Brixmor CEO takes second medical leave in two years; Colliers hires vice chair in Chicago; Lincoln appoints Boston brokerage leader
Brixmor Property Group said CEO James Taylor went on a temporary medical leave of absence last week, marking his second time in less than two years. The retail real estate investment trust did not offer more information about Taylor's condition, and it declined to comment further. Brixmor said its board appointed Brian Finnegan, its president and chief operating officer, to serve as interim CEO until Taylor returns.
In a note, Piper Sandler said Taylor taking his second medical leave 1 1/2 years after his first "is surprising, but once again highlights the strength of the team he has fostered." With Finnegan once again taking the helm, "we have no worries about the team's ability to make Jim look good, while he is on the DL," said Piper Sandler, an investment bank and financial services company.
"Similar to [Simon Property Group], we believe the rigorous CEO succession training is evident and should be comforting to investors," Piper Sandler said. "Thus, we credit Jim for his solid bench training and wish him a speedy recovery."
Taylor’s employment agreement "will expire on May 20, 2026, unless the Company and Mr. Taylor elect to extend or renew the term," the REIT said in its proxy statement filed in March. New York City-based Brixmor, a company that owns and operates 360 retail centers with a total of about 64 million square feet of retail space, appointed Taylor as CEO in May 2016.
Colliers said it appointed Josh McGee, who has more than 25 years of experience advising corporations across a variety of transactions, as a vice chair in Chicago, where he will provide capital markers services to corporate occupier clients after serving in a senior role co-leading corporate occupier capital solutions across the United States.
Lincoln appointed former Avison Young executive John Dolan as managing director of the New England brokerage "to accelerate growth in third-party and brokerage services," the Dallas-based firm said. In his new role, Dolan, who previously served as a principal and managing director of New England operations at Avison Young, will oversee leasing operations, spearhead talent recruitment and direct business development across greater Boston, Lincoln said. Dolan has more than 18 years of experience in commercial real estate including work in tenant representation, multimarket occupier services and agency leasing.
New hires, promotions and other personnel changes
Simon, the largest mall owner in the U.S., said it promoted Stanley Shashoua to president of international real estate to oversee the real estate investment trust's international portfolio that includes 26 premium outlets, its ownership stake in Klépierre SA, where he serves as a supervisory board member, and McArthurGlen Investments.
Katharine Kelley, who has overseen the development of more than $2 billion of properties at Green Street Properties, Newport of Germany and Jamestown, where she worked on the landmark Ponce City Market project, is set to step down as president of Atlanta-based Green Street to take over on Jan. 1 as leader of the influential business group The Buckhead Coalition. She also will take the reins of the Buckhead Improvement District, according to Buckhead Coalition Chair Jonathan Rodbell, co-founder of Atlanta Property Group.
RangeWater Real Estate, the Atlanta-based rental housing company with properties across the Sun Belt and Mountain West, named Wendy Tucker, a 25-year veteran of the multifamily industry, as managing director of property management. In her new role, RangeWater said, Tucker will oversee property management operations for the company's complexes in Coastal Georgia, the Carolinas and the mid-Atlantic states.
Transwestern Real Estate Services said it promoted Anthony Heredia, who joined the firm in 2014 as an assistant chief engineer, to the newly created role of national engineering manager to mentor and guide its engineering teams and strengthen the platform. TRS also added Shawn Keeth as regional director of engineering in Dallas.
Greystone, a national commercial real estate finance company, said that at Greystone Real Estate Capital, its low income housing tax credit syndication platform, Tara Neely joins as director of development risk management and Matt Holmes as vice president of asset management. Greystone said Neely oversees construction risk assessments and development oversight across its platform and affordable housing portfolio and Holmes is responsible for the performance of the LIHTC investment assets across Greystone Real Estate Capital’s portfolio.
St. John Properties, a Baltimore-based commercial real estate development and management firm, said it promoted Bill Holzman, a 30-year industry veteran who joined the firm in 2007, to senior vice president or retail leasing as he leads St. John's in-house team and oversees the identification and negotiation of transactions with tenants at its shopping centers.