Business Management Executive Q&A
Ford Motor Land Repurposes Plants
April 16, 2008
Editor-in-chief Suzann D. Silverman spoke with Ford Motor Land Development Corp. chairman Sean McCourt for CPN’s April 16 issue about achieving green and other initiatives in this difficult economic environment. What follows is their discussion about the company’s ongoing efforts to repurpose manufacturing sites that must be shut down, as well as further information on its brownfield redevelopment project.
billy brocida Q&A: Procida Discusses New Focus on Distressed Properties
April 11, 2008
When William “Billy” Procida announced this week he was stepping down as chairman & CEO of the company he founded, Palisades Financial, he said it was time to go back to his roots fixing troubled projects.
Ronald Pollina on the "Managed Decline" of U.S. Economy, Real Estate
April 02, 2008
Ronald Pollina, a site selection specialist and commercial real estate broker based in Chicago, has released his fifth annual evaluation of the job creation and retention efforts of the federal government and all 50 state governments, and it doesn't paint a pretty picture of the long-term economic outlook for most of the nation.
Brush, Lisa Seniors Housing Isn’t About the Real Estate: An Interview with Lisa Brush
March 26, 2008
In her more than 15 years in the seniors housing sector, Lisa Brush has gained experience at the large and small ends of the industry, with the privately owned and the publicly traded sides, and with properties across the United States and her native Canada. 
Nokia LEEDs in Emerging Markets
Feb. 01, 2008
Editor-in-chief Suzann D. Silverman spoke with Nokia vice president of workplace resources Mark Tamburro about the telecommunications company’s current real estate initiatives and his upcoming role as chair of CoreNet Global.
Jim Petrus CPN Exclusive: Q&A with Jim Petrus, Trump International Hotels
Jan. 24, 2008
Next Wednesday, the hotel within Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago, which is still under construction on the Chicago River in the city’s downtown, will have its soft opening. In hospitality industry parlance, that means open for business, but before any elaborate grand opening ceremonies.
Michael Brown Q&A: Investors Snapping Up South Florida Bargains
Jan. 09, 2008
As South Florida begins to pick up the pieces of the subprime meltdown, many of the largest players are coming back to the market, looking at bargains and buying foreclosed deals. CPN Associate Editor Amanda Marsh spoke with Michael Brown (pictured), executive director of Meridian Capital Group’s Florida office, about these opportunities and how investors are financing these purchases.
Anderson_Jerry Q & A: Sperry Van Ness’s Anderson Predicts Expansion Despite a Difficult Market
Dec. 04, 2007
With the appointment of Jerry Anderson as the new president of Irvine, Calif.-based Sperry Van Ness, the brokerage has let it be known that it intends to grow, even in the face of a dicey commercial real estate market.
Q&A: Brownfield Appetites on the Rise
Nov. 16, 2007
Both brownfield disposition and investment have become increasingly popular in commercial real estate, due in large part to the increased value being placed on redeveloped properties and more intense focus on corporate social responsibility. CPN associate editor Amanda Marsh spoke with Environmental Data Resources CEO Rob Barber on some of the factors shaping the brownfield market.
Jim Holt Q&A: Hilton’s Holthouser Looks Ahead
Nov. 15, 2007
CPN Senior Editor Eugene Gilligan spoke recently with Jim Holthouser, senior vice president of brand management for Embassy Suites Hotels--the upscale, all-suites brand from Hilton Hotels Corp.--about the brand's growth prospects, and what he sees for the hotel industry in 2008.
Saving Space: CB-CPN Roundtable Considers Effective Consolidation
Nov. 01, 2007
CPN and CB Richard Ellis Inc. collaborated on the fourth annual joint roundtable discussion during the CBRE World Conference in September. This year, CPN editor-in-chief Suzann Silverman joined with CBRE vice chairman of global corporate services William Concannon and a number of top corporate real estate executives to discuss today's biggest issues affecting their businesses.
Will Residential Volatility Affect Office Sector?
Nov. 01, 2007
As the fallout from the subprime crisis pans out, many U.S. markets have seen a direct impact on office space, especially as residential-related businesses, such as mortgage companies, pull back space or close shop. CPN Associate Editor Amanda Marsh spoke with Grubb & Ellis Co. senior vice president Bob Bach about the immediate effects, historical perspectives and the long-term outlook of the residential market's influence on the office sector.
dean Q&A: Women More Viable in Commercial Real Estate, But are They Grasping the Opportunities?
Oct. 31, 2007
CREW-Miami's marking its 20th anniversary tomorrow highlights both the opportunities and challenges women face in today's commercial real estate industry. The chapter's president, Dean Newberry, an industry veteran and director of interiors for Spillis Candela DMJM, is no stranger to this topic.
Nortel’s Gorman Stays Flexible, Agile
Oct. 16, 2007
Executive editor Russ Colchamiro spoke with Mark Gorman, CoreNet Global board member and director of global real estate for Nortel Networks Corp., about the technology giant’s real estate strategy and major issues facing corporate real estate executives.
A Word with ... Andrew Mathias
Oct. 16, 2007
Editor-in-chief Suzann Silverman spoke with Andrew Mathias, who in April added the title of president to his position as chief investment officer for SL Green Realty Corp., about the fast-growing New York City-area office REIT’s investment strategy since closing on the acquisition of Reckson Associates Realty Corp. in January.
mathias Suburban Growth: Mathias on SL Green
Oct. 16, 2007
Editor-in-chief Suzann Silverman spoke with Andrew Mathias, who has been SL Green Realty Corp.'s chief investment officer and added the title of president in April, about the fast-growing New York City-area office REIT's investment strategy since closing on the acquisition of Reckson Associates Realty Corp. in January. Here, he addresses plans for the company's suburban portfolio. (See the Oct. 16 edition of CPN to learn about SL Green's plans for New York City.)
Kentucky Turf Laws Overturned, with Hopes That Other States Will Follow
Oct. 01, 2007
Frankfort, KY—Commercial real estate sales should increase in Kentucky, thanks to the national exposure that is following a federal judge’s ruling that the state’s “turf law” was unconstitutional, according to Harvey Green, chairman & CEO of Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services Inc.
A Word with ... Robert Aisner
Sept. 16, 2007
Senior editor Eugene Gilligan spoke with Robert Aisner, president & COO of Behringer Harvard—a Texas-based integrated commercial real estate company founded in 2001 that invests in both domestic and international assets—about the firm’s investment strategies and criteria, its new partnerships and its acquisition approach within this ultracompetitive market.
Ask the Analyst
Sept. 16, 2007
Executive editor Russ Colchamiro spoke with Tad Philipp, managing director for Moody’s Investors Service’s commercial mortgage finance group, about the CMBS market correction that has followed the recent subprime concerns and about the correction’s long-term fallout.
panks Reversing the Effects of Poor Monetary Planning, Management
Sept. 12, 2007
During the real estate boom, many real estate and development companies were growing at such a fast pace that the lagged in tracking and managing internal costs. Russ Panks, a CPA who specializes in construction and real estate accounting with Florida-based accounting firm Kaufman, Rossin & Co., spoke with CPN Associate Editor Amanda Marsh on the effects of such poor monetary planning and management.
BPG Properties Closes $850M Fund 
Sept. 10, 2007
BPG Properties Ltd. has just closed BPG Investment Partnership VIII L.P., an $850 million real estate investment vehicle that constitutes the Philadelphia-based real estate fund manager's largest private equity fund to date. Daniel DiLella (pictured), president & CEO of BPG Properties, spoke to CPN today about Fund VIII, which has an investment period of three years and nearly $3 billion in buying power.
Credit Crunch: Not a Problem For Commercial Real Estate Industry
Sept. 01, 2007
New York City—The recent credit crunch has the financial world on edge. The Federal Reserve even took action on Aug. 17, reducing its primary credit discount rate by half a percentage point in order to, as per the agency’s official statement, “promote the restoration of orderly conditions in financial markets.
Bank of America LEEDs by Example
Aug. 01, 2007
Editorial assistant Elena Gontar and Bank of America Corp. senior vice president John Saclarides discussed the development of Midtown Manhattan’s new 2.1 million-square-foot Bank of America Tower, built in a physical climate that necessitates green building and a market that demands worthy competitors.
Executives Speak Out
Aug. 01, 2007
What are the thoughts of industry leaders on some of the biggest issues of the day? To find out, CPN posed the following question to insightful executives with experts’ views of the commercial real estate landscape: What impact will New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s plan to take the city on a major green campaign have on future sustainable development?
Q&A: Accor Repositioning to Focus on Core Businesses
July 17, 2007
Accor North America, a division of Accor, has approximately 870 properties in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The company's brands include Motel 6, Studio 6 (an extended-stay brand), Sofitel Hotels and Resorts, Novotel and Ibis brands. Accor made news in April when it sold the Red Roof Inn chain to a consortium including Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc. and Westbridge Hospitality Fund L.P. for $1.3 billion. The estimate for Accor’s room numbers, post-Red Roof Inn, is about 101,600 rooms.

Georges Le Mener, president & CEO of Accor N.A., talked with CPN Senior Editor Eugene Gilligan about what is ahead for the company.
 

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Engaging Your Employees Essential
May 09, 2008
By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth --Long gone are the days where the executive leadership of a company can remain sequestered in their offices with an internal focus on hard metrics. It is the soft metrics of customer centricity...

The Name Game: Part 3
May 02, 2008
By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth --This is the third and final piece in this series on naming. The first column dealt with how to select a naming firm, the second one addressed the components that go into creating...

The Name Game, Part 2
April 25, 2008
By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth --This week's column is part two in a three part series on naming. Last week's column contained advice on how to select a naming firm and today I'll address the elements that go...

The Name Game: Part 1
April 18, 2008
By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth --The disciplines of branding and corporate identity have long been personal passions of mine, and nothing within this genre holds greater fascination for me than the practice of corporate naming. This column is...

Knowledge Is Power
April 11, 2008
By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth --The ability of an executive to sort out who, what, why, when, where, and how while contemplating how decisions are made will largely determine the qualitative outcome of said eventual decisions. Even though...