Advisors
Realcomm Advisory Council Co-Chairs
Sineesh Keshav is the Chief Technology Officer at Prologis. In this role, he oversees all aspects of the technology strategy and is responsible for leading the company’s global data and digital transformation. Since joining Prologis in 2018, Sineesh and his team have been focused on a capability driven, customer-centric approach to innovation and digitalization.
Joe Rich is EVP, CIO of Related Companies, a privately owned real estate firm with a portfolio of over $50 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 in premier high-barrier-to-entry markets. Joe has over 20 years experience as a CIO focused on global cultural change within the organization.
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.
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.
Ryan Allbaugh has over 20 years of experience in the IT industry. Currently, he leads highly knowledgeable and collaborative teams to design and implement technical solutions for Wells Fargo’s corporate properties group. As the former CIO of the largest private commercial real estate developer in the southeast, Ryan applied his extensive knowledge to implement technology solutions impacting the real estate industry, such as his role in the development of one of the most technologically sophisticated buildings in the world, the Duke Energy Center in Charlotte, NC.
Stuart Appley is a Managing Director in CBRE’s Global Workplace Solutions Group, where he is responsible for providing executive technology oversight and consulting to clients. Stuart also has a technology innovation & thought leadership role, helping to develop, drive, and lead pilots on innovative digital projects across CBRE. He was previously the CIO at Shorenstein Realty Services, where he led the transformation of the company’s technology environment into an innovative and best in class organization.
As the VP of Enterprise Applications and Operations at Phillips Edison & Company (PECO), Gary Bailey oversees the IT application development, and infrastructure and operations 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 16 years, and has 24 years of IT experience, including 8 years as a Lead Network Engineer in an IT consultant role.
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.
Jesse Carrillo is Chief Innovation Officer for The Howard Hughes Corporation. He oversees the strategy and operation of the company’s innovation and technology platforms across HHC’s national portfolio of large-scale master planned communities (MPCs) and mixed-use properties. Previously, he was CIO at Hines directing all corporate technology, strategy and standards for the global real estate firm worldwide.
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.
Ian Feagin is currently the CTO at Jamestown, a national, vertically integrated real estate operator with approximately $11.2 billion of assets under management. Previously, Ian was Director of Technical Support at Leapfrog for 14 years where he was responsible for providing technical services to over 10,000 users worldwide with a staff of 65 technicians.
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.
John Fitzpatrick is a Managing Director and Global Chief Technology Officer of Blackstone Real Estate within the Technology and Innovations group. He is responsible for all aspects of technology across Blackstone Real Estate and our portfolio companies and also oversees the Blackstone Innovations investment program, which seeks to unlock value for our LPs and the firm by taking stakes in targeted, early stage, technology-based investment opportunities.
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.
Jason Gheradini is currently SVP, IT at Sares-Regis, a preeminent developer and provider of comprehensive commercial and residential real estate services throughout the western United States. He provides all aspects of IT leadership from business strategy, infrastructure operations and support to overseeing innovation and emerging technology. Jason has over 15 years of experience in commercial and multi-family real estate, construction and the software industry.
Ilene Goldfine is the Chief Digital Strategy Officer for Hines. She oversees the Global Digital Strategy Office, which uses technology and data to empower Hines employees, engage clients and partners, optimize operations and continuously transform our products and services. Previously she served as head of the Business Technology Group after having worked on several of the firm’s investment funds and in the financial/accounting functions across the firm.
Mike Goodwin is Stockbridge's CTO. He oversees information technology, information security and cybersecurity for the firm. He has a combined 18 years in the industry across different operational functions.
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 Group Technology Director, Kevin is responsible for maximizing the value of technology investments in Grosvenor. With over 20 years’ experience in technology, the last 17 of which have been in the property industry, he is passionate about how technology can be used to improve sustainability in the built environment, enhance the customer’s experience, and drive business performance. Since joining Grosvenor in 2014, Kevin has spent time in both London and Hong Kong, where he headed up the IT and Digital programme and development functions.
Phil Klokis is currently the CIO for the Public Buildings Service (PBS) of the General Services Administration. He is responsible for delivering Information Technology (IT) solutions and services supporting PBS' diverse real estate operations and portfolio management consisting of 1,500 owned assets, 9,000 active leased assets and nearly 350 million square feet of office space.
Jim Kurek is Brandywine's VP, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer. With over 20 years of experience in technology across multiple verticals, his expertise includes all facets of information technology including cybersecurity, infrastructure and operations, digital transformation and data analytics. Prior to joining Brandywine, Jim worked for Liberty Property Trust as their CIO, as well as D&H as their SVP of Technology and Operations where he was responsible for the company's global technology footprint.
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.
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.
Robb Napolitano is the CIO for the Brooksville Company and is responsible for all oversight of its information and technology platforms. As a member of Brooksville's Senior Leadership Team, he contributes to the firm's strategic direction by using Information and Technology to reduce cost, improve operational process efficiencies and maximize revenue. Robb has more than 20 years' experience in the application of IT solutions across multiple industries.
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.
Michael Osment is Bedrock's Chief Technology Officer leading its technology team in building services, enterprise project management systems, data management and IT. In this role, Osment will merge technology with physical buildings to create new environments that deliver better services, reduce energy usage and enhance digital infrastructure. Michael has more than 20 years as an information and technology executive.
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.
Sunder Pappu has more than 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is currently the SVP Head of Technology Strategy at Inland Real Estate Group and is responsible for leading project management and application development for the IT department, while ensuring Inland’s technology strategy is aligned with businesses and that technologies are available to meet each entities’ unique business demands.
Niraj Patel is Chief Information Officer at Greystone. He has over 25 years of operational and board experience with corporate, venture and private equity backed entities. Prior to joining Greystone, Niraj was the President of AI, Analytics and Platforms at DMI. Other roles include CIO of lending platforms at IBM, Strategy Officer at Selex, co-founder and President of ISGN and CIO at GMAC Commercial Holding. At GMAC he led the startup, scaling-up and exiting of six different divisions in the technology and services focused on lending.
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.
Sam Raghavachari is currently Head of Technology at RPT Realty. In this position, he is responsible for managing RPT’s technology strategy including creation of an integrated and scalable operating platform that is aligned with overall organizational goals, as well as overseeing application development, infrastructure, data management and governance, cyber security, audits, and service delivery.
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.
Larry Schachter is Director of Technology at TGM Associates, where he responsible for all technology infrastructure, applications, and cybersecurity. TGM is a multifamily owner/operator/registered investment advisor with a nationwide footprint. Prior to joining TGM, Larry was the CIO for Benderson Development Company, a 40MM sqft. privately held real estate owner-operator.
Kim Scharf has been the Senior Vice President of Information Technology at SITE Centers Corp. since April 2017. Before this, Kim served as SITE's Vice President of IT Enterprise Services. She is a member of the executive steering committee for SITE's Women of Influence program, the Realcomm Advisory Council, the Building Cyber Security (BCS) Advisory Board, and the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA).
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.
For more than twenty years, Stephen Suriano has been responsible for creating and implementing the information and technology strategy of DRA Advisors LLC, a real estate investment advisor that manages roughly $12B of retail, office, industrial and multifamily assets.
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.
With over 25 years of experience in the technology space, Sonny Thind brings valuable expertise from a variety of industries to the QuadReal leadership team. As Chief Technology Officer, he focuses on leading QuadReal’s IT team and driving the company’s vision through the strategic use of technology to support higher levels of innovation and customer service.
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.
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.
Sheridan Ware manages all aspects of technology at Charter Hall. Multi-layered with far-reaching impact, her team constantly seeks new ways to leverage platforms and data – to drive deeper insights that will not only create better choices in property investment, but also ensure the business is operating as efficiently as possible to continue to grow and support its investors’ future wealth. As a human-centric designer, Sheridan puts people at the heart of everything she does.
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.
Ilan Zachar is currently Chief Technology Officer at Carr Properties, a privately held REIT known for its portfolio of trophy-quality properties in the Washington D.C. In this role, Ilan leverages vision and foresight to cross-pollinate best practices, processes, systems and resources across corporate operations/affiliates. Under his leadership, this has resulted in improvements in bottom-line costs, top-line business growth/scalability, operational sustainability and high performance and overall, strengthening his company’s role as a market leader. For over 20 years, Ilan has been executive business leader and innovative technology strategist for multinational real-estate and property development companies worldwide.
5G | In-Building Wireless Symposium Advisors
John Dulin is a 30-year global telecom and enterprise executive and has held senior positions in product management, marketing and sales in the areas of fiber optics, wireless and new technology development.
Michael Osment is Bedrock's Chief Technology Officer leading its technology team in building services, enterprise project management systems, data management and IT. In this role, Osment will merge technology with physical buildings to create new environments that deliver better services, reduce energy usage and enhance digital infrastructure. Michael has more than 20 years as an information and technology executive.
Joe Rich is EVP, CIO of Related Companies, a privately owned real estate firm with a portfolio of over $50 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 in premier high-barrier-to-entry markets. Joe has over 20 years experience as a CIO focused on global cultural change within the organization.
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.
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.
Ilan Zachar is currently Chief Technology Officer at Carr Properties, a privately held REIT known for its portfolio of trophy-quality properties in the Washington D.C. In this role, Ilan leverages vision and foresight to cross-pollinate best practices, processes, systems and resources across corporate operations/affiliates. Under his leadership, this has resulted in improvements in bottom-line costs, top-line business growth/scalability, operational sustainability and high performance and overall, strengthening his company’s role as a market leader. For over 20 years, Ilan has been executive business leader and innovative technology strategist for multinational real-estate and property development companies worldwide.
CIO Roundtable Co-Chairs
Sineesh Keshav is the Chief Technology Officer at Prologis. In this role, he oversees all aspects of the technology strategy and is responsible for leading the company’s global data and digital transformation. Since joining Prologis in 2018, Sineesh and his team have been focused on a capability driven, customer-centric approach to innovation and digitalization.
Joe Rich is EVP, CIO of Related Companies, a privately owned real estate firm with a portfolio of over $50 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 in premier high-barrier-to-entry markets. Joe has over 20 years experience as a CIO focused on global cultural change within the organization.
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.
CRE Cybersecurity Forum Co-Chairs
Ryan Allbaugh has over 20 years of experience in the IT industry. Currently, he leads highly knowledgeable and collaborative teams to design and implement technical solutions for Wells Fargo’s corporate properties group. As the former CIO of the largest private commercial real estate developer in the southeast, Ryan applied his extensive knowledge to implement technology solutions impacting the real estate industry, such as his role in the development of one of the most technologically sophisticated buildings in the world, the Duke Energy Center in Charlotte, NC.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Founder of Realcomm Conference Group, an education organization that produces Realcomm, IBcon and CoRE Tech, the world's leading conferences on technology, automated business solutions, intelligent buildings and energy efficiency for the commercial and corporate real estate industry. As CEO, Jim interacts with the largest companies globally pertaining to some of the most advanced and progressive next generation real estate projects under development.
Environmental Sustainability Forum Co-Chairs
Maureen Ehrenberg, FRICS, CRE, is co-founder and CEO of Blue Skyre IBE, a Colliers Strategic Partner. Her firm specializes in operationalizing ESG for real estate portfolios and digitizing property operations. Ehrenberg is an internationally recognized real estate industry business leader whose expertise lies in business process transformation, strategic positioning, and operations of large, complex portfolios. She led, repositioned and doubled the size of three leading global real estate facility outsourcing businesses. With more than 35 years of experience, she has deep expertise in providing companies with global real estate advice and services. Before founding Blue Skyre, Ehrenberg held global executive roles with WeWork, JLL, CBRE, and Grubb & Ellis.
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.
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.
Environmental Sustainability Forum Advisors
Jason is Vice President of Building Technology in WSP’s innovation advisory practice. He brings expertise in integrating the total business vision from the disparate interests of varied stakeholder groups into the built environment design and delivery process. Having spent a large portion of his career in Life Science, Technology and Healthcare real estate development and portfolio management, he has experienced firsthand the demands of tenant organizations and the needs of facilities management and corporate real estate. In leading stakeholder engagement workshops, Jason adds an invaluable dimension to the business outcome visioning process. His considerable experience as a construction manager including technology master planning, integrating project teams, and marshalling resources towards common ends helps to ensure projects are executed to maximum effect.
Ilene Goldfine is the Chief Digital Strategy Officer for Hines. She oversees the Global Digital Strategy Office, which uses technology and data to empower Hines employees, engage clients and partners, optimize operations and continuously transform our products and services. Previously she served as head of the Business Technology Group after having worked on several of the firm’s investment funds and in the financial/accounting functions across the firm.
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.
Karen Jalon is Cadillac Fairview's Vice President of Sustainability, Energy & Smart Technology and is responsible for the company’s award-winning approach to sustainability, climate, and energy management as well as its smart building technologies strategy and execution. Karen is an industry-leading pioneer in establishing Green Building standards and sits on many of the guiding committees that set the sustainability standards to which the global real estate industry adheres.
Lauren Brust Moss is the Senior Vice President, Chief Sustainability Officer at Vornado Realty Trust, where she oversees the company’s industry-leading sustainability programs including initiatives focused on energy efficiency, green cleaning, waste diversion, technology and infrastructure, and healthy environments. Lauren has more than 20 years of experience managing sustainability, energy and capital improvements for large-scale buildings and portfolios, and is recognized as an industry thought leader and advocate on green policy, regulation and compliance.
Sara Neff is the Head of ESG, Lendlease Americas, where she provides leadership and management oversight in developing, implementing and driving Lendlease's corporate sustainability framework in the Americas region. Prior to that role, she served as Senior Vice President, Sustainability at Kilroy Realty Corporation. Under her leadership, Kilroy has been recognized as a leader among publicly traded real estate companies on sustainability in the Americas by GRESB for seven of the last eight years as well as being recognized by NAREIT, and achieved carbon neutral operations at the end of 2020.
Becca Timms is the Director of ESG at Jamestown. She leads environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives through the Jamestown Green program.
Charles Whiteley is VP, Strategy Execution Global Leader, Digital & Artificial Intelligence at AECOM. He has 15+ years of experience driving digital and business transformation efforts for Fortune 100 companies across a variety of industries. Charles is responsible for defining global digital strategy for AECOM’s B+P (Buildings and Places) business line and acts a key technology and strategy advisor for key client and government pursuits tied to smart cities, digital twins, smart campuses, common data environments, sustainability and large scale master plans and urban revitalization efforts.
Hybrid | Immersive Work Experience Summit Advisors
Mark is truly "living the dream" as Atlassian’s resident Modern Work expert and evangelist. Focused on practice over theory, Mark spends his days coaching both Atlassian and customer teams on new ways of working, then sharing what he's learned at events around the world! Joining Atlassian in 2019, Mark brings over a decade of experience experimenting with work and helping people, teams, and organizations transform at places like Boeing, Nordstrom, TD Ameritrade, and Rocket Mortgage. Mark has made it his mission to inject modern ways of working, a transformation mindset, and the power of expert storytelling into everything he does.
Greg is a Studio Director in Gensler’s San Francisco office and Digital Experience Design Leader for the firm’s Northwest region. He specializes in developing experiential design projects focused on media and technology for the built environment. With over 20 years of experience, Greg works with clients to imagine what’s next in immersive art and technology to enable the newest and most advanced concepts for work, leisure, and learning environments.
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.
Dr. Steve McNelley is co-founder of DVEholographics.com which is a think tank serving the US government, corporations, and institutions of higher learning. Throughout his career Steve has solved technical challenges that require a diverse set of skills. His patented innovations span numerous products in the visual communication market sector with core technology embedded in over 100 million consumer products. Steve is one of the early and now leading innovators in natural augmented reality (no head mounted display needed) and has been a go to source for industry perspective for leading publications.
Cliff is a CEO, entrepreneur and business executive whose success has come from building and leading outstanding teams, creating trusted relationships, identifying new market opportunities, and working with vision and integrity. He draws on 40 years of experience, spotting opportunities to capitalize on technology innovations, leveraging a customer centric approach. Cliff most recently co-founded Welo, a hybrid work solution that provides all of the intangibles of working together in an office so that colleagues who are in the office, remote or in hybrid situations can feel productive and connected. Welo is backed by Atlassian and Zoom.
Skip Rodenbush, Founder and CEO of The Virtual Specialist (TVS), excels at identifying applications and designing best-of-breed technology solutions that yield immediate measurable results at scale. TVS focuses on healthcare, sustainability, and commercial real estate specializing in improving the user experience and enabling people to work together virtually with actionable information regardless of location.
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.
IB Boot Camp Co-Chairs
Andy Schonberger is currently Vice President of Client Services at Intelligent Buildings helping clients with advisory, site assessments and managed services. He has 15 years’ experience in facilities management and technology, ranging from large industrial to commercial office where he has held engineering, project management, advisory and hands-on implementation roles for organizations including Earth Rangers, Cisco Systems and the Canada Green Buildings Council (where he was Past Chair of the Toronto Chapter).
Low Voltage Buildings Roundtable Advisors
Tyler Andrews is a leader and influencer on Intelligent Buildings and Power Over Ethernet. With his unique mix of technical expertise, construction experience, and project management knowledge, Tyler leads PoE Texas by making technology accessible to facility owners.
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.
Steve Corcoran has over 25 years of experience in the telecom industry and has seen and done it all. It is from that base that he can see how the way we have done things in the past needs to improve and evolve along with new technologies and green building standards.
Derek is a values-centered entrepreneur who is passionate about the environment and making bold leaps in energy efficiency through system integration. He is a subject matter expert in building controls and intelligent DC Nanogrids, and contributes to industry working groups to promote efficient building technologies. As founder and CEO of LumenCache, he is leading the collaborative effort to globally change the standard for power distribution in buildings making them smart, safe, efficient, and resilient.
Kim Johnson serves as the chief marketing officer for MHT Technologies, a leader in Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) lighting and the building automation software space. Johnson is responsible for refining and promoting the company’s global brand and increasing exposure for its industry leading smart-building technology solutions. In 2022, she was elected by peer organizations to be the first president of the PoE Consortium, a group of 40+ companies that came together to form an organization to promote the use of Power-over-Ethernet technology as a safe, sustainable, and smart backbone for intelligent buildings. She led the organization from its nascent beginnings to being an nationally known advocacy and educational non-profit through 2023.
Ilan Zachar is currently Chief Technology Officer at Carr Properties, a privately held REIT known for its portfolio of trophy-quality properties in the Washington D.C. In this role, Ilan leverages vision and foresight to cross-pollinate best practices, processes, systems and resources across corporate operations/affiliates. Under his leadership, this has resulted in improvements in bottom-line costs, top-line business growth/scalability, operational sustainability and high performance and overall, strengthening his company’s role as a market leader. For over 20 years, Ilan has been executive business leader and innovative technology strategist for multinational real-estate and property development companies worldwide.
Smart Building Integrator Summit (SBIS) Advisors
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.
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.
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.
VC Showcase Advisors
Travis Connors is a Co-Founder and General Partner of Building Ventures, the firm’s Built Environment Innovation Fund and a Board Member at Smartvid.io. Travis has worked closely with emerging startups in the Boston area for the past seventeen years.
As the Head of Strategic Partnerships and Business Development for MetaProp, Zander Geronimos leads relationships and communications with key players across the real estate value chain and acts as a conduit between strategic real estate firms and the emerging PropTech community.
Paige Pitcher is the Head of Strategic Partnerships at Moderne Ventures. She manages programming and relationships across the firm, including its Portfolio Companies, Passport Program and Corporate Innovation Advisory practice.Paige is a futurist, innovator, and intrapreneur with a decade's worth of experience in real estate development and corporate strategy. She is a TEDx speaker and has delivered keynote addresses on three continents urging the evolution of the built environment.
Travis Connors is a Co-Founder and General Partner of Building Ventures, the firm’s Built Environment Innovation Fund and a Board Member at Smartvid.io. Travis has worked closely with emerging startups in the Boston area for the past seventeen years.
As the Head of Strategic Partnerships and Business Development for MetaProp, Zander Geronimos leads relationships and communications with key players across the real estate value chain and acts as a conduit between strategic real estate firms and the emerging PropTech community.
Paige Pitcher is the Head of Strategic Partnerships at Moderne Ventures. She manages programming and relationships across the firm, including its Portfolio Companies, Passport Program and Corporate Innovation Advisory practice.Paige is a futurist, innovator, and intrapreneur with a decade's worth of experience in real estate development and corporate strategy. She is a TEDx speaker and has delivered keynote addresses on three continents urging the evolution of the built environment.
VC Advisors
Travis Connors is a Co-Founder and General Partner of Building Ventures, the firm’s Built Environment Innovation Fund and a Board Member at Smartvid.io. Travis has worked closely with emerging startups in the Boston area for the past seventeen years.
As the Head of Strategic Partnerships and Business Development for MetaProp, Zander Geronimos leads relationships and communications with key players across the real estate value chain and acts as a conduit between strategic real estate firms and the emerging PropTech community.
Paige Pitcher is the Head of Strategic Partnerships at Moderne Ventures. She manages programming and relationships across the firm, including its Portfolio Companies, Passport Program and Corporate Innovation Advisory practice.Paige is a futurist, innovator, and intrapreneur with a decade's worth of experience in real estate development and corporate strategy. She is a TEDx speaker and has delivered keynote addresses on three continents urging the evolution of the built environment.
Travis Connors is a Co-Founder and General Partner of Building Ventures, the firm’s Built Environment Innovation Fund and a Board Member at Smartvid.io. Travis has worked closely with emerging startups in the Boston area for the past seventeen years.
As the Head of Strategic Partnerships and Business Development for MetaProp, Zander Geronimos leads relationships and communications with key players across the real estate value chain and acts as a conduit between strategic real estate firms and the emerging PropTech community.
Paige Pitcher is the Head of Strategic Partnerships at Moderne Ventures. She manages programming and relationships across the firm, including its Portfolio Companies, Passport Program and Corporate Innovation Advisory practice.Paige is a futurist, innovator, and intrapreneur with a decade's worth of experience in real estate development and corporate strategy. She is a TEDx speaker and has delivered keynote addresses on three continents urging the evolution of the built environment.
IBCon Advisory Council Co-Chairs
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.
Colette Temmink currently serves as Chief Operating Officer, Commercial Division at SMS Assist, a Lessen Company. Prior to this she was Chief Strategy & Product Officer at Blue Skyre IBE. She has also served as Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Apollo Education Group and held global real estate executive roles at C&W, Oracle and Boeing. She is a speaker and thought leader on corporate real estate, facilities management, ESG and PropTech.
Charles Whiteley is VP, Strategy Execution Global Leader, Digital & Artificial Intelligence at AECOM. He has 15+ years of experience driving digital and business transformation efforts for Fortune 100 companies across a variety of industries. Charles is responsible for defining global digital strategy for AECOM’s B+P (Buildings and Places) business line and acts a key technology and strategy advisor for key client and government pursuits tied to smart cities, digital twins, smart campuses, common data environments, sustainability and large scale master plans and urban revitalization efforts.
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.
Saruf Alam has directed some of the world’s leading smart building projects across North America, Australia and Europe. He has also developed sensing solutions for projects funded by the Department of Energy that explore energy conservation through better building insulation. Saruf’s focus lies in finding a way to standardize master systems integration to make it affordable and scalable for all.
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.
Jason is Vice President of Building Technology in WSP’s innovation advisory practice. He brings expertise in integrating the total business vision from the disparate interests of varied stakeholder groups into the built environment design and delivery process. Having spent a large portion of his career in Life Science, Technology and Healthcare real estate development and portfolio management, he has experienced firsthand the demands of tenant organizations and the needs of facilities management and corporate real estate. In leading stakeholder engagement workshops, Jason adds an invaluable dimension to the business outcome visioning process. His considerable experience as a construction manager including technology master planning, integrating project teams, and marshalling resources towards common ends helps to ensure projects are executed to maximum effect.
Murad Bhatti has over 20 years of experience in process engineering, corporate real estate and technology management. He is currently Sr. Director, Technology, Business Intelligence and Communication Infrastructure Management (CIM) at RBC Corporate Real Estate. He is responsible for management/oversight of strategy, operations and implementation of real estate applications, workplace technologies and the business intelligence program. He recently led the transformation of RBC’s Corporate Real Estate technologies with the completion of innovative projects such IWMS, RBC Business Intelligence and Analytics program, IoT and several smart workplace technology initiatives.
Patrick Biesty serves as the Director of Engineering & Building Performance at Sterling Bay. With over 20 years of extensive experience in building engineering and management, Patrick oversees all aspects of the firm's engineering efforts across its entire portfolio, including the management of over 80 field engineering professionals. Patrick also oversees MEP due diligence during acquisitions and dispositions, building performance and sustainability, and OSHA compliance and safety.
David Blanch is a dynamic leader with a 20-year track record in building technology data and software development. As CEO of Bitpool, an Australian startup revolutionizing building technology, David brings his expertise to drive innovative solutions in the prop-tech space. At Bitpool, his passion for harnessing data and dedication to removing the complexity of integrating and owning on-premise systems with emerging tech has led to the development of AI-driven data assistants, empowering clients to make data-informed, sustainable decisions in property management. A mentor and industry thought leader, David inspires the next generation of building tech and software development professionals, ensuring a vibrant future for the prop-tech world.
Rudy Bohince is the Director of Engineering and Technology for Albireo Energy . Rudy is responsible for managing a team of design and software engineers to support the sales and installation of smart building technologies. He has been in the energy and smart building industry for 15 years and has worked on a wide range of commercial, mission critical, and healthcare projects across the country.
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.
Anto Budiardjo is CEO of Padi.io. He has been a veteran in the connected building space since 1989, having developed numerous integration platforms for buildings focused on interoperability. Today, Anto focuses on system integration in the Internet era with an online platform Padi.io. Core to Padi is the advocacy of CNS/CP (Connection Profiles), an interoperation mechanism being adopted as the open mechanism by Digital Twin communities.
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.
Vardahn is a Vice President in the Investments group at JBG SMITH where he leads the firm’s Digital Infrastructure strategy and business unit. JBGS is deploying an urban last-mile digital infrastructure investment platform across National Landing including fiber, data centers, towers (small cells & macro), and spectrum assets. Vardahn also oversees the firm’s venture capital fund investments (~$50M equity) and various other strategic initiatives to advance adoption of new technologies. Prior to joining JBGS, Vardahn was the lead consultant in Accenture’s Smart Cities and Digital Infrastructure practice where he worked across industries (public sector, real estate, telecom, resources) on strategy, investment, and operations consulting.
Jeff Chulick is the Technology and Innovation Leader for EY Real Estate Services. He leads a global team of professionals focused on the identification, innovation, design and realization of technology solutions that greatly enhance the workplace experience. His areas of focus include digital strategy, smart workplace, IoT, visual communications, workplace management, physical access and audio/visual technology. Jeff has over 20 years of enabling workplace strategies and delivering innovative solutions for EY and external clients across many different industries.
Jon Clarke is Head of Smart Building Technology and responsible for overseeing the strategic deployment of Building Technology, Proptech and Innovative solutions across the portfolio. He leads the building technology team who research and trial emerging technologies with a focus on solving real problems with scalability to deliver the next generation of cutting edge digitally enabled buildings.
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.
Scott Collins has over 20 years of industry knowledge and experience in construction project management and building automation. He was previously with Bedrock where he implemented an integration with smart and cutting-edge technology across its vast real estate portfolio of 95+ properties and 14 million SF in downtown Detroit that resulted in capital expenditures reduction and enhanced tenant experiences.
Ujjaini Dasgupta is Merck's Smart Building Lead where she and her team partners with global sites and Merck employees to solve problems at- scale related to employee experience and facilities operations.
Kunal Desai is a Engineering Programs Manager at Google. He leads Google's coveted Facility Engineering Programs including the Digital / Smart Building Program. Kunal is responsible for developing and executing Smart Building Program strategy with strong focus on user experience and facility operations. With over 14 years of experience in Design, Sustainability, Energy Efficiency, and Building Management Systems, Kunal has always been a strong advocate of technology actively assisting in solving for current day real estate problems.
Bruce Duyshart is a technologist, strategist, and facilitator with a professional background in architecture, planning, design, property development and information technology. As the founder and principal of Meld Strategies, Australia’s leading Smart Building Consultancy, he has been at the forefront of innovation within the property industry for more than 30 years.
Maureen Ehrenberg, FRICS, CRE, is co-founder and CEO of Blue Skyre IBE, a Colliers Strategic Partner. Her firm specializes in operationalizing ESG for real estate portfolios and digitizing property operations. Ehrenberg is an internationally recognized real estate industry business leader whose expertise lies in business process transformation, strategic positioning, and operations of large, complex portfolios. She led, repositioned and doubled the size of three leading global real estate facility outsourcing businesses. With more than 35 years of experience, she has deep expertise in providing companies with global real estate advice and services. Before founding Blue Skyre, Ehrenberg held global executive roles with WeWork, JLL, CBRE, and Grubb & Ellis.
Brett Fisher is a Senior Manager in Deloitte Consulting’s Real Estate Strategy & Sustainability Practice. Brett is a real estate technologist, with a decade of experience in identifying and deploying innovative solutions to help clients manage their real estate portfolio. He leads some of Deloitte’s most complicated real estate technology implementations.
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.
Michael Frazee is the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of Lendlease, a globally integrated real estate and investment group committed to the creation of communities which thrive. With over 28 years of IT experience at Lendlease, Michael is a trusted leader in building global teams and large-scale security programs that address cybersecurity, technology risk and enhance operational resilience. Michael also serves on the Leadership Board of the Real Estate Cyber Consortium (RECC), an organisation focused on elevating awareness across the real estate community about cyber security preparedness for buildings and facilities.
Joydeep Ganguly is currently the Senior Vice President of Corporate Operations at Gilead Sciences –. In his current role, his accountabilities include providing leadership for multiple functions: Corporate Engineering and Facilities, Sustainability and EH&S, Procurement, CFO2020 program and the CFO PMO (Program Management office). Joydeep joined Gilead in 2016 from Biogen, where he was Vice President and head of Biogen’s Global Biologics Manufacturing & Technical Operations organization.
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.
Dean is a thought leader on the digitization of commercial real estate, drawing on over 25 years of experience with rapid growth and transformational change in organizations of all sizes – including technology innovation, strategy, and thought leadership from start-up to global enterprise-scale organizations. Dean recently left the role of COO at Oxford Properties after three years, having built an amazing global team that is already realizing the potential of a more digital and sustainable approach to real estate. Dean has now transitioned into an advisory role, helping ambitious global real estate investors, asset managers, developers, and operators with digital strategy and capability building.
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.
As the leader of one of Hepta Systems’ fastest growing departments, Jason Houck is in charge of the design and implementation of smart building networks. He has over fourteen years of experience implementing and servicing Building Automation and Security Systems. His responsibilities include project management, programming, network design, and verification of building systems for both retrofit and new construction projects. Jason also has an extensive IT background which allows him to fully appreciate the importance of a properly designed network.
Karen Jalon is Cadillac Fairview's Vice President of Sustainability, Energy & Smart Technology and is responsible for the company’s award-winning approach to sustainability, climate, and energy management as well as its smart building technologies strategy and execution. Karen is an industry-leading pioneer in establishing Green Building standards and sits on many of the guiding committees that set the sustainability standards to which the global real estate industry adheres.
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.
Thomas Kaufman is the Senior Director, Corporate Real Estate at United Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative products to address the unmet medical needs of patients with chronic and life-threatening diseases. He is responsible for managing the entitlement, design and construction of the company’s new headquarters, the largest commercial site-net zero building on the East Coast.
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.
Bayron Lopez is the Director, Operational Technology responsible for managing and innovating Kilroy Realty's smart buildings systems. He helps determine policies and processes from security to maintenance and growth to increase building efficiency and tenant experience. Kilroy is a leading West Coast landlord and developer globally recognized for sustainability, building operations, innovation and design.
Lachlan MacQuarrie oversees Epic’s Canadian real estate management services which includes property management operations, leasing, customer experience, sustainability and innovation programs. With over 20 years industry experience, he is a visionary, influential leader with international oversight experience in the global institutional real estate industry.
James McHale is CEO & Founder of Memoori, an independent analyst company based in Stockholm providing market research, business intelligence and advice on Smart Building technologies.
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.
Sara Neff is the Head of ESG, Lendlease Americas, where she provides leadership and management oversight in developing, implementing and driving Lendlease's corporate sustainability framework in the Americas region. Prior to that role, she served as Senior Vice President, Sustainability at Kilroy Realty Corporation. Under her leadership, Kilroy has been recognized as a leader among publicly traded real estate companies on sustainability in the Americas by GRESB for seven of the last eight years as well as being recognized by NAREIT, and achieved carbon neutral operations at the end of 2020.
Leo O'Loughlin oversees the Americas’ delivery arm of JLL’s Smart Building Platform technologies, where JLL leverages real time data and resulting insights to achieve client outcomes. This virtual central operation platform transforms service delivery models to provide dynamic workplace services, portfolio optimization, cost savings, and workplace agility. O’Loughlin has more than 30 years of industry experience.
Brian Oswald is Managing Director for CBRE focused on professional services, remote facility operation and system integration. He is responsible for daily business operations of CBRE and assist account teams and clients with identifying and implementing portfolio-wide smart building technology solutions. Brian brings more than a decade of smart building technology and implementation experience to his role, including a proven record of delivering multi-site applications.
David is the Sustainability Manager for Mirvac’s $9 billion investment portfolio. He leads a team of in-house sustainability professionals who are responsible for the delivery of Mirvac’s This Changes Everything sustainability strategy across the Office, Industrial and Retail portfolios.
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.
Michael is the Managing Director, Intelligent & Digital Workplaces at Accenture and has spent more than 25 years helping workforces of major companies around the world change the way they work through the implementation of constantly evolving, innovative technologies. A recognized thought leader on the merger between people, places and technology, he has an ultimate passion for making workforces more efficient and effective through the application of technology, either to how they do their work or to the environment in which they do it.
Francisco Ruiz is the Global Director of Digital Transformation Services and Infrastructure Strategist for Real Estate and Facilities at Oracle. He leads a global team that’s responsible for the strategy, design, implementation and security of enterprise IoT Solutions across a 26 million square foot Real Estate Portfolio. Francisco is a recognized as a thought leader and subject matter expert in all things Real Estate Digital Transformation and is a frequent speaker on related areas of expertise.
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.
Tony Schaffer has led a distinguished career spanning over 25 years in the wireless industry, marked by his exceptional leadership, business acumen, and deal-making prowess. Renowned for his loyalty, trust and strong rapport with C-level executives in REITs, Developers, and Owners across various real estate sectors, Tony is committed to delivering First Class service to HALO Clients and his team with unparalleled integrity.
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.
Maya Setchkova is a Managing Director at Cushman & Wakefield, San Francisco, in charge of a global account spanning all service lines. She has over 20 years of experience in real estate investment, asset management, finance, brokerage, property and facility management, project management, and lease administration. Maya is passionate about introducing innovative technology to the traditionally conservative real estate sector. She has piloted/implemented a large number of new PropTech solutions in various property portfolios. Maya also serves as CFO/COO/CSO advisor to startups in the real estate and healthcare space. She is an established PropTech expert and has spoken at PropTech forums and published articles on the subject.
Michael Sherwood isthe Chief Innovation and Technology Officer for the City of Las Vegas. He has more than 20 years of experience in the fields of process improvement, technology and innovation. Prior to the city of Las Vegas, he served as the Deputy Director of Public Safety, Business Services & City Technology for the City of Irvine, California. Michael is extremely passionate about technology and believes that through innovation, workforce development and collaboration, we can create brighter and sustainable communities.
Mike Smith is a real estate technology expert with more than 15 years of experience focused on technology, operations, infrastructure, innovation and energy-saving solutions for the real estate industry. He launched WhiteSpace in 2015 to provide a single source of building technology solutions for the real estate market.
Kelly Soljacich is a Senior Vice President and Director of Asset Level Environmental, Social and Technology (EST) Innovation for LaSalle Investment Management. With over 20 years in the real estate investment industry in Portfolio and Asset Management, she helps investigate, evaluate and implement new and different ways to add value to LaSalle’s properties and the corresponding communities.
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.
Ben is an architect who is compelled by his belief that architects are stewards of the built environment, with the power to enhance people's lives through the quality of design. Ben has served as a Director with Gensler since 2006, leading the design process for many of the firm's foremost projects, such as the 632-meter Shanghai Tower, The Tower at PNC Plaza, and the new headquarters for NVIDIA.
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.
Leveraging 15 years in the industry, Brian Vaughn creates awareness and understanding of the vendor and technology landscape to help educate C&W’s clients and provide guidance on technology selection and deployment. The innovation hub works with vendors to support C&W’s partner first approach enabled by advisory to create best in class technology solutions for our clients.
E.J. von Schaumburg is Senior Vice President of Partner Alliances at Red Bison Technology Group, where he is developing an ecosystem of partners to add value to Red Bison’s CRE Connectivity, Sustainability, and Security Platform. These partnerships enable Red Bison to deliver significant cost savings, new tenant technologies, and new revenue streams that increase the asset values of commercial properties. He has nearly three decades of experience in the telecommunications industry with domain expertise in wireless technologies.
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.
Leon founded Bueno in 2013, with a vision of using technology and his engineering expertise to improve building energy performance. His vision has seen rapid growth and success. Prior to Bueno, Leon worked as an Energy Efficiency Consultant in the Australian commercial property sector and was involved in the development of the world’s first legislated Building Performance Standard (NABERS).
Phillip Yang is the director/founder of FiftyFive Group (FFG), a leading Real Estate Technology consulting and solutions company. FFG specializes in designing and delivering tailored, innovative solutions which add tangible value for owners, managers, and operators of diverse, complex property portfolios. Phillip's expertise and extensive domain experience enables him to work closely with all asset stakeholders to deploy high impact solutions that complement core business, people, and processes.