RAIDER HILL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Asset Management
Ali Klaben is Vice President of Asset Management at Raider Hill and is involved in many aspects of the firm's advisory services with a specific focus on asset management, financial reporting, budgeting, accounting, compliance and tax optimization. She is also responsible for overseeing day-to-day property operations and managing third-party service providers. Additionally, Ms. Klaben has regular interaction with Raider Hill's investments, leasing, development, construction, and executive management teams.
Prior to joining Raider Hill, she was a Financial Analyst at Pyramid Management Group, a privately held shopping center developer, where she worked on the financial analysis, planning, budgeting and reporting of multiple shopping centers in the Northeast.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Investments Associate
Ben Hurwitz is an Investments Associate at Raider Hill and is involved in all aspects of the firm's investment and advisory services with a focus on corporate transaction and east coast acquisition opportunities. Mr. Hurwitz also provides valuation and transactional support for the firm's ongoing investments.
Prior to joining Raider Hill, Mr. Hurwitz was an intern at Brixmor Property Group (NYSE: BRX), and Beam Living, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX). His internships focused on leasing, creating and conducting portfolio reviews to present retailers.
Mr. Hurwitz received a BA in Educational Studies from Colgate University and is a member of ICSC.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Development Associate
Brett Field is a Development Associate at Raider Hill. His primary responsibilities include supporting the evaluation, management, and execution of redevelopment, asset repositioning, and value-add opportunities across the company's various portfolios. He focuses on all aspects of preconstruction, construction, and tenant coordination activities. Additionally, Mr. Field is actively involved in all aspects of the firm's development and construction advisory services.
Prior to joining Raider Hill Advisors, Mr. Field was a construction project manager at Lazare Builders, a general contractor and construction management firm in Boston. Mr. Field oversaw high-rise office and luxury condominium projects that ranged from $12 million to $25 million.
Mr. Field received a BA in Geology from Colgate University and is a member of ICSC.
Bryan P. Zabell is Senior Managing Director at Raider Hill with over 20 years of real estate experience. Mr. Zabell's primary responsibilities include overseeing the leasing strategy and execution across the company's various portfolios and managing retailer relationships. Mr. Zabell is also actively involved in all aspects of the firm's advisory services with a particular focus on leasing operations, organizational design, the implementation of industry-recognized best practices, and site selection for retailers. Mr. Zabell is a member of the firm's Executive Committee.
Prior to joining Raider Hill, Mr. Zabell was with DDR Corp. for 17 years in various management positions primarily within the leasing department. Most recently, he was Senior Vice President of Leasing responsible for overseeing all leasing functions for more than 100 property portfolio of shopping centers located in the western half of the US and Puerto Rico. In this capacity, Mr. Zabell managed a team of 10 leasing professionals with responsibility for $300 million in annual NOI. Previously, he was Senior Vice President of Anchor Store Leasing from 2009 to 2014. In this role, he was responsible for leading a team of leasing professionals who handled all of the big box leasing for a national portfolio of 400 properties. Under the supervision of Mr. Zabell, the anchor store leasing team completed more than 250 big box leases and redevelopment projects during that five-year time period.
Mr. Zabell received a BS in Business Administration from the Max M. Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University. He is an active member of ICSC, member of the Planning & Zoning Commission for the City of Beachwood, Ohio, and is based in the company's Beachwood, Ohio office.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Development
Clay Graham is Vice President of Development at Raider Hill. Mr. Graham supports the evaluation, management, and execution of redevelopment, asset repositioning, and value-add opportunities across the company's various portfolios. Additionally, Mr. Graham is actively involved in all aspects of the firm's development advisory services.
His primary responsibilities include collaborating with clients to evaluate and underwrite assets, identify the highest and best use for sites, maximize value on a risk-adjusted basis, implement governance and risk-adjusted return thresholds, reprioritize capital pipelines, and prepare contingency plans. Additionally, Mr. Graham oversees Raider Hill's predevelopment and entitlement initiatives across the U.S.
Prior to joining Raider Hill Advisors, Mr. Graham was an Analyst at the Prusik Group, a retail real estate development firm focused on the New York City tristate area. Mr. Graham worked on the retail development and management of multiple standalone and mixed-use developments which spanned more than 3 million square feet and ranged from $10 million to $1.7 billion in development capital. Mr. Graham began his career as an associate within the UBS (NYSE: UBS) private wealth management group.
Mr. Graham received a BA in Economics from Colgate University and is a member of ICSC.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Co - Founder
- Co - Founder & CEO of Raider Hill Advisors
Daniel B. Hurwitz is the Co-Founder & CEO of Raider Hill Advisors. He has spent over 35 years navigating all aspects of the real estate industry and has developed a track record of transforming public and private businesses, formulating and executing prudent investment and operational strategies, engendering trust among institutional clients and investors while maximizing value for all stakeholders.
Prior to Raider Hill, Mr. Hurwitz held a variety of positions in the retail and real estate sectors dating back to 1986. Most recently, during a 16-year tenure at DDR Corp. (now known as SITE Centers, NYSE: SITC), Mr. Hurwitz led numerous departments beginning with leasing and development in 1999 and culminating with the responsibility of reviving the company in the post-recession era as CEO commencing in 2010. Mr. Hurwitz also served as interim CEO of Brixmor Property Group (NYSE: BRX) from February 2016 through May 2016.
During his five-year tenure as CEO of DDR, Mr. Hurwitz led the aggressive execution of a strategic vision that resulted in the full transformation of key management positions, the complete upgrade of portfolio quality and its cash flow credit profile, the revival and stabilization of a distressed balance sheet, and the establishment of market credibility from the investment community. Based on the results, Mr. Hurwitz was named to the 2013 Institutional Investor Magazine All-America Team, voted on by sell-side analysts, as the Best CEO in the REIT Sector. Additionally, the strategy to repair the balance sheet was recognized by Moody's, Standard and Poor's, and Fitch by achieving consensus investment grade ratings in 2014.
Prior to joining DDR, Mr. Hurwitz served as Senior Vice President and Director of Real Estate and Corporate Development for Boscov's Department Store, Inc., where his efforts resulted in the doubling of store count and increased productivity. While at Boscov's, in addition to the real estate division, Mr. Hurwitz was responsible for the store planning and design, construction, and facilities departments. Prior to Boscov's, Mr. Hurwitz served in the leasing, development, property management, and construction departments for the Shopco Group, a New York City-based developer and acquirer of regional and super regional shopping malls.
Mr. Hurwitz is a graduate of Colgate University and the Wharton School of Business Management Program at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a frequent speaker at real estate industry functions and has repeatedly been a guest discussing retail and real estate trends on CNBC, Bloomberg TV, and Fox Business.
Professionally, Mr. Hurwitz serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Brixmor Property Group and service provider Ideal Dental. Additionally, Mr. Hurwitz serves as an advisor to the Board of Directors of Edens and ShopCore Properties. Previously, Mr. Hurwitz was Chairman of the Board of Directors of WeWork (NYSE: WE) and served as Chair of the Audit Committee and member of the Compensation Committee. Mr. Hurwitz also served as the 2019-2020 Chairman of ICSC. He was a member of the Board of Directors of General Growth Properties (NYSE: GGP) from 2013 to 2018 serving as Lead Director and Chair of the Special Committee advising on the sale of the Company to affiliates of Brookfield Asset Management. Additionally, Mr. Hurwitz previously served on the NAREIT Executive Board of Governors and Governance Committee, the Board of Directors of DDR Corp. (NYSE: DDR), CubeSmart (NYSE: CUBE), Sonae Sierra Brasil, and Boscov's Department Store, Inc.
Outside of the real estate sector, Mr. Hurwitz is Chairman Emeritus of the Colgate University Board of Trustees. In 2019, Colgate awarded Mr. Hurwitz an honorary doctor of humane letters degree and he was also inducted into the Colgate Athletics Hall of Honor. Currently, Mr. Hurwitz serves on the Board of Trustees of Hopkins School, New Haven, CT. Previously, Mr. Hurwitz served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Hawken School, was a member of the Board of Directors of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a member of the Visiting Committee of the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, and chair of the Leadership Board of Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute. In addition, Mr. Hurwitz has been a guest speaker at Case Western Reserve University, Colgate University, Columbia University, Cornell University, New York University, University of Florida, University of Wisconsin, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University.
Elan Sippel-Feldman is a Managing Director at Raider Hill, with over 12 years of real estate experience in both the private and public real estate markets. Mr. Sippel-Feldman leads Raider Hill's Development and Construction team, which focuses on unlocking the highest and best use for properties across North America and is a member of the firm's Executive Committee.
Mr. Sippel-Feldman oversees the execution of redevelopment, asset repositioning and value-add opportunities across the company's various portfolios. Additionally, he leads Raider Hill's development and construction advisory services, assisting clients building development platforms, repositioning portfolios to include mixed-use and non-retail uses, restructuring operational departments, implementing governance and risk-adjusted return thresholds, reprioritizing capital pipelines and preparing contingency plans.
Prior to joining Raider Hill, Mr. Sippel-Feldman was with Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) where he led redevelopment and asset-repositioning projects along the West Coast. Mr. Sippel-Feldman's projects ranged from $10 million to $1.1 billion in capital improvements. Prior to his development-focused role, Mr. Sippel-Feldman served in a portfolio asset management capacity and was responsible for executing asset strategies, property level financial performance, and day-to-day operational and strategic aspects of various assets.
Mr. Sippel-Feldman received a BA in Economics from Claremont McKenna College and an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management. He is an active member of ICSC.
Emily Kenny is a finance analyst at Raider Hill and is involved in various aspects of the firm's advisory services with a focus on financial reporting, asset management and property management. She also supports the leasing, development, construction, and investment teams.
Prior to joining Raider Hill, Ms. Kenny worked as a summer associate for Transwestern. At Transwestern, she worked closely with the investment sales and agency leasing teams, where she assisted with the underwriting and valuation of properties, conducted market research, and presented to prospective clients.
Ms. Kenny received a BS in Corporate Communications and a minor in Business from the University of Texas at Austin. She is an active member of ICSC.
Gurmehar Bhullar is a Senior Finance Analyst at Raider Hill and involved in many aspects of the firm's advisory services with a focus on asset and investment management, including financial reporting, accounting, budgeting, and property management. Additionally, Mr. Bhullar supports the firm's Sustainability Advisory practice, with a focus on incorporating sustainability across its various practices as well as supporting coverage of and research relating to the ESG real estate market, policy and regulatory developments, climate technology, and sustainability-related capital markets activity.
John Dunion is a Managing Director at Raider Hill. Mr. Dunion joined Raider Hill in 2016 and is involved in all aspects of the firm's advisory services with a specific focus on sourcing and evaluating investments, deal structuring, reviewing capital allocation decisions, and managing dispositions. Additionally, Mr. Dunion oversees investment management and valuation, coverage of public and private real estate capital markets activity, and market research. Mr. Dunion assists in training and developing the firm's analyst team and is a member of the firm's Executive Committee.
Prior to joining Raider Hill Advisors, Mr. Dunion was an associate on a debt, equity and structured finance team at Marcus & Millichap Capital Corporation where he secured financing for a variety of asset types.
Mr. Dunion received a BA in Political Science from Yale University, is a member of ICSC, and previously served on the ICSC Next Generation Leadership Network.
Jordi Dalmau is a Leasing Director at Raider Hill responsible for leasing and other transactional matters across multiple engagements throughout the US. Previously, he was a Shopping Center Management Associate at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) where he supported multiple departments outside of Center Management such as Leasing, Marketing, and Events at the newly re-developed Westfield Century City. During his time at Westfield Century City, Mr. Dalmau played a crucial role in the implementation of flagship operational practices and had oversight on Brand Ventures and Specialty Leasing common area activations.
Mr. Dalmau received a BA in Spanish from Colgate University and is a member of ICSC.
Joseph M. Tichar is Co-Founder, President & COO of Raider Hill and is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of all company activities. A 14-year veteran of the real estate business, Mr. Tichar is widely recognized for his deep experience in operations, investments, and asset management. Mr. Tichar is a Trustee of ICSC and also serves on the Board of Directors of the ICSC Foundation. In 2019, Mr. Tichar was recognized as one of ICSC's 4 under 40 honorees recognizing the next generation of leaders in the retail real estate industry.
Prior to Raider Hill, Mr. Tichar was Senior Vice President of Operations and Chief of Staff at DDR Corp. (now known as Site Centers, NYSE:SITC) and served on the company's investment, management, compensation, and enterprise risk management committees. During his tenure at DDR Corp. from 2008 to 2015, Mr. Tichar held various leadership positions and was actively involved in strategic planning, capital transactions, portfolio management, investor relations, capital markets, corporate communications, marketing, and human resources. In 2016, he was a member of the interim senior management team at Brixmor Property Group (NYSE: BRX).
Mr. Tichar received a BS in Business Management and Finance from Case Western Reserve University and has frequently been an industry panelist and guest speaker at Case Western Reserve University, Colgate University, Columbia University, Baruch College, and NAIOP.
Job Titles:
- Director of Special Situations and Sustainability
Lukas Ceseña is Director of Special Situations and Sustainability at Raider Hill. Mr. Ceseña oversees the firm's cohesive Sustainability Solutions platform and is involved in various special situation engagements, including mandates concerning corporate and organizational advisory, real estate investment and valuation, and non-traditional investment opportunities. In addition, Mr. Ceseña leads coverage of sustainable investment funds, and market research pertaining to public and private capital markets activity and sustainable finance.
Prior to joining Raider Hill, Mr. Ceseña worked in the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs. In this capacity, he provided strategic and transactional advisory to corporate clients on mergers and acquisitions, public and private capital raises, and to financial sponsors on impact-focused investment opportunities. Mr. Ceseña received a BA in Environmental Economics and a Minor in Spanish from Middlebury College. He is an active member ICSC, ICSC's ESG Committee, and PREA.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate of Investments
Max Gustafson is a Senior Associate of Investments at Raider Hill and is involved in all aspects of the firm's investment and advisory services including underwriting transactions, supporting leasing and asset management, and preparing market research. Mr. Gustafson focuses on acquisition opportunities in southwestern markets in the United States.
Prior to joining Raider Hill, Mr. Gustafson was a leasing broker at Hunneman Real Estate, a commercial real estate brokerage firm, where he advised tenants and landlords in the Boston market.
Mr. Gustafson received a BA in Business, Entrepreneurship, and Organizational Studies from Brown University and is an active member of ICSC.
Michael Flynn is an Investments Analyst at Raider Hill and is involved in all aspects of the firm's investment and advisory services. Mr. Flynn also provides valuation and transactional support for the firm's ongoing investments.
Prior to joining Raider Hill, Mr. Flynn was an Analyst at PJT Partners in the Park Hill Real Estate Group, where he advised institutional real estate managers on private capital markets solutions and venture formations.
Mr. Flynn received a BA in Economics and Political Science and a Minor in Art History from Northwestern University and is a member of ICSC.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Leasing
Patrick J. Brady is Vice President of Leasing at Raider Hill with approximately 18 years of real estate experience, mostly within the public REIT sector. He has experience in leasing and merchandising open-air shopping centers and enclosed regional malls throughout the U.S. Mr. Brady is responsible for executing all value creation initiatives in the Western U.S.
Prior to joining Raider Hill, Mr. Brady was Vice President of Leasing at SITE Centers Corp (NYSE: SITC) where he led the leasing efforts for the company's western portfolio of approximately 11 million square feet of community and power centers. He has also held various positions within the leasing department at Simon Property Group (NYSE: SPG), CenterCal Properties, LLC and Retail Properties of America, Inc. (NYSE: RPAI). Mr. Brady began his career in leasing at Macerich (NYSE: MAC) where he spent eight years and rose to the level of Assistant Vice President of Leasing. Throughout his 15-year career in leasing and transactions, Mr. Brady has been primarily responsible for properties in Oregon, Washington, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Montana and South Dakota.
Mr. Brady received a BA in Communication from Arizona State University. He is an active member of ICSC and is based in Raider Hill's Phoenix office.