Executive Speaker Series

Speaker Series Frank Cohen

Frank Cohen (center), Senior Managing Director of Blackstone’s Real Estate Group, joined a group of Kellogg students for lunch and discussed Blackstone’s strategy, his career, the state of the real estate markets, and provided career and investing advice. Also pictured at the head table are Sean O’Grady, President, Kellogg Real Estate Club (left), Craig Furfine, Clinical Professor of Finance (right) and students of the Kellogg Real Estate Club.

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:

2018-2019 Academic Year:

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

2017-2018 Academic Year:

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

2016-2017 Academic Year:

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

2015-2016 Academic Year:

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

2014-2015 Academic Year:

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

2013-2014 Academic Year:

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.

2012-2013 Academic Year:

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

2011-2012 Academic Year:

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

2010-2011 Academic Year:

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

2009-2010 Academic Year:

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

2008-2009 Academic Year:

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

2007-2008 Academic Year:

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

2006-2007 Academic Year:

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

2005-2006 Academic Year:

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.

2004-2005 Academic Year:

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

2003-2004 Academic Year:

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!