Advisors
IBCon Advisory Council Co-Chairs


Tom Karounos, Global Head of Building & Hospitality Technology, leads strategic technology implementation and operational support for Tishman Speyer’s global real estate portfolio. With 25+ years of IT experience, including seven at Tishman Speyer, he brings extensive technical expertise and leadership across diverse enterprise environments. A key member of Tishman Speyer’s IT Leadership Team, Tom collaborates closely with the firm’s venture capital, construction, engineering, and property operations teams to drive innovation and efficiency.


With 20+ years of experience in technology and innovation, Michael Sherwood drives NVIDIA's business growth initiatives in alignment with company goals. Formerly the City of Las Vegas’ CITO, he led collaboration and workforce development to build smarter, more sustainable communities through cutting-edge advancements.


Charles Whiteley is VP, Global Digital Leader, Digital Strategy & AI Execution Lead, with 15+ years of experience driving digital and business transformation for Fortune 100 companies across industries. He defines global digital strategy for AECOM’s B+P (Buildings and Places) business line and advises on smart cities, digital twins, smart campuses, sustainability, and large-scale urban initiatives. Charles also leads AI strategy and digital adoption, collaborating with global leaders to implement and scale transformative technologies, drive AI initiatives, and establish key vendor partnerships to accelerate enterprise-wide innovation.
IBCon Advisory Council Members



Joseph Aamidor is an experienced product leader and expert in smart buildings, real estate technology and facility operations. He provides product and market strategy guidance to building owners/operators, established building management firms, technology providers, investors, and early-stage innovators. Previously, he served as Director of Product at Lucid Design Group and was a product manager at Johnson Controls.


Stuart is an award-winning digital innovation and transformation leader recognized for strategic leadership. As the founder of Bay Tech Advisors, Stuart is an advisor to various PropTech startups and VCs and he provides Digital and Technology advice to firms across the real estate, private equity, and investment management industries. Stuart is currently on the board of the US Proptech Council and was previously an Innovation & Technology leader at CBRE, where he led their technology and smart buildings work at Google.


Farukh Aslam is the Chief Executive Officer of Sinclair Digital (SD) a low voltage design and consulting company developing Digital DC-Microgrid Buildings. In 2019, Aslam successfully developed the Sinclair Marriott Autograph Hotel which is widely considered the most diverse PoE and DC Microgrid project in North America. From the completion of the Sinclair Hotel, Aslam created SD to bring expertise of the sustainability and cost benefits of a DC building infrastructure to the marketplace. Since its inception SD has been involved in several design build projects and continues to evolve DC infrastructure in buildings.


Clayton Broemsen is VP of IT Infrastructure for Cousins Properties, a REIT based in Atlanta, GA. He is responsible for all aspects of Cousins’ IT Infrastructure as it applies to the Corporate Office and Property Infrastructure including Networks, End User Devices, Security, Data Centers and Disaster Recovery.


James Brogan, AIA RIBA NCARB, is currently a Principal / CIO with Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF), responsible for the overall strategy and integration of digital technologies in KPF’s nine global locations, including Digital Practice, information, data and knowledge management, advanced modeling and immersive technologies, the KPF intranet.


Joe Brown is responsible for enhancing technology, innovation, resiliency and sustainability, driving value across KingSett's real estate portfolio of over $16 billion of assets under management. He began his career consulting on energy projects and building commissioning and has spent the last 15 years in building technology and operations through various roles.



Charles Buscarino is a recognized leader in the design and implementation of integrated smart building systems. He founded The Clarient Group (TCG) in 2002 and under his leadership, TCG has developed innovative solutions for more than 100 clients and 55 million square feet of properties, including many well-known signature projects.



Scott Cochrane is President and CEO of Cochrane Supply & Engineering, overseeing six branches throughout three states and one in Canada. He is an advisory council member for multiple industry manufacturers such as Honeywell, Johnson Controls, and Tridium.






Emmanuel Daniel is CEO & Founder of ALOSANAR. He is a visionary expert in workplace technology and human experience design focusing on Workplace Strategy, Sustainability, Smart Buildings, Cities & Campuses. He is known for his contributions to creating harmonious and efficient work environments across the world. With over two decades of experience at the intersection of technology and human behavior, Emmanuel has shaped the landscape of modern workplaces through his innovative strategies and empathetic approach to design.


Drew DePriest is a Director of Real Estate Operations Technology at McKesson. Prior to joining McKesson, Drew worked as a Facilities Management Technology for a large technology client at CBRE, where he previously led Digital Solutions globally for the firm's workplace experience platform, Host. Prior to CBRE, Drew headed the global Collaboration Services team at Aon, led business development at workplace technology startup Comfy (acquired by Siemens), and spent 12 years operations and business development at building automation firm Automated Logic.
Brett Fisher is the Senior Director of Product Management for Workplace Service Delivery, and is tasked with defining and executing on the roadmap for the platform. Previously, he was a Senior Manager at Deloitte Consulting, with responsibilities in leading the IWMS practice. Brett has a decade of experience in leveraging technology to enable the Corporate Real Estate (CRE) function. He has led real estate technology strategy engagements, inclusive of technology system selection and modernization programs. He has relationships with real estate leaders, orchestrated the relationships with a variety of technology partners, and is a published thought leader, commenting on the future of real estate technology.


Robert Fitzgerald is the Regional Technology Director for JLL Technologies. In this role, Robert helps clients shape their digital transformation strategy. He and his team provide advisory and consulting expertise to clients to help identify, select, implement, and sustain workplace technologies, bringing fit for purpose solutions that deliver targeted business outcomes supporting workplace experience, portfolio optimization, operational efficiency, and carbon footprint reduction. Prior to his current role, Robert held several leadership roles with Nokia Workplace Resources helping transform their portfolio, organization and digital landscape globally.


Jonathan (JP) Flaherty is the Director of Sustainability at Tishman Speyer, one of the leading owners, developers, operators and fund managers of first-class real estate worldwide. In this role, he manages sustainability certificates, investor communications, worldwide performance tracking, and technological innovation implementation.







Arv Gupta is an Operating Executive with extensive General Management background in Retail /Consumer Products and Services, known for building and transforming organizations to drive significant sales growth and value. Accomplished in leading business units within multiple consumer industry sectors, including iconic consumer brands, driving "turnaround" performance, by gaining organizational commitment for revitalized business directions. Arv is currently the Senior Vice President of Operations Services, at Cadillac Fairview Corporation, with a mandate to drive national operational efficiency and effectiveness, while maintaining a standard of excellence in client experience across all properties.


As a key member of Stanford University’s Sustainability and Energy Management (SEM) team, Gerry Hamilton oversees the department’s long-term energy use planning; designs, implements, and directs assessment and outreach for sustainability programs; oversees business systems and analytics initiatives; and steers academic integration to aid program implementation.


Russ Holton leads the Building Management System design, integration, project management, commissioning, retro commissioning, functional testing, service and support for the Bedrock Detroit and the Bedrock Cleveland Real Estate Portfolio. The portfolio currently has 55 commercial and residential sites approaching 15 million square feet of integrated properties.


Ali Hoss is Triovest’s Chief Sustainability Officer responsible for advancing ESG performance and innovation for a portfolio of $12B of commercial properties. He has over 20 years of work experience in sustainability and energy management and is regarded as a strategic builder of unique products and services for design and implementation of energy conservation and GHG emission mitigation projects.


Michael Izzo is the firm’s Senior Vice President, Carbon Strategy responsible for leading Hines’ efforts to assess its carbon emissions and develop the strategy to set and achieve the firm’s science-based targets. He engages regularly with the firm’s global teams to provide strategic leadership and ensure continuity and the successful progression on the firm’s strategy and commitments and help lead the industry’s carbon emissions response.


Arjun Kaicker is an Architect and Workplace Consultant with over 20 years experience specialising in innovative workplace design and technology, business and user needs evaluation and most recently, AI driven workplace optimisation. As Co-Head of Workplace Strategies at Zaha Hadid Architects and previously as Head of Workplace Consulting at Foster + Partners, he has worked on over 200 office projects in over 50 countries, including headquarters for Apple, Bloomberg, Comcast and HSBC.


Jeremy Kopstein joined Uber in May 2017, bringing 15 years of experience within CRE Technology. With these skills and previous experiences, he is working to build a state-of-the-art Workplace & Real Estate Application Platform for Uber. Jeremy is currently responsible for the development and maintenance of Uber's Application Platform for the Workplace & Real Estate Team which includes Lease Administration, Transaction Management, Facility Management, Project Management, Smart Building, and Data Strategy. In this role, he focuses on the strategy, leadership, and delivery of the tools needed to optimize Uber's real estate portfolio and meet reporting requirements.


Skilled in communicating technical concepts to technical and non-technical audiences alike, Brad Kults helps clients navigate the ever-changing technology landscape to select flexible, scalable solutions that adapt to present and future needs. Brad believes buildings should respond to the occupants, and that technology must seamlessly enable productivity without being a focal point. With a background in low voltage systems, he brings a unique perspective to strategizing intelligent buildings solutions. Brad is the founder the Building Intelligence Group (BIG), a non-profit association providing networking and education for intelligent building owners, operators, and professionals across all industries and at a local level.


Sabine Lam brings the digital building vision to the forefront of Google's Facility Operation teams, enabling a secure, integrated and scalable platform that delivers next generation services to realize 2030 sustainability commitments, operational efficiency, and support healthy and productive spaces for Googlers. Her responsibilities include leading the development of a Workplace Platform to efficiently integrate building systems, facilitating the transition to a digitized and connected real estate portfolio, and collaborating with industry leaders to inspire and enable industry transformation.


Thano Lambrinos has over 15 years’ experience in the construction and building technologies space, and leverages digital transformation learnings across vertical markets to drive innovation and change in commercial real estate. At QuadReal, Thano works to deploy advanced technologies that redefine the way buildings are designed, built, managed, and how the occupants experience their environments. As Senior Vice President, he leads the Digital Buildings, Customer Experience & Innovation teams, and is focused on the development and execution of the digital strategy across a global real estate portfolio.













Lawrence Melton is the CEO and Founder of The Building People. With over 25 years of Federal Executive experience, Lawrence established the company in 2013 and found early success in its global reach to drive greater efficiency, investment, and performance for its clients. He is recognized globally as an expert in Facilities Management, Smart Buildings and Asset Management.




Scott Mitton is a collaborative 30-year IT veteran that has worked with clients globally to execute their business goals with the purposeful use of technology. Scott transitioned into the construction industry 10 years ago to apply his IT knowledge and experience to the build space. He collaborates with executives and operations teams to ensure the technology is leveraged in such a manner to not only meet business and financial goals but to operate more efficiently while creating a unique and progressive user experience. His work truly supports the most important asset: the people who work or live in them.











Marc Petock is a pioneer in leading the Intelligent/Smart Buildings and M2M movements pushing the industry forward and has contributed to transforming and changing the Intelligent Buildings and M2M (now IoT) industries. As Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Lynxspring, Marc leads corporate and product marketing, strategy, brand management, public relations and communications that support the company’s strategic and growth initiatives.


In his role, Neil Ross leads the development and delivery of product and technology strategy across Walmart’s corporate real estate portfolio. He leads a wide variety of initiatives including smart buildings and campus, workplace experience, mobile engagement, portfolio sustainability, and more. Neil, his team of SMEs, and their partners define device, platform, and data strategies required to enable and deliver value to Walmart and support its corporate objectives.






With 35 years of experience, Kay is a recognized expert on workplace design and strategy issues. She is an award-winning designer who has worked with several Fortune 500 companies to optimize their global real estate portfolios and create innovative work environments. She is director of HOK’s WorkPlace team, a practice that supports organizations undertaking multiple projects in various locations, and a member of HOK’s Board of Directors.


Jeannie Schneider is the SVP & CTO for Hines. She is responsible for all corporate and global real estate technologies, strategy, and standards. Jeannie has established a reputation as a versatile, strategic leader who has a very deep knowledge of real estate and how technology can transform the industry and Hines to create more value.


Brian Schwartz has over 20 years’ experience in information technology and is currently responsible for infrastructure, end user computing, cybersecurity and privacy at Macerich as Vice President of Infrastructure. Brian’s responsibilities include both PropTech infrastructure as well as more traditional IT infrastructure to support the entire enterprise. Brian is passionate about leveraging technology to create value and enhance customer experience.




Sandy Shadchehr is the Director of the Buildings Technology Services Division within the Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO). She manages a portfolio of cutting edge technology projects related to Smart Buildings, Internet of Things (IoT), Workplace Innovation Lab (WIL), Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE), and the Zero Trust Framework for the Public Building Services (PBS) within GSA. Under Sandy’s leadership, GSA IT has pioneered the next generation of Smart Buildings for the national GSA portfolio by implementing practical and interoperable solutions, while maintaining a strong cyber posture. Her focus areas also include creating scalable, flexible platforms that allow GSA to evolve with new technology and market conditions.



Nicholas Stello is the SVP, Digital Infrastructure for New-York based Vornado Realty Trust. His responsibilities include leading the company's IT initiatives as they relate to in-building cellular, networking, cyber security and smart building connectivity. Vornado’s unique assets have enabled Nick to both differentiate and increase the value of its properties by structuring innovative agreements with national cellular carriers and other related technology providers.


Craig Stevenson is President of AUROS Group, who pioneered the use of technology to bridge the gap between building science and data science. Craig is co-author of the recently released book, “The Power of Existing Buildings—Save Money, Improve Health and Reduce Environmental Impacts” and the often-referenced ASTM article, “Project Case Studies and the Lessons they Teach about Whole Building Envelope Air Leakage Testing.” Finally, Craig holds two United States’ patents in the field of data science for the built environment.


Nada Sutic is the Vice President, Sustainability, Innovation and National Programs at Epic Investment Services. In this role, Nada is responsible for strategy and implementation of sustainability, digital building transformation and numerous operational programs with a focus on implementation through building operations and performance across the company’s diverse portfolio. With 15+ years of experience in commercial real estate, focused on sustainability, operational excellence and property management, Nada leads with a drive for successful implementation and critical measurement.


As the Vice President of Sales & Marketing and Sr. Smart Building Consultant with DB Engineering, Kyle Tooke drives strategy and execution of complex technology, engineering, and data initiatives with DB Engineering’s new and existing clients. Kyle has over 10 years of experience working in the digital infrastructure and smart building technology space.


Brian Turner, CEO of Buildings IOT, is leading the disruption of how mart building systems are viewed, maintained, and reported. For more than two decades, he has worked with some of the world’s largest property owners and facility managers in developing lasting strategies for complex integrations and enabled solutions to the problems found, fuels his passion for making smart buildings as they should be to show the world what they can be.


Clayton Ulrich is the firm’s Senior Vice President, Corporate Operations and Engineering Services and also serves as Global Sustainability Officer. He is responsible for the firm's industry-leading standards in operations and maintenance, environmental policy, equipment efficiency, energy management and engineering employee development. His experience with building operations, technologies, equipment, components and systems is instrumental in optimizing performance and minimizing risk for the assets Hines manages.
Brian leads FPC Global’s Technical Consulting practice where they support the development and delivery of digital programs across client’s portfolios at scale. He is tasked with the organizational & technical development of the team required to support FPC & their clients goals. With a variety of roles in consulting, product management, solutioning, design, and operations, across many different verticals, Brian has spent over 15 years helping clients give shape to, and realizing, their strategic goals. This breath of experience gives him a unique understanding of how the technology stack in the built environment can be leveraged to create value and achieve a clients goals.


Donny Walker leads Newcomb Boyd's Intelligent Building Systems group. He has over 20 years of engineering, project management, and partner-in-charge responsibilities in communications, security and integrated building automation systems. His experience includes aviation facilities, health care buildings, judicial facilities, advanced technology developments, military installations, data centers, mixed-use developments, performing arts facilities and college campuses. With prowess designing technologically sophisticated campuses, his background encompasses over 150 projects specializing in an integrated design with network-enabled systems.



Terry Wood is SVP, National Facilities Design and Construction at Kaiser Permanente, one of America’s leading healthcare providers, responsible for executing real estate services for Kaiser Permanente’s over 70 million square foot real estate portfolio, including more than 1,000 facilities, with a replacement value of over $32 Billion. He is accountable for developing industry leading tools, implementing strategy, and establishing industry best practices for all key functions within the Real Estate Division. Terry has more than 25 years of experience in all facets of domestic and international corporate real estate, including strategic planning, real estate transactions, facilities management and construction.




Jay Wratten is the Executive Digital Lead at WSP in the U.S. and the global smart places lead for WSP. Jay’s appointment is aligned with WSP’s global initiative to accelerate their shift to delivering digital-first solutions across its own and client's businesses. In his Digital lead role, he is responsible for ensuring that WSP in the U.S. establishes a clear digital strategy supported by a robust digital leadership structure, demonstrates excellence in applying digital tools to project delivery, and continues to strengthen revenue and margin through our digital offerings. Additionally, Jay ensures the company is aligned globally to drive their digital strategy forward by sharing digital expertise and best practice between regions.
IBcon 2025 | Precon Accelerator: ELECTRIFY Advisors


Farukh Aslam is the Chief Executive Officer of Sinclair Digital (SD) a low voltage design and consulting company developing Digital DC-Microgrid Buildings. In 2019, Aslam successfully developed the Sinclair Marriott Autograph Hotel which is widely considered the most diverse PoE and DC Microgrid project in North America. From the completion of the Sinclair Hotel, Aslam created SD to bring expertise of the sustainability and cost benefits of a DC building infrastructure to the marketplace. Since its inception SD has been involved in several design build projects and continues to evolve DC infrastructure in buildings.



Jim Baldwin is the founder and CEO of Domatic, a company that is revolutionizing how to build smarter, healthier buildings. With over 30 years of experience in software and hardware design and development, he has led and contributed to innovative projects at Apple, Microsoft, Intel, and several startups.


Jeff Beavers is Executive Director with National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). With more than 30 years in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry, Jeff began his telecommunications career in the U.S. Air Force. He has served in various design and consulting roles in many types of industries, including the Department of Defense, municipal and federal government, K–12 and higher education, healthcare, sports and entertainment, data centers, and utilities (broadband, water, energy, wind and solar). Jeff is a Registered Communications Distribution Designer and has the OSP Designer credential. He is a recognized subject matter expert and past President of BICSI, a global professional association supporting the advancement of the ICT community.


Ronna Davis has been in the networking and telecommunication industry for 23 years. She has been with CommScope for over 13 years and has held positions in sales, channel and product line management. She is currently on CommScope’s Strategy and Technology Team for Buildings and Campuses. Previous to CommScope she worked in the design and construction of telecommunications networks for eight years and in wholesale distribution for two years. She studied marketing and is a LEED Green Associate.


Akram Khalis (AK) serves as MHT’s CEO and Co-Founder of MHT's Inspextor smart building platform. As an entrepreneurial executive who currently holds three US technology patents, AK's background in technology, product, and general management allows him to bridge the gap between engineers and businesses to bring high quality solutions to market efficiently. Well regarded as an innovator and thought leader for his work developing PoE systems for lighting and smart building automation, AK has scaled and accelerated the growth of innovative technology for more than a decade.


Bob Kroon is the CEO and Founder of August Berres. August Berres provides applications for DC-powered workplaces, eliminating the need to install 120V power at every workstation. Bob has a forty-year history in electro-mechanical durable goods and the furniture industry. His career began as an Industrial Engineer for Maytag. His furniture background began in manufacturing engineering with The Hon Company in 1979. In the next 18 years, he served in assignments in product engineering and general management. His subsequent experience includes contract manufacturing for low-volume, high-value, high-complexity electronic enclosures.


Andrew Lu serves as Director of Product Management in the Engineering Sustainability Office (ESO) at Cisco. He passionately nurtures and promotes DC-microgrid solutions like Fault Managed Power (FMP) and Power over Ethernet(PoE) for sustainable building infrastructure. Prior to Cisco, Andrew’s career spanned multiple sectors including industrial automation, intelligent building system integration, and home automation. Andrew represents Cisco as a co-founder and the President of the FMP Alliance.


Trent Morano is currently SVP at Power Designs. With more 20 years in the construction industry, he is a highly accomplished Fortune 500 executive leader with exceptional vision, strategy and sales acumen complemented by proven results in business transformation models. With his unique background in construction, electrical, mechanical, and IT, Trent brings forward financial models to executives that impact the bottom line.




Luis Suau is the Chief Business Officer at Sinclair Digital. With 40 years of overall IT experience; ,26 of them at Cisco, Luis previously worked as a Technical Leader in Cisco's IOT Business Unit and was a key member in developing Cisco's Digital Ceiling and Digital Building Solutions. Luis helped to engineer the highly innovative Marriott Sinclair Hotel which leverages the use of Lithium-Ion Energy Storage, Digital Electricity, POE and USB-C. After its completion in 2020, Luis left Cisco to pursue his passion of expanding the scope of Digital Building Systems with a goal of developing a Building as a DC Microgrid.


Bob Voss is a Distinguished Engineer in Panduit Corporate Research and Development, driving technological innovation. Focused on industrial and building automation, his expertise spans shepherding of groundbreaking technologies such as Single Pair Ethernet and Fault Managed Power. Bob plays a key role in setting global engineering standards in IEEE, TIA, NEMA, ODVA, and NFPA, as well as nurturing strategic technology partnerships. Bob is the chairman and one of the founders of the FMP Alliance.
IBcon 2025 | Precon Accelerator: Smart Building Data Standards Advisors


Gabe Fierro is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Colorado School of Mines, with a joint appointment at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Dr. Fierro works at the intersection of databases, cyberphysical systems, the Internet of Things, data modeling and semantic interoperability. He is a founder and the lead maintainer of Brick Schema, an open-source ontology and data model that defines a standard representation for smart building data.


Erik Wallin is the founder and Chief Ecosystem Officer of Idun ProptechOS. ProptechOS is a scalable platform for smart building portfolios that uses world leading standards for real estate data.Together they unlock property owner savings and new value, while championing a futureproof ecosystem for smart buildings in the smart city. Erik is an active researcher within the field of semantic technologies and applied machine learning for large scale autonomous systems.
IBcon 2025 | Precon Accelerator: Smart Building Integrator Summit (SBIS) Co-Chairs



Charles Buscarino is a recognized leader in the design and implementation of integrated smart building systems. He founded The Clarient Group (TCG) in 2002 and under his leadership, TCG has developed innovative solutions for more than 100 clients and 55 million square feet of properties, including many well-known signature projects.



Scott Cochrane is President and CEO of Cochrane Supply & Engineering, overseeing six branches throughout three states and one in Canada. He is an advisory council member for multiple industry manufacturers such as Honeywell, Johnson Controls, and Tridium.







Marc Petock is a pioneer in leading the Intelligent/Smart Buildings and M2M movements pushing the industry forward and has contributed to transforming and changing the Intelligent Buildings and M2M (now IoT) industries. As Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Lynxspring, Marc leads corporate and product marketing, strategy, brand management, public relations and communications that support the company’s strategic and growth initiatives.




Brian Turner, CEO of Buildings IOT, is leading the disruption of how mart building systems are viewed, maintained, and reported. For more than two decades, he has worked with some of the world’s largest property owners and facility managers in developing lasting strategies for complex integrations and enabled solutions to the problems found, fuels his passion for making smart buildings as they should be to show the world what they can be.
IBcon 2025 | Precon Accelerator: Sustainable Impact Forum Co-Chairs


Ali Hoss is Triovest’s Chief Sustainability Officer responsible for advancing ESG performance and innovation for a portfolio of $12B of commercial properties. He has over 20 years of work experience in sustainability and energy management and is regarded as a strategic builder of unique products and services for design and implementation of energy conservation and GHG emission mitigation projects.


Nada Sutic is the Vice President, Sustainability, Innovation and National Programs at Epic Investment Services. In this role, Nada is responsible for strategy and implementation of sustainability, digital building transformation and numerous operational programs with a focus on implementation through building operations and performance across the company’s diverse portfolio. With 15+ years of experience in commercial real estate, focused on sustainability, operational excellence and property management, Nada leads with a drive for successful implementation and critical measurement.
Realcomm 2025 | Precon Accelerator: CIO Roundtable Co-Chairs


Amanda Gibb has over 17 years’ experience in the commercial real estate space, leading technology teams for the past 10 years at Westfield, Starwood Retail, JLL, and now Bedrock in Detroit, MI. At Bedrock, Amanda works to deploy a fit-for-purpose application tech stack for the vertically integrated real estate company, including M&A, property management, leasing, development, construction, marketing, HR, legal, and accounting, across all asset types and classes. As CTIO she leads multiple technology teams, including Infrastructure, Applications, Building Controls, Data & Analytics, and Help Desk, working closely with the CTO and Innovation teams. The teams focus on projects that improve operational efficiency, cost savings, tenant experience, innovation, and data quality/insights.


Joseph Martino has responsibility for Primaris’ overall Information Technology strategy. He has over 20 years of experience in Information Technology, Digital Transformation and Technology Operations. Joseph was previously consulting on ERP and major Digital Transformation projects and prior to that, Global VP of Information Technology at a market leader in connected vehicle and sensor technology.



Jim Whalen serves as SVP and CIO/CTO responsible for the direction and implementation of technology and applications at Boston Properties, a fully integrated real estate investment trust and one of the largest owners and developers of Class-A office properties in the United States. Over a 27-year IT career, Jim has supported real estate operations ranging from residential, construction, public housing, commercial office and retail.
Realcomm 2025 | Precon Accelerator: CRE Cybersecurity Forum Co-Chairs


Greg Fitzpatrick is the Business Development Leader for IoT and Integration at Cochrane Supply and Engineering, where he supports end users, consulting engineers and systems integrators in the area of IoT, Integration and Enterprise Software. With over 25 years in the Building Systems and Controls business, he helps clients match new technology for Smart Buildings through specification writing, technology presentations and design assistance. Greg is also Executive Director for the Real Estate Cyber Consortium (RECC) focused on promoting cyber security awareness for operational technology.


Ken Kurz brings over 20 years of leadership and operational experience in cybersecurity, network technologies, information systems, risk mitigation and remediation, and technical project management to COPT. Supporting COPT as CIO since 2016, he has prior experience as the CISO for the University of Delaware, CISO for the University of Oklahoma, and CIO for the US Naval Academy Alumni Association & Foundation. He has also held various technical and leadership positions within the Department of Defense.


Thano Lambrinos has over 15 years’ experience in the construction and building technologies space, and leverages digital transformation learnings across vertical markets to drive innovation and change in commercial real estate. At QuadReal, Thano works to deploy advanced technologies that redefine the way buildings are designed, built, managed, and how the occupants experience their environments. As Senior Vice President, he leads the Digital Buildings, Customer Experience & Innovation teams, and is focused on the development and execution of the digital strategy across a global real estate portfolio.


Cecilia Li has more than 20 years of experience as a proven technology strategist and business transformation expert. She is currently the SVP, CIO of Urban Edge Properties, a REIT that focused on management, acquiring, development and redevelopment of retail real estate in urban communities. Urban Edge owns 77 properties totaling 16.2 million square feet of gross leasable area.


Sean Nealon is the Information Security leader for Brookfield Properties Group. In this role, he has created an information security program from the ground up and established a risk management strategy for their more than 70 companies across all real estate verticals including protecting a vast amount of IoT devices across the various portfolios.


Helane Stein is SVP, CIO of Brixmor responsible for the overall technology vision, strategy, systems and infrastructure that support business operations. She leads the implementation of transformational solutions that drive organizational efficiency, increase productivity, enhance collaboration and deliver results. Brixmor owns and operates a high-quality, national portfolio of open-air shopping centers. Its 632 retail centers comprise of approximately 64 million square feet of prime retail space in established trade areas.



Jim Whalen serves as SVP and CIO/CTO responsible for the direction and implementation of technology and applications at Boston Properties, a fully integrated real estate investment trust and one of the largest owners and developers of Class-A office properties in the United States. Over a 27-year IT career, Jim has supported real estate operations ranging from residential, construction, public housing, commercial office and retail.
Realcomm Advisory Council Co-Chairs


As the SVP & CIO at Phillips Edison & Company (PECO), Gary Bailey oversees the IT application development and both the enterprise application development and infrastructure teams. He leads with operational excellence and innovation, delivering IT solutions that support the company's vision and goals. PECO is one of the nation's largest owners and operators of grocery-anchored shopping centers. Gary has been with PECO for 18 years, and has 24 years of IT experience, including 8 years as a Lead Network Engineer in an IT consultant role.


Ken Kurz brings over 20 years of leadership and operational experience in cybersecurity, network technologies, information systems, risk mitigation and remediation, and technical project management to COPT. Supporting COPT as CIO since 2016, he has prior experience as the CISO for the University of Delaware, CISO for the University of Oklahoma, and CIO for the US Naval Academy Alumni Association & Foundation. He has also held various technical and leadership positions within the Department of Defense.


Yael Urman is Silverstein’s Chief Information Officer and oversees the company’s technology initiatives and strategy. Its Technology Group transforms creative ideas into customer products and services that do not exist anywhere else. The team partners with startups and entrepreneurs from its own Silvertech Ventures to experiment and leverage new technologies while supporting young companies. The Technology Group uses its diverse background, working alongside industry leaders, to translate ideas into practical functions. Yael has previously held various leadership roles in Energy, IT services, Biotech and Pharma.
Realcomm Advisory Council Members


Warren Adair is responsible for leading the LMH Information Technology (IT) team in designing, developing, and implementing organizational information systems and software applications. Adair is Security+ and CISSP certified and brings over 25 years of experience, expertise, and leadership to this role.


Farooz Alikhan is Managing Director Technology of DivcCore and is responsible for all IT resources and initiatives. With his more than 17 years of experience, he helps define and execute the IT strategy in line with the overall business strategy.


Aaron Altscher is the Director of Technology Initiatives at Carr Properties. Aaron leads IT innovation efforts and is the architect and developer for Carr’s Data Analytics, IoT, Machine Learning/AI, and Hospitality platforms. Aaron’s 2022 focus is on IT innovation around data automation and the return to work movement.




Porter Bellew is VP, CIO for Federal Realty Investment Trust. He is responsible for the Trust’s information technology strategy, services, operations and team. Porter has over 25 years of experience in real estate information management.








Scott Cardenas serves as Managing Director and the Chief Technology Officer for Bridge Investment Group. Over his career, Scott has worked globally implementing enterprise solutions to drive innovation, business efficiency and standardization. Prior to Bridge, Scott worked as the Chief Information Officer for the City and County of Denver. He oversaw the implementation of a new ERP platform, which served over 13K employees and 23 lines of business. In addition, Denver also implemented a new CRM platform that interfaced with over 700K residents, which improved overall communication and engagement.








Joe Chiappetta has been VP & CTO at Simon Property Group since joining the company in 2001. Joe has responsibility for the company's core business applications, Project Management Office and Project Execution, business intelligence solutions, and new value creation consistent with the company's business strategy. In his role, he has delivered on several large scale projects, driven new business processes, and implemented leading technologies such as Salesforce.com, Hyperion Financial Management, and Cognos tools. His group leads application architecture as well as the evaluation of new technologies for the business. Prior to joining Simon, Joe was a Certified Project Manager with IBM Corporation.


Nick Covello is the SVP and CIO for The John Buck Company. He is responsible for the overall information technology strategy, infrastructure, and all enterprise-wide systems. Nick brings over 20 years of experience in the field of information technology with a diverse background including corporate, asset management, and construction development platform solutions. His extensive knowledge is integral to developing synergistic relationships between technology and tenant experiences.


Sandeep Davé is the Chief Digital & Technology Officer for CBRE. In this role, Sandeep leads the company’s digital strategy and all aspects of technology globally. He and his team provide the technology capabilities and infrastructure to support CBRE’s clients and professionals across the globe. Prior to his current role, Sandeep served as Chief Digital and Technology Officer for CBRE’s Global Workplace Solutions business with responsibility for digital enablement and transformation of the business.




Sach Diwan is the Global Head of Data and Digital Products at LaSalle Investment Management. In this role, he oversees all strategic aspects of business technology and is responsible for driving innovation in global data and digital technology. Previously, Sach was a Senior Vice President at Northern Trust Asset Servicing, where he held product leadership roles in investment data science and investment operations and led numerous global implementations for investment operations outsourcing and outsourced trading for the company's leading investment management clients.
Fred DuBois has over 35 years of experience in CRE industry accounting, systems, finance and consulting. He has been with First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: FR) for 18 years where he is now Director of Business Systems Applications. FR is formed as a REIT and is known for excellent customer service, leasing, reporting and development systems. His past experience includes work for top companies like Ernst & Young, RealFoundations, Post Properties, and The Habitat Company. Fred is also a board member for the Oracle Real Estate User Group (OREUG).







Robert Entin is currently EVP and CIO for Vornado Realty Trust, one of the nation's largest real estate investment trusts. Robert had founded Integrated Business Systems, Inc. in 1979 combining technical engineering expertise with accounting and property management experience to provide turnkey technology solutions for the real estate industry.


Talia Fine is the SVP, Information Technology, responsible for the strategy and oversight of technology at Tanger. Prior to joining Tanger, Talia worked at Brookfield in both the office and retail sectors. She has over 15 years of experience in the real estate industry.


James Florian is the SVP, CIO of Related Companies, a privately owned real estate firm with a portfolio of over $60 billion in real estate assets owned or under development that is made up of best-in-class mixed-use, residential, retail, office and affordable properties. Prior to becoming CIO, James was the CISO at Related Companies. He has over 20 years of experience in helping businesses navigate the digital landscape, optimize infrastructure technology, and secure company assets.




Susan Gerock currently serves as SVP, Information Technology and CIO for Elme Communities, formerly known as WashREIT. She has over 25 years' experience in various technology roles spanning manufacturing, consulting, application service provider and commercial real estate organizations. Her specialties include ERP selection and implementation, project and change management, and cybersecurity. She is also a proponent of the use of social media and the overlapping relationship between technology and marketing.


Amanda Gibb has over 17 years’ experience in the commercial real estate space, leading technology teams for the past 10 years at Westfield, Starwood Retail, JLL, and now Bedrock in Detroit, MI. At Bedrock, Amanda works to deploy a fit-for-purpose application tech stack for the vertically integrated real estate company, including M&A, property management, leasing, development, construction, marketing, HR, legal, and accounting, across all asset types and classes. As CTIO she leads multiple technology teams, including Infrastructure, Applications, Building Controls, Data & Analytics, and Help Desk, working closely with the CTO and Innovation teams. The teams focus on projects that improve operational efficiency, cost savings, tenant experience, innovation, and data quality/insights.




Edward M. Hinchey Jr. joined Fisher Brothers in 2021 as Senior Director of Technology, a role in which he provides direction on strategic solutions and leadership to address current and emerging challenges and capitalize on technological opportunities. Fisher Brothers is an owner, developer and financer with a robust portfolio across the United States. Fisher Brothers currently owns and operates 7.5 million SF of commercial, over 1 million SF residential and 200,000 SF of experiential retail assets in New York City, Washington, DC, Las Vegas, Miami and Orlando. Lionheart, an asset management affiliate of Fisher Brothers, operates in 11 cities.






Sandy Jacolow is the SVP, CTO at Empire State Realty Trust. He oversees technology innovation supporting Property Management, ESG, and PropTech activities. He also runs ESRT’s IT and OT Cybersecurity programs working closely with the Information Technology and Compliance teams to monitor and mitigate risk associated with today’s cyber threats. He also serves as Chairperson of the REBNY (Real Estate Board of New York) Cybersecurity committee.





As SVP, CIO, Colin Joynt oversees the platform, implementation, and services team at BXP. He brings more than 20 years of IT experience, particularly in the application space, and most recently at NavigatorCRE, an industry leading asset management and reporting solution built on Microsoft technologies. Prior to NavigatorCRE, Colin held SVP of Information Technology roles at Retail Properties of America (RPAI) and Kite Realty Group.




Cecilia Li has more than 20 years of experience as a proven technology strategist and business transformation expert. She is currently the SVP, CIO of Urban Edge Properties, a REIT that focused on management, acquiring, development and redevelopment of retail real estate in urban communities. Urban Edge owns 77 properties totaling 16.2 million square feet of gross leasable area.




Joseph Martino has responsibility for Primaris’ overall Information Technology strategy. He has over 20 years of experience in Information Technology, Digital Transformation and Technology Operations. Joseph was previously consulting on ERP and major Digital Transformation projects and prior to that, Global VP of Information Technology at a market leader in connected vehicle and sensor technology.




Simon Okunev oversee the strategy and execution of Tishman Speyer's Global Information Technology function. He has 25 years of experience building and leading teams, as well as developing and implementing innovative technologies and systems.


In his role as leader of Information Technology at Thompson Thrift, Don Oldham provides advisory, orchestration and integration services to advance the cause of innovation in obtaining business value from technology. He and his team are tasked with discovering new technology opportunities, reducing the cost of doing business, adding efficiency to business processes and providing secure, customer focused access to technology. They improve efficiencies through the development and implementation of innovative technologies. Don has over 24 years of technology experience within the real estate sector finding, implementing or developing new solutions to solve business problems.



Clint Osteen is Sr. Director of IT and is responsible for directing Granite’s information services and telecommunications across the portfolio. Prior to joining Granite, Clint spent 10 years in consulting, providing commercial real estate companies technology and business improvement services.




Jeremy Poteet is the EVP of Technology at JBG SMITH where he leads a team of business minded technologists responsible for technology and innovation based transformative initiatives. He has over 20 years in real estate technology across many asset types in the real estate space and is passionate about the adoption of technology and leading others in solving complex process, technology, reporting, and organizational challenges.


Soheil Pourhashemi is currently EVP, Business Technology and is responsible for establishing and executing the commercial real estate IT strategy, vision and roadmap for the office sector. He has a keen focus on data and analytics, automation, IoT and partnering with the business in executing new innovations across the portfolio. Brookfield Properties develops and operates more than 650 properties and 325 million square feet of high-quality, sustainability-focused real estate assets around the globe. It provides integrated services across all property investment strategies of Brookfield Asset Management, a global alternative asset manager with over $600 billion in AUM.



As VP of Information Technology at Woolbright Development, Luis Ramos is responsible for the corporate technology strategy, which includes the IT infrastructure and enterprise application platforms. Additionally, he is also responsible for implementing technology solutions toward the company’s existing business processes and helping create new efficiencies throughout the company's business model. Since his arrival in 2004, his team has been responsible for the constant development of various industry-focused proprietary software applications and tools. These award-winning technologies have fundamentally changed the way commercial real estate has been done at Woolbright.




Kim Scharf has held various technology positions during her thirty-year career. She is the Senior Vice President & Chief Technology Officer at Curbline Properties Corp., a position she assumed in October of 2024. Before this, Kim was Senior Vice President of Information Systems at SITE Centers Corp., and Vice President of IT Enterprise Services for DDR Corp.


Pete Schow's career spans over 20 years in Information Technology with 17 years in various sectors of Real Estate. Throughout his career, he has managed multiple enterprise level initiatives in Residential/Multi Family development, Investment Real Estate, Commercial Mortgage, Debt as an Asset, and Private Equity. He recently joined Affinius Capital as Executive Director - Head of Data where he is focused on Data Management and Reporting Automation.


Bill Sechen is Managing Director at Harrison Street and is a member of the firm’s Management Committee. Bill leads initiatives focused on the technology, data, process and information security needs as well as leading initiatives for M&A activities.



Justin Segal is an operations executive and entrepreneur specializing in real estate investment and management, startups, and technology. He is the founder of Stemmons Enterprise, a universal operations platform that allows companies to operate with pervasive data and unparalleled agility. He often speaks on topics involving enterprise data, analytics, and user experience.








With strategic oversight of MAPP's Property Management functions, Robert ensures that people, technology and processes are effectively structured and connected. He explores and implements new technology to aid growth, and works with clients to identify their requirements and interpret that into action, ensuring excellence in service delivery and an occupier centric approach. Robert has over 20 years' experience in managing significant client portfolio mandates and working with sector leading organisations to deliver change, engagement and performance.


Helane Stein is SVP, CIO of Brixmor responsible for the overall technology vision, strategy, systems and infrastructure that support business operations. She leads the implementation of transformational solutions that drive organizational efficiency, increase productivity, enhance collaboration and deliver results. Brixmor owns and operates a high-quality, national portfolio of open-air shopping centers. Its 632 retail centers comprise of approximately 64 million square feet of prime retail space in established trade areas.






Thomas Taddeo is SVP, CIO at Kimco. He is responsible for the overall technology strategy, systems and infrastructure which support Kimco's global business operations. He also directs the implementation of enterprise initiatives that leverage technology to improve organizational efficiency and productivity. Prior to joining Kimco, Tom was a Senior Manager at Deloitte in their Real Estate Consulting Practice. He has a Bachelor of Science, Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University.




Brandon Van Orden is SVP & CIO for Cousins Properties Incorporated based in Atlanta. He is responsible for Cousins technical vision and all aspects of the Information Technology organization including people, strategy, development and operations. Prior to joining Cousins in 2016, Brandon was VP of Global Applications for Novelis and prior to that he was with GE Energy for 12 years where he held a number of IT leadership roles increasing in responsibility after he graduated from the GE Information Technology Leadership Program in 2003.


Travis Vokey is SVP, Technology & Innovation of Allied Properties REIT, an owner-operator of distinctive urban workspaces in Canada’s major cities. In this role he is responsible for the strategy and delivery of technology investment and innovative solutions. With a diverse industry background from the Canadian Forces to BlackBerry and more, he brings a user-centric perspective to challenge the status quo and deliver real results across the organization.


Marguerite Westbrook is VP, Technology at EDENS, a nationally leading retail real estate owner, operator and developer. She oversees creating value for the company by improving user productivity through collaboration and data analytics, as well as automation and integration of EDENS’ systems. She is responsible for providing solutions, direction and leadership to align the technology strategy with the company's goals and objectives.



Jim Whalen serves as SVP and CIO/CTO responsible for the direction and implementation of technology and applications at Boston Properties, a fully integrated real estate investment trust and one of the largest owners and developers of Class-A office properties in the United States. Over a 27-year IT career, Jim has supported real estate operations ranging from residential, construction, public housing, commercial office and retail.

