Hassan Pirnia will become president and chief executive officer at First National Financial (FN-T), effective Nov. 2.

He will succeed Jason Ellis, whose retirement was previously announced.

“He knows our industry well, understands the importance of the broker channel and has a strong track record of getting things done,” Ellis said.

Pirnia most recently served as North American chief risk officer, personal and business banking at BMO, and previously served as head of Canadian business banking, and head of personal lending and home finance. He also held progressively senior roles at CIBC for more than 10 years.

“We are grateful to Jason for his leadership and congratulate him on an outstanding 22 years with First National,” First National chairman Moray Tawse said.

“First National is an exceptional franchise with a great team and strong momentum across the business. Hassan is the right leader to build on that success.”

Pirnia holds designations from the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA) and Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D).

“I’m incredibly excited to be joining First National, a business I’ve known and admired for years. The company has an exceptional franchise, a great team, and a strong position in the Canadian mortgage market,” Pirnia said.

First National Financial has more than $170 billion in mortgages under administration, and is one of Canada’s largest non-bank mortgage originators.

Northview appoints Walker as COO; Ingram as CFO

Northview Residential REIT (NRR-UN-T) has promoted Sarah Walker as its new chief operating officer and Laura Ingram will take over as chief financial officer effective Nov. 2.

Walker joined Northview in 2021 as chief financial officer. She will work closely with Linay Freda, vice-president, operations, the company said.

“Sarah has played a key role in Northview’s success over her five years with us, including the recapitalization transaction in 2023 (and) leading the restructuring of credit facilities,” Todd Cook, president and chief executive officer of Northview, said.

Ingram brings more than 18 years of senior financial experience across various executive-level finance roles. Her previous roles include chief financial officer of Tara Energy Services, and before that, chief financial officer of Essential Energy.

“Laura’s leadership, experience and the strategic perspective that she brings will be invaluable as we continue executing our long-term strategy,” Cook said.

The REIT owns and operates income producing rental properties in secondary markets within Canada.

CCIB taps Dinsdale as president, CEO

The Canadian Council for Indigenous Business (CCIB) will bring on Peter Dinsdale as president and chief executive officer, effective Nov. 16.

“CCIB has earned a trusted place with Indigenous entrepreneurs, corporate Canada, and governments, and I look forward to working with the board, staff, members and partners to build on that foundation,” Dinsdale said.

“Economic reconciliation requires practical action, strong relationships, and measurable results, and I am excited to help advance that work.”

Dinsdale spent more than 10 years as president and CEO of YMCA Canada. Previously he served as CEO of the Assembly of First Nations and executive director of the National Association of Friendship Centres.

“Peter’s track record of strategic leadership and bridge-building with corporate Canada will be invaluable in maintaining strong momentum as the Indigenous economy continues to expand and reshape Canada’s future,” Robert Brant, CCIB board of directors co-chair, said.

Colliers REMS welcomes DeBarros as vice-president

Colliers Real Estate Management Services (REMS) (CIGI-T) is hiring Roberto DeBarros as vice-president, construction project management.

DeBarros was at RioCan REIT for more than 24 years, and oversaw 550 projects across a 200-property portfolio annually, with budgets up to $100 million. He eventually became vice-president, construction.

“In this environment, there is always concern over whether project timelines and costs will be a barrier to success. Roberto’s track record gives me tremendous confidence in his ability to post the highest quality results,” Rick Charlton, executive vice-president, REMS said.

Marino becomes Balmoral managing director

Balmoral Capital has promoted founding team member Mathew Marino to managing director.

Marino will be responsible for origination and execution of advisory mandates, in addition to overseeing all underwriting and execution activities at Balmoral.

Previously, he worked at Avina Capital for almost three years, first as an analyst, then later as an associate.

Crown appoints Lam as senior VP, investments

Crown Realty Partners has tapped Edward Lam as senior vice-president, investments.

Prior to joining Crown, Lam spent more than 15 years in commercial real estate, most recently serving as vice president, investments, at QuadReal Property Group.

During his tenure, he led more than $3.5 billion in real estate transactions.

“With the office and industrial sectors entering a new phase of recovery, Crown is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the opportunities ahead,” Lam said on LinkedIn.

RECO appoints Lépine interim CEO

The Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) has appointed Jean Lépine as interim chief executive officer.

Lépine has served as RECO’s acting chief executive officer since December.

“Jean has demonstrated strong leadership through a period of significant change at RECO and has established important momentum for the organization,” RECO’s board of directors chair J. Mark Rodger said.

RECO is a not-for-profit corporation established in 1997 to regulate real estate agents and brokerages.

Vanderslice new president, CEO at CREFC 

New York-based CRE Finance Council (CREFC) has chosen Paul T. Vanderslice as its incoming president and CEO, effective Sept. 30.

Vanderslice joins from BMO Capital Markets, where he is head of commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS).

“Paul brings deep industry expertise, a longstanding commitment to CREFC, and a clear understanding of the issues and opportunities facing our members,” Toby Cobb, chair of CREFC’s executive committee and board of governors, said.

Vanderslice has been a member of CREFC for nearly three decades.

Prior to BMO, Vanderslice was CEO of Cantor Commercial Real Estate (CCRE) and spent more than 30 years at Citigroup.

CREFC is the trade association for the more than US$6 trillion commercial real estate finance industry in the U.S. with a membership that includes more than 400 companies and 19,000 individuals.