Kidder Mathews taps general counsel
Kidder Mathews hired Edward Castro as general counsel. In his new role Castro will serve as the brokerage’s chief legal adviser as it seeks to expand services at 19 offices in six Western states, the company said. The Seattle-based company said Castro also will oversee legal matters in connection with brokerage, asset services and valuation advisory divisions serving clients in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada and Arizona.
The 30-year industry veteran joined Kidder Mathews after 24 years at Cushman & Wakefield, where he served as global associate general counsel for the firm’s brokerage, valuation, consulting and capital market divisions.
Gensler expands Midwest management team
Global architecture and design firm Gensler promoted two executives as it looks to bolster services in several Midwestern states. The firm named principal Meghan Webster as co-managing director of its Chicago office and Todd Heiser as co-regional managing principal of its North Central region. The region encompasses offices in Chicago; Columbus, Ohio; Detroit; Minneapolis; and La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Webster is a global health sector leader at Gensler, where she has worked for nearly 15 years and represented clients in education, including several large colleges and universities. With co-managing director Brian Vitale, she will oversee a Chicago staff of more than 250, the firm said. Heiser, a 30-year industry veteran who has worked at Gensler for nearly two decades, will manage the North Central region with Ken Baker, Gensler said.
Knightvest looks to boost Sun Belt apartment deals
Knightvest Capital appointed Madison Tappan as chief investment officer, as the Dallas-based company seeks to expand its multifamily investments in growing Sun Belt markets. The company said Tappan will deploy capital from the firm’s second investment fund that launched in 2024 to target properties built during the early 2000s for purchase and renovation.
Tappan served most recently as managing director of acquisitions at Knightvest, focused on investments in the Dallas-Fort Worth region. Prior to Knightvest, he was a vice president on Goldman Sachs’ U.S. real estate team, where he oversaw multifamily equity investments across Southeastern and Southwestern states. Tappan began his real estate career at Knightvest in 2014 before moving to Goldman Sachs in 2018 and rejoining Knightvest in 2021.
Red Oak Capital expands credit operations
Red Oak Capital Holdings and affiliate Oak Real Estate Partners hired Matthew Webster as senior vice president and chief credit officer. The Charlotte, North Carolina-based investment firm said Webster will oversee credit policy, risk management and underwriting operations for Red Oak’s lending platform and Oak Real Estate’s investments. He has also been added to the companies’ credit and investment committees.
The 30-year industry veteran has executed commercial real estate finance transactions on behalf of sovereign wealth funds, real estate investment trusts and other institutional clients. Prior to joining Red Oak, he served as global head of real estate finance for HSBC and held leadership positions at Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Hypo Real Estate and Fitch Ratings.
WAY Capital broadens leadership
WAY Capital hired veteran commercial real estate executive Jon Spelke as chief operating officer and chief revenue officer as the Los Angeles-based firm said it looks to grow its national deal volume. Spelke has more than 40 years of industry experience and previously held senior-level positions with LFB Ventures, Lennar Urban, Clarion Partners, Hillman Properties and OneWest Bank. He also operated real estate groups for family-owned companies.
In addition to his new executive roles, Spelke manages more than $80 million in commercial real estate assets. Led by founder and CEO Malcolm Davies, WAY Capital launched in 2022 and opened its fourth U.S. office in New York City in late 2024.