
• Jeff Johnson '83, Managing Principal, Reunion Office Holdings
• John Clifford, Vice Chairman, CBRE Capital Markets
• Stephen Quazzo, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer - Transwestern Investment Company LLC
• David Crowell, Chief Operating Officer - The Rise Group
• Peter C. Roberts, Chief Executive Officer, Americas - Jones Lang LaSalle
• Gwendolyn L. Butler (KSM '84), President and Chief Operating Officer, Capri Capital Partners
• Gary F. Wendt ('93), Chief Executive Officer, Signature Resorts International
• Casey Wold, Senior Managing Director Head of Midwest, Atlanta, Boston and Washington, D.C Regions - Tishman Speyer
• Perry M. Pinto, Principal - Walton Street Capital L.L.C
• Anthony Manno (NU '73), CEO, President and Chief Investment Officer - Security Capital Research & Management Inc.
• C. Kevin Shannahan, Executive VP, Mid-west & Southeast Region - Hines
• Bruce R. Cohen, Chairman of the Board and CEO - Wrightwood Capital
• Lynn C. Thurber, Chairman – LaSalle Investment Management
• John Kukral, President - Northwood Investors LLC
• Donald Suter, Managing Principal and head - M3 Capital Partners
• Gerald Fogelson, Founder and President, Fogelson Companies and Chairman and CEO, Central Station Development Corporation
• John Bucksbaum, Chief Executive Officer – General Growth Properties Inc., Chairman - International Council of Shopping Center's Board of Trustees.
• Bruce Duncan, Retired Chief Executive Officer and President – Equity Residential.
• Jerry Claeys, Chief Executive Officer – Heitman
• Gary Garrabrant, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder – Equity International
• Paul Beitler, President – The Beitler Company
• Debra A. Cafaro, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer – Ventas, Inc.
• Jack Higgins, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer – Higgins Development Partners
• Leland Pillsbury (KSM '82), Chairman and Chief Executive Officer – Thayer Lodging Group Inc.
• Geoffrey Dohrmann, Chief Executive Officer – Institutional Real Estate, Inc.
• John Schreiber, President – Centaur Capital Partners, Inc. and Co-Founder and Partner of Blackstone Real Estate Advisors, L.P.
• Neil Bluhm (NU Law '62) – Walton Street Capital
• Jeffrey Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer – ProLogis
• Stuart Scott (NU Law '64), formerly Chief Executive Officer – Jones Lang LaSalle
• John Buck, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer – The John Buck Company
• Samuel Zell – Chairman - Equity Group Investments LLC

We sincerely thank these industry leaders for enriching our students academic experience and for making this luncheon an undeniable success!