MESIROW - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer in Mesirow Institutional Real Estate Direct
- Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer Institutional Real Estate Direct Investments
- Member of the Pension Real Estate Association
Alasdair Cripps is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer in Mesirow Institutional Real Estate Direct Investments. He is responsible for leading the direct equity real estate investment business and participates in all aspects of the investment process. He is a member of the Investment Committee for Mesirow Institutional Real Estate Direct Investments and a member of the firm's Board of Directors.
Alasdair is a well-known and highly regarded professional in the industry with over 30 years of experience. Prior to joining Mesirow in 2007, he was a Partner and a Portfolio Manager at Capri Capital Partners, where he oversaw a portfolio of over $3.5 billion in real estate assets. He has completed more than $6.5 billion in transactions (acquisitions and divestitures), and was directly responsible for portfolios with a gross market value of over $7.5 billion. At Capri, he was active in all parts of equity real estate which included: asset management, financing, acquisition, dispositions, repositioning/ renovations, budgeting, valuations, client reporting and portfolio strategy. Before that, he worked at JMB Realty Corporation.
Alasdair is an active member of the Pension Real Estate Association, the Urban Land Institute, The International Council of Shopping Centers, and a Board Member of the National Multi-Housing Council. He is a Board Member of Over the Rainbow, an Illinois not-for-profit organization with a goal of building and maintaining apartments that are specifically designed to help severely disabled people realize their dreams of independent living.
Alasdair earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Job Titles:
- President and Head of Taxable Sales and Trading Institutional Sales and Trading
Ali Haghighat is President and Head of Taxable Sales and Trading in Mesirow Institutional Sales and Trading. Ali oversees all sales and trading activity including both risk and personnel. He is also a member of Mesirow's Capital Markets Board of Directors and the Mesirow Capital Markets and Investment Banking Strategy Committee.
Ali has more than 22 years of experience in the industry. Prior to joining Mesirow in 2010, he served as a Portfolio Manager at Pioneer Investments, and he held investment and research positions at Standish Mellon Asset Management and Banc One Capital Markets.
Ali earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wisconsin and a Master of Business Administration from Loyola University. He holds FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Managing Director in Mesirow Public Finance
- Managing Director Public Finance
Andy Bynam is a Managing Director in Mesirow Public Finance. He focuses on servicing municipal clients primarily in the State of Texas as well as other states across the South and mid-Atlantic.
Andy has more than 30 years of public finance experience including bond underwriting, financial products and advisory work. Prior to joining Mesirow in 2012, he was a Director of Public Finance at Citigroup Global Markets Inc., where he served as a lead or co-lead banker on over $12 billion in par amount of senior managed transactions for Texas issuers. Before that, he was a vice president at Siebert Brandford Shank & Co.
Andy has participated as a Board Member for community activities such as the Greater Houston Area Red Cross, the Houston Area Urban League, and the Community Artists Collective.
Andy earned an Artium Baccalaureus from Princeton University and a Juris Doctorate from Northwestern University School of Law. He holds FINRA Series 52, 53, 63 and 79 licenses and is a member of the State Bar of Texas.
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Director CTL and Structured Debt Products
- Senior Managing Director in Mesirow Credit Tenant Lease
Andrew Minkus is a Managing Director in Mesirow Credit Tenant Lease and Structured Debt Products where he is responsible for deal structuring and origination of new business opportunities. Since joining the firm in 2010, Andrew and the leadership team have been involved in over $9 billion of primary issuance fixed income product.
Andrew focuses on certain strategic initiatives associated with public sector related CTL activity and construction-permanent financing. Andrew helped create the social infrastructure ("P3") initiative and has since played an integral role enhancing the group's footprint in this space having led a variety of CTL transactions connected to higher education credits, healthcare systems and various local, state and federal governmental entities. In addition, Andrew led the group's first cross-border, cross-currency CTL transaction as well as the group's first direct synthetic CTL, which involved a headquarters facility owned and occupied by a non-rated private not for profit entity, largely capitalized by a state government, serving the managed care space.
Andrew has more than 20 years of experience in real estate finance and investing. He joined Mesirow in 2010 from Lakeshore Management, a private equity firm with a portfolio of manufactured home communities. Andrew served as an Acquisitions and Asset Management Associate and, in doing so, worked alongside the managing partner sourcing and structuring new acquisitions, as well as managing the overall performance of the existing portfolio. Prior to Lakeshore Management, Andrew was a Production Associate with Gantry, a west-coast based real estate investment bank. While at Gantry, Andrew worked as a two-person production team with the founding partner. Over the course of his five-year tenure with Gantry, Andrew was involved in the origination and structuring of over $1 billion of real estate debt.
Andrew volunteers for a number of charitable organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Andrew earned a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio State University and a Master of Business Administration from San Francisco State University. He holds the FINRA Series 7, 52 and 63 licenses.
Job Titles:
- President
- Member of the Pension Real Estate Association
- President Institutional Real Estate Direct Investments
- President of Mesirow Institutional Real Estate Direct
President | Institutional Real Estate Direct Investments
Ben Blakney is President of Mesirow Institutional Real Estate Direct Investments. He is responsible for the development and strategic implementation of client solutions. He has more than 30 years of investment industry experience as a senior executive in both the public and private sectors. He sits on the IRED Investment Committee and is a member of Mesirow's Board of Directors.
Prior to joining Mesirow in 2014, Ben was a Managing Director at Courtland Partners, Ltd. Ben's previous experience additionally includes senior positions as Director of Institutional Funds for the Dilweg Companies; President of NCM Capital; Treasurer of the City of Philadelphia; and Chairman of the Philadelphia Board of Pensions and Retirement.
Ben is an active member of the Pension Real Estate Association, the National Association of Securities Professionals and the Real Estate Executive Council and serves as a mentor with LINK Unlimited Scholars. Additionally, he plays a key role as co-chair of the Mesirow Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council.
Ben earned a Bachelor of Arts from Williams College and an Master in City Planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Director and Head of Strategy and Research in Mesirow Capital Markets
- Senior Managing Director, Head of Strategy and Research Capital Markets and Investment Banking
Blake Anderson is a Managing Director and Head of Strategy and Research in Mesirow Capital Markets and Investment Banking. He focuses on municipal securities and high-yield, tax-exempt and taxable bond research for institutional clients, as well as domestic and international project and structured financing and special situations.
Blake has more than 30 years of investment experience. Prior to joining Mesirow in 2011, he was a Partner at Social Sphere Strategies, Managing Partner at Anderson Tuttle Properties and a Managing Director at Putnam Investments. At Putnam, he was Director of the High Yield Team, Portfolio Manager and Director of tax exempt research while serving on the Executive, Risk Management and New Product committees. Previously, he was a Consultant at Coopers & Lybrand Actuarial and Benefits Consulting Group. Prior to Coopers, Blake was a Underwriter at Cigna Corp.
Blake earned a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University.
Job Titles:
- Investment Banking Analyst
- President and Chief Operating Officer of Mesirow Investment Banking
- President and Chief Operating Officer, Investment Banking Head of Advisory Services
Brian Price serves as President and Chief Operating Officer of Mesirow Investment Banking. In this capacity, he is responsible for providing strategic direction and oversight for the group and manages its day-to-day operations. As Head of Advisory Services, Brian provides oversight and contributes to the collective strategy, growth and market positioning of Retirement Advisory Services, Fiduciary Solutions and Wealth Management. Brian is a member of the Mesirow Board of Directors and is integral to Mesirow's strategic acquisitions and helping shape firm strategy.
Brian initially joined the firm as an investment banking Analyst in 2006, and has subsequently held many roles of increasing responsibility. He has more than sixteen years of investment banking experience across a wide range of industries, including paper, plastics and packaging, and aerospace and defense. In 2013, his achievements were recognized by The M&A Advisor, and he was named a winner of the 40 under 40 Awards for his work as a dealmaker in the M&A, financing and restructuring industry.
Brian is very dedicated to his community and supports several philanthropic causes and charitable organizations. He serves on the board of directors and investment committee of Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital. In addition, he serves on the executive committee of the board of directors for the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science and is chair of the Midwest board of directors.
Brian earned a Bachelor of Science from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business and a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. He holds FINRA Series 7, 24 and 79 licenses.
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Director, Co - Head of Municipal Sales and Trading Institutional Sales and Trading
- Trustee of the Indian Mountain School
Bryan McCoy is a Managing Director in Mesirow Institutional Sales and Trading. He serves as Co-Head of Municipal Sales and Trading and oversees all sales and trading activity including both risk and personnel.
Prior to joining Mesirow in 2008, Bryan held senior level trading positions with UBS, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup.
Bryan is a trustee of the Indian Mountain School in Lakeville, Connecticut as well as a board member of the Municipals 911 Fund.
Bryan earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Oregon. He holds FINRA Series 7, 53 and 63 licenses.
Job Titles:
- Head
- Senior Vice President
- Board Member of the Carl Davis Foundation and Volunteers for Big Brothers Big Sisters
- Senior Vice President Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Corporate Recruitment Human Resources
Vice President; Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Corporate Recruitment | Human Resources
Carl Davis is the Vice President; Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Corporate Recruitment in Mesirow Human Resources. He is responsible for spearheading the recruitment efforts across multiple lines of business and consults with strategic decision makers globally to strengthen the value proposition within our Investment Management, Capital Markets, Investment Banking and Corporate Services teams. Additionally, Carl serves on Mesirow's Inclusion Council.
Carl has more than 25 years of experience in technology and financial services recruitment. Prior to joining Mesirow in 2016, he was a Technology Recruiter with JPMorgan Chase. Carl oversaw the recruitment of all technology professionals across all platforms, as well as vendor management for the largest revenue generator, GTI (Global Technology Infrastructure), while working with their asset management, fixed income and commercial community bank teams.
Carl is a proud board member of the Carl Davis Foundation and volunteers for Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Carl earned a Bachelor of Science in liberal arts from University of Illinois at Chicago.
Job Titles:
- Chief Technology Officer
- Strategic Technology Leader
Chris Heim serves as Mesirow Chief Technology Officer. As CTO, Chris and his team work to strategically develop and implement a firm-wide technology strategy and roadmap that aligns Mesirow systems, projects and organizational goals while elevating the technology brand of our firm. Through his efforts, Mesirow continuously works toward anticipating and meeting the needs of the firm and our clients.
With 20 years of experience, Chris is a strategic technology leader with a proven track record of supporting and driving business growth. Prior to joining Mesirow in 2019, he was the Director of IT Strategy and Operations at Harris Associates, where he was responsible for the enterprise architecture, technology roadmaps, product development and operations. Previously, as the Head of Engineering and Operations for GCM Grosvenor, Chris oversaw multiple teams responsible for cloud technology, infrastructure, operations and firm-wide project execution.
Chris earned a Bachelor of Science in information systems at DePaul University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Director in Mesirow Institutional Sales
- Senior Managing Director Institutional Sales and Trading
Clarice Olivieri is a senior managing director in Mesirow Institutional Sales and Trading. She focuses on municipal sales and trading, serving as regulatory branch manager for the New York, Santa Monica and San Francisco offices.
Clarice has more than 30 years of experience in the financial industry. Before joining Mesirow in 2012, she worked on both the Municipal and Corporate Bond Desks at Bear Stearns.
Clarice holds FINRA Series 7, 63 and 24 licenses. Clarice was the recipient of the Price Collaboration Mesirow Norman Award in 2017 for her commitment to Mesirow's team-oriented culture and for providing integrated solutions for clients.
Job Titles:
- Head of Human Resources
- Senior Managing Director
- Senior Managing Director and Head of Mesirow Human Resources
David Egan is Managing Director and Head of Mesirow Human Resources. He is responsible for HR strategy including talent management, human capital development, HR advisory and employee engagement initiatives across the firm. David works closely with Mesirow business leaders on strategic talent management and organizational effectiveness.
David has more than 15 years of experience in global human resource management. Prior to joining Mesirow in 2011, he worked in HR with Bank of America and Quintain Estates and Development Plc. in London, England.
David is proud to serve as a mentor in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago program.
David earned a dual degree in accounting and human resource management from the National College of Ireland, Dublin. He earned his Master of Business Administration from DePaul University with a concentration in strategic human resource management. He has also obtained his Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR) certifications and completed the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute's investment foundations program.
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Director
- Senior Managing Director and Head of Traditional Investment Management Operations
- Senior Managing Director Investment Management
David Meyer is a Managing Director and Head of Traditional Investment Management Operations. In this capacity, he is responsible for leading the group that provides trading and operational support to the various investment teams comprising our traditional investment management platform. In addition, he manages our Security Processing group, which provides middle and back office support to various business units within our Advisory Services group including Wealth Management and Retirement and Advisory Services
David has more than 29 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Mesirow in 2016, he was the Chief Operating Officer and oversaw trading, operations and information technology for Fiduciary Management Associates, LLC, which was acquired by Mesirow. Before that, he worked for The Northern Trust Company.
David has served on the Institutional Committee of the National Security Traders Association. He is a past president of the Security Traders Association of Chicago and a former advisory board member for Institutional Investor's Trader Forum. In addition, he provides significant contribution to the firm's participation in the Big Shoulders Fund's "Stock Market Program" which provides education on the concepts of investing to eighth grade students in the neediest areas of inner-city Chicago.
David earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance and economics from Loyola University of Chicago.
Elizabeth Funk is a managing director and negotiated underwriter in Mesirow Institutional Sales and Trading municipal underwriting group. In this role, Elizabeth assists in the distribution of new issue negotiated deals and transactions and manages the bidding process to verify deal details and advance placement of client orders.
Elizabeth brings more than 17 years of experience to Mesirow. Prior to joining the firm, Elizabeth worked at Hilltop Securities where she served as the Managing Director of underwriting and debt capital markets. Prior, she served in senior roles at Citigroup and Stifel, Nicolaus & Co.
Elizabeth is a partner and program mentor for the Municipal Bond Women's Forum and a National Board Member for Women in Public Finance where she co-chairs the mentorship committee. She is also a volunteer mentor at Rock the Street, Wall Street, which strives to bring racial and gender equity to the financial markets and create career pathways for high school girls into the industry.
Elizabeth has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Kansas and a Master of Business Administration from Regis University. She is a second-year student at the Securities Industry Institute at Wharton School of Business. She holds Series 7, 50 and 63 licenses.
Job Titles:
- President of the Women 's Board of the Joffrey Ballet
- Senior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility
- Senior Vice President, Corporate Responsibility Integrated Marketing and Communications
Ellie Forman is the Vice President of Corporate Responsibility. In this capacity, Ellie develops and implements financial and human capital strategies and programming that drive the firm's corporate responsibility efforts, with a focus on sustainability, community engagement (neighborhoods, social justice and opportunity and inclusion) and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Ellie brings 17 years of experience in communications and philanthropy. Prior to joining Mesirow in 2012, Ellie was a Account Executive at Chicago public affairs firm Jasculca Terman, where she spent more than seven years managing communications, media relations and event planning on behalf of nonprofit, government, education, foundation and corporate clients. She has been recognized by Crain's Chicago Business for her work in corporate philanthropy.
Ellie is president of the Women's Board of the Joffrey Ballet and sits on the Board of Directors for The Nora Project as well as the Women's Leadership Council of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. Ellie sits on Mesirow's DEI Council and co-chairs the Council's philanthropy committee.
Ellie earned a Bachelor of Arts in speech communication from Miami University (Ohio).
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Managing Director
- Managing Director Global Investment Management
- Member of the Mesirow Diversity
Eric Welt is Managing Director, Consultant & Client Relations for long-only strategies of Mesirow Global Investment Management. Eric has more than 25 years of experience in investment management and investment consulting. He joined Mesirow when the firm acquired Fiduciary Management Associates in 2016. At FMA he was the Head of Business Development and Client Service. Prior to joining FMA in 2013, he worked at Calamos Investments, Security Benefit, Bear Stearns & Co. and Prudential Investments.
Mr. Welt initiated and organized the firm's participation in the Big Shoulders Fund's Stock Market Program. He volunteered his time to educate students from Pope John Paul II Catholic School in Brighton Park, an inner-city Chicago community, on concepts of investing. Students are mentored to improve financial literacy and to introduce the possibility of a career in financial services. He is a former trustee for Second Sense, a Chicago-based not-for-profit organization that provides client-centered support and training for individuals with vision loss and a former trustee and investment committee member for the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ Community Trust.
Mr. Welt is a member of the Mesirow Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council (since 2021) and serves on the Career Development Committee. In 2021, he was named Notable LGBT Executive by Crain's Business Chicago. Eric is an active member of PrideConnect, Mesirow's LGBT employee resource group.
Mr. Welt earned a Bachelor of Arts in computer science from Tufts University and a Master of Business Administration with dual concentration in finance and marketing from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University. Eric is a CFA® charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Chicago.
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Director and Head of Mesirow Traditional Investment Management
- Senior Managing Director, Head of Traditional Investment Management
- Vice Chairman, Chair of the Investment Committee and Member of the Executive Committee for Metropolitan Family Services
Erik Barefield is a Managing Director and Head of Mesirow Traditional Investment Management. In this capacity, he is responsible for providing strategic oversight and leadership on all aspects of the traditional investment management platform including competitive positioning, product development, distribution, and collaboration both within and between the businesses. He is also a member of Mesirow's Board of Directors.
Erik returned to Mesirow in 2020, after having transitioned to Lighthouse Investment Partners following their acquisition of Mesirow Advanced Strategies in 2018. He joined Mesirow Advanced Strategies in 2005 and served as the Head of the Global Client Relationship team. Prior to joining Mesirow in 2005, Erik spent over 11 years as an institutional salesperson in the Fixed Income Group at Morgan Stanley.
Erik serves as Vice Chairman, Chair of the Investment Committee and member of the Executive Committee for Metropolitan Family Services. In addition, he is a member of the Executive Committee of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, member of the Board of Directors of Frontier Funds, Inc., and a member of the Board of Directors of the DePaul College Prep.
Erik received a Bachelor of Science in finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Business Administration from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Managing Director Global Investment Management Distribution
- Managing Director in Mesirow 's Global
Managing Director | Global Investment Management Distribution
Eugene Duffy is Managing Director in Mesirow's Global Investment Management Distribution team.
Prior to joining Mesirow, he built an impressive record as a Partner and Director with a quantitative domestic equity firm, a national private equity real estate investor, and a regional fixed income advisor. He also served as a Director for Sunrise Bank.
Eugene has worked with numerous nonprofit organizations highlighted by his service as chairperson of the National Association of Securities Professionals and his membership on the Securities and Exchange Commission's Investor Advisory Committee. The 21-member committee advises the Commission on regulatory priorities, the oversight of security products, trading strategies and fee structures.
Eugene studied English and political science at Morehouse College, where he was awarded the Charles E. Merrill Scholarship for international studies and attended the University of Ibadan in Ibadan, Nigeria. His honors include his selection as the Maynard H. Jackson Entrepreneur of the Year and his invitation by the University of Western Cape, Belleville, South Africa to lecture on participatory democracy in South Africa.
Job Titles:
- in 2009 As an Operations Associate
- Managing Director of Operations in Mesirow Retirement Advisory Services
- Managing Director, Operations
- Managing Director, Operations Retirement Advisory Services
Felicia Rauls is a Managing Director of Operations in Mesirow Retirement Advisory Services. She provides operational, analytical and business management support. She is responsible for ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, monitoring licensing and ERISA education, and coordinating workflows relating to research, provider or record keeper selection reviews, quarterly client meeting materials and the RFP process. She assists with the budgeting, revenue and expense management process to optimize efficiencies across the practice. Felicia also interacts with key internal business partners in finance, human resources, technology, internal audit and other groups to further the group's business goals. She is also currently serving as Chair of the Mesirow DEI Council.
Felicia joined Mesirow in 2009 as an Operations Associate in the firm's Commodities Management business. She was promoted to Associate and took on the role of Head of Operations before joining the Retirement Advisory Services team in 2014. She has 24 years of experience in operations and business management. Previously, she served as Trading and Operations Assistant for a member of the Chicago Board of Trade and was a Trading and Operations Manager for Feldman Securities Group, LLC.
Felicia serves on the executive committee and co-chairs the Vanguard membership of the Business Leadership Council, an organization whose values include influencing policies and business practices to increase opportunities for African-American inclusion. In 2019 and 2020, she was named to Crain's Chicago Business's List of Notable Women in Finance and to CS Magazine's list of Dynamic Women, respectively. She has completed the fellowship programs for both the Chicago Urban League IMPACT program and Bonfire Women. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Felicia earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois and a Master of Business Administration with concentrations in finance, entrepreneurship and managerial and organization behavior from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She holds FINRA Series 24, 7 and 63 licenses as well as several industry certificates.
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Director Office of the Chairman
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Director and Co - Head of Mesirow Sale - Leaseback Capital
- Senior Managing Director, Co - Head Sale - Leaseback Capital Co - Head Bridge Equity
Garry Cohen is a Managing Director and Co-Head of Mesirow Sale-Leaseback Capital. He serves as an integral part of the day-to-day operations and strategy of the group. As Co-Head of Mesirow Realty Bridge Equity, he is responsible for leading Mesirow's Bridge Equity business and participates in all aspects of the investment process and is a member of its Investment Committee. He is also a member of Mesirow's Board of Directors and its Capital Markets Board of Directors, acts as the Supervising Broker on behalf of Mesirow real estate brokerage activities and is actively involved in all of the firm's leasing activities on a global basis.
Garry has more than 40 years of experience in real estate development and investments. Since joining Mesirow in 1984, he has completed more than $8 billion in transactions. Prior to joining Mesirow, he practiced real estate law with Katten Muchin for seven years.
Garry earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan and graduated as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He also earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Chicago Law School. He holds a Real Estate Brokerage License.
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Director
- Senior Managing Director and Head of Regional Development
- Senior Managing Director Institutional Sales and Trading
George Barbar is a Managing Director and Head of Regional Development and Strategy for Mesirow. He is head of Rates, Government Agencies, Supranationals, CDs and Structured Products and responsible for its growth, underwriting and distribution. He is also the principal and manager of Mesirow's Boca Raton office and leads Mesirow's strategic Southeast expansion.
George is founder and president of the South Florida Bond Traders Association, board member of Bond Dealers of America and Habitat for Humanity of Broward where he chairs the Development Committee. He serves on the Treasury Investment Council for the State of Florida, school board chairman at Westminster Academy, and elder at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. He has served as a guest lecturer for Florida Atlantic University's Financial Analyst Program and Florida International University's finance department.
George earned a Bachelor of Arts from Wheaton College and a Master of Business Administration from Florida Atlantic University. He holds FINRA Series 7, 24, 63, 79 and 99 licenses and has a Florida Real Estate Broker's license.
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Director and Co - Head of Mesirow Sale - Leaseback Capital
- Senior Managing Director, Co - Head Sale - Leaseback Capital Bridge Equity
Gerry Levin is Managing Director and Co-Head of Mesirow Sale-Leaseback Capital. The Sale-Leaseback Capital business serves to provide fully integrated real estate capital market services to single tenant occupants on a national platform. In his position in Mesirow Realty Bridge Equity, Gerry is involved in all aspects of the Bridge Equity investment process and is the founding member of the Investment Committee for Mesirow Realty Bridge Equity. Gerry served as a member of the Mesirow Board of Directors for more than 25 years and in 2020 began serving in an advisory role on the Mesirow Capital Markets Board of Directors.
With more than 45 years of real estate experience, Gerry is a well-known and highly regarded professional in the industry. He joined Mesirow in 1980 to help create the firm's Real Estate Investments division, predecessor to the current Sale-Leaseback Capital group. Gerry has experience capitalizing real estate for a wide range of public and private companies in various industries. He has worked with rated and non-rated publicly-held companies, foreign corporations and strong privately-held companies.
Gerry has written articles for industry publications such as Financial Executive Magazine and Journal of Corporate Real Estate. He frequently speaks at net lease industry conferences. Gerry is also a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and Mortgage Bankers Association of America.
Gerry earned a Bachelor of Science in economics from the University of Wisconsin and a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and holds an Illinois real estate broker license.
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Director in Mesirow Institutional Sales
- Senior Managing Director Institutional Sales and Trading
Greg McKee is a senior managing director in Mesirow Institutional Sales and Trading. He currently works as a corporate bond trader, servicing and providing liquidity for the firm's institutional customers.
Greg has more than 12 years of experience in institutional sales and trading. Prior to joining Mesirow in 2008, he was an analyst at Lehman Brothers in their fixed income sales department.
Greg is involved in the Leeds School of Business Professional Mentorship Program and the McKee Family Foundation.
Greg earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Colorado. He holds the FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director and Wealth Advisor in Mesirow Wealth Management
Gregg Lunceford is a Managing Director and Wealth Advisor in Mesirow Wealth Management. He works with individuals, families, organizations, athletes, and business owners to help them create comprehensive financial planning strategies designed to accumulate, grow, protect, and distribute their wealth.
Gregg has 31 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining Mesirow in 2017, he served as a Wealth Advisor for BMO Private Bank, which is a part of BMO Financial Group, from 2008-2014; and as a Vice President in the private client group at The Northern Trust Company from 2001-2008. Gregg began his career in financial services in Corporate and Investment Banking. He was an Associate at BMO Capital Markets, which is a part of BMO Financial Group from 1994-1997 and promoted to Director in 1997. Prior to joining BMO he was formally credit-trained at J.P. Morgan Chase.
Gregg is actively involved with several organizations. He is the chair of the investment committee for the American Heart Association and on the board of directors for the Juvenile Protective Association. He serves as an advisory board member for the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park at Governors State University. He also serves as an advisory board member for the Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University. Gregg is a former president of the Flossmoor, IL Board of Education which is a publicly elected position. In 2021, Gregg was honored by Chicago United as one of its 50 Leaders of Color for 2021.
Gregg earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Loyola University, a Master of Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Management from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH where he conducted research on retirement. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and holds a Certificate in Financial Planning Studies from Northwestern University. Gregg holds FINRA licenses and is an NFLPA Registered Player Financial Advisor.
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Director in Mesirow Institutional Sales
- Senior Managing Director Institutional Sales and Trading
Jeff Lew is a Managing Director in Mesirow Institutional Sales and Trading. He focuses on Fixed Income Securities.
Jeff has more than 19 years of experience in the industry and joined Mesirow in 2001.
Jeff earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Missouri. He holds FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer of Mesirow Institutional Sales & Trading
- Chief Operating Officer, Institutional Sales & Trading
Jeff Levine is Chief Operating Officer of Mesirow Institutional Sales & Trading. In this capacity, he provides management oversight, coordination and control for the effective and profitable operation of IS&T while providing oversight and contributing to the collective strategy and growth of Institutional Sales & Trading. Jeff also serves as Vice Chairman of Mesirow's Capital Markets Board of Directors, contributing to the stewardship and oversight of business activities and risk mitigation in Mesirow Financial, Inc. He is a member of the Mesirow Board of Directors and participates in defining the strategic priorities of the firm. In addition, he oversees Operations, Security Processing, and Risk Management and partners with the firm's President to oversee all Corporate Services functions, ensure collaboration across functions, and facilitate execution of goals and a strong partnership with the businesses.
Jeff previously served as Mesirow's General Counsel and Associate General Counsel before assuming his current role. Prior to joining Mesirow in 2008, Jeff was an Attorney Advisor in the regulation division of the SEC, where he was responsible for the compliance of registered entities with federal securities regulations and self-regulatory agency rules. He also was assigned to the Enforcement Division of the SEC. Prior to his tenure at the SEC, he was an Assistant Cook County State's Attorney.
Jeff serves as an Ethics Officer for the village of Riverside.
Jeff earned a Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University and a Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law. He holds multiple securities licenses, passed the U.K.'s Principal of Financial Regulations and has earned the designation of Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst.
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Director, Co - Head of Municipal Sales and Trading Institutional Sales and Trading
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Director, Head of Equity Management, Portfolio Manager Equity Management
Job Titles:
- General Counsel & Head of Corporate Development
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Director, Strategic Planning & Development, Head of Compensation
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Senior Managing Director
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Director, Chief Investment Officer, Portfolio Manager Equity Management / Profile
Job Titles:
- Managing Director, Asset Management
Managing Director, Asset Management | Institutional Real Estate Direct Investments
Mary Jo Hayes - Chief Compliance Officer
Job Titles:
- President Fiduciary Solutions
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Director, CTL and Structured Debt Products President & Head of Strategy, Capital Markets
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Director, Co - Chief Investment Officer, Portfolio Manager Fixed Income Management
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President, Accounting Operations
We are saddened to share the passing of our beloved colleague and board member Dennis Black on January 14, 2022. Dennis was a close friend and mentor to many, and his presence and guidance will be deeply missed.
Dennis was a vital part of Mesirow for decades, most recently serving as senior advisor to the Chairman focusing on corporate governance, firm structure and ownership. He was also a member of firm's Board of Directors and the Investment Committee for Institutional Real Estate Direct Investments.
Dennis joined Mesirow in 2009 as General Counsel for the firm, and he was instrumental in building our Legal & Compliance team. Prior to joining the firm, Dennis served as Mesirow's outside corporate counsel for more than 30 years. He had more than 50 years of experience advising businesses on corporate, tax, securities, regulatory and financial issues and was a principal at Goldberg Kohn, of which he was a founding member.
Outside of work, Dennis was a director of numerous charitable, civic and professional organizations. He was a director of Meritas, an affiliation of nearly 6,000 attorneys from around the world, until 2005. He served as president of The Standard Club in Chicago from 2006 to 2008, was a board member of North Shore Congregation Israel, and was an active member in the Lawyers Division of the Jewish United Fund of Chicago. In addition, Dennis served as the director of the Cornell University Posse Program in Chicago and as a member of the Cornell University Council.
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Director, Head of Enterprise Risk Management, Deputy General Counsel Legal & Compliance
Robert Sydow - Chief Investment Officer