Lindsay Stiles, the chief operating officer at Slate Office REIT. (Courtesy Slate)

Slate Office REIT (SOT-UN-T) has made a number of changes to its board and upper management, including the promotion of Lindsay Stiles to chief operating officer.

Stiles brings deep experience and industry contacts into her new role. She joined Slate Asset Management in 2016 and most recently served as vice-president, asset management.

Prior to joining Slate, Stiles worked as a vice-president of operations and leasing at a Canadian real estate company. She holds a bachelor of arts from the University of Western Ontario.

“Lindsay has a track record of significant contributions at Slate Asset Management and has consistently delivered strong leasing results and property value creation,” said Steve Hodgson, the REIT’s CEO, in the announcement.

The REIT also announced the retirement of John O’Bryan, chair of its board of trustees. Tom Farley, formerly an independent trustee, has been appointed chair and Lori-Ann Beausoleil becomes a trustee.

Farley has more than 40 years of real estate experience including 25 years with Brookfield Office Properties where he rose to global president and, on a concurrent basis, chairman and director of Brookfield Canada Office Properties, from 2010 to 2014.

Farley will step down as chair of the Slate Grocery REIT board, but will remain an independent trustee.

Beausoliel is a partner of PwC Canada where she is the national leader – compliance, ethics and governance. She is a CPA, CA and holds a bachelor of commerce from the University of Toronto.

Gabbay new global CEO at Lasalle

LaSalle Investment Management, a subsidiary of JLL, has promoted Mark Gabbay to the role of LaSalle global CEO. Gabbay succeeds Jeff Jacobson, who spent 14 years at the helm and will stay on as chairman through at least June 2021.

Gabbay will lead LaSalle’s strategic direction and growth and will report to Christian Ulbrich, president and CEO of JLL.

Gabbay joined LaSalle in 2010 as CIO for the Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation. In 2015, he became APAC CEO and has since been the central architect of the firm’s investment performance and earnings growth in the region. Gabbay’s extensive real estate investment background before joining LaSalle includes senior positions at Nomura and Lehman Brothers.

Baroldi succeeds retiring Woods at BOMA Edmonton

Lisa Baroldi, the president and CEO of BOMA Edmonton. (Courtesy BOMA)

BOMA Edmonton hired Lisa Baroldi to succeed long-time president and CEO Percy Woods, who has retired after two decades leading the CRE professionals’ association.

Baroldi will serve building owners and managers, service providers, and young commercial real estate professionals through education, advocacy, networking and information, as well as offering thought leadership on industry trends and issues.

Woods joined BOMA Edmonton in 1997. Under his leadership, the organization increased its membership five-fold.

Woods was also active outside of Edmonton and has become synonymous with the BOMA brand throughout Canada. He helped to found BOMA Canada and became its first chair.

“The development, growth and success of BOMA Edmonton during my time can be attributed to the outstanding support of great members and dedicated hard-working boards over the years. I have also been able to partner with an excellent team of staff,” Woods said in the announcement.

Prior to joining BOMA Edmonton, Baroldi was senior advisor of the Canada-UAE Business Council in Toronto and Dubai, and executive director of an economic development authority in Northern Alberta. Baroldi is also co-founder of the national intercity exchange, Designing Downtown.

Raymond to retire as Metro board chair

Metro Inc. (MRU-T) board chair Réal Raymond will retire this month and is to be replaced by Pierre Boivin, a current independent director.

Following a career at the National Bank of Canada where he rose to become president and CEO, Raymond joined Metro’s board in 2008. He became lead director in 2010 and chair in 2015.

“On behalf of all shareholders, I wish to acknowledge the strong leadership of Réal Raymond who is retiring as chairman after serving Metro so well for all of these years,” said Eric La Flèche, president and CEO, in the release.

Boivin joined the board in 2019. He is president and CEO of Claridge Inc., a private investment firm. He is also a member of the National Bank of Canada board, among others. From 1999 to 2011, Boivin was president and CEO of the Club de hockey Canadien Inc., the Bell Centre and evenko.

Trez Senior MIC appoints new CEO, CFO

Trez Capital Senior MIC (TZS-T) has appointed Jordan Kupinsky as CEO and Jack Z. Tasse as chief financial officer. Kupinsky is also chair of the board.

The appointments follow an agreement between the company and Trez Capital Fund Management Limited Partnership, under which Alexander Manson and Clint Matthews agreed to resign as CEO and CFO, respectively.

The company is undergoing an “orderly wind-up plan” as it distributes proceeds through special distributions, the repurchase of shares and other means.

Jansa gets new role at Ontario Teachers’

Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan board has appointed Nick Jansa as senior managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, to lead investment activities and portfolio management in the region. Based in the London office, he will report to CIO Ziad Hindo.

Ontario Teachers’ also promoted Ben Chan, who joined the investor in 2018, to the role of senior managing director, Asia Pacific.

Jansa spent more than 24 years at Deutsche Bank, where he progressed to managing director, co-head of corporate finance EMEA and global co-head of leveraged debt capital markets.

Chan previously worked at Khazanah Nasional Berhad, where he held progressively senior roles.

Board changes at StorageVault

StorageVault Canada Inc. (SVI-X) has appointed Benjamin Harris as a director. Longtime director Blair Tamblyn has left the board to resume his seat as chair and CEO of Timbercreek Financial, with plans to also join the Parkit Enterprises (PKT-X) board.

Harris has two decades of real estate investment and management experience. He’s currently the managing member of a U.S.-based private investment vehicle. Until September 2020, he served as CEO of LINK Logistics, Blackstone’s U.S. industrial real estate platform. Prior to joining LINK, he was president of Gramercy Property Trust, which was sold to Blackstone in a $7.6 billion take-private transaction.

Harris is a graduate of Dalhousie University and the University of Kings College, where he received joint science degrees in economics.

StorageVault also announced Tamara Souglis has been appointed its corporate secretary.

Noiles new principal at AY Toronto

Garrett Noiles is a new principal, specializing in tenant representation, at Avison Young’s Toronto office. (Courtesy Avison Young

Garrett Noiles has joined Avison Young as a principal specializing in tenant representation in its downtown Toronto office. Noiles brings seven years of experience in tenant and landlord representation.

Prior to joining Avison Young, Noiles was a top emerging broker at Cushman & Wakefield and was named the firm’s “Emerging Broker of the Year” for Canada in 2016.

Noiles studied at Brown University and graduated with an honours bachelor of commerce from McMaster University.

Elick businesss manager at Associa C-Era

Calgary’s Associa C-Era Property Management & Realty, and Montgomery Ross & Associates recently announced Melissa Elick as the new business development manager.

Elick began her property management career as an outside sales representative at a firm that specialized in full-building retrofits. A seasoned relationship-builder and communicator, her skills in negotiations, e-commerce, strategic account development, and customer service will help her in her new role.

Siddall remains CMHC prez/CEO, for now

CMHC announced Evan Siddall will remain president and CEO until a new CEO can be appointed. Siddall has led CMHC for close to seven years.

Since being appointed in 2014, Siddall and his executive team have been instrumental to the design and delivery of Canada’s National Housing Strategy.

Janice Abbott was also re-appointed to CMHC’s board of directors for three more years. Abbott has acted as chair of the affordable housing committee and sits on the corporate governance and executive committees.

Summit Industrial adds McLellan to board

Summit Industrial Income REIT (SMU-UN-T) has appointed the Honourable A. Anne McLellan to its board of trustees.

McLellan is a senior advisor at law firm Bennett Jones LLP and recently served as the Chancellor of Dalhousie University. She is a former deputy prime minister of Canada and has held several senior cabinet positions.

Prior to entering politics, McLellan was a professor of law at the University of Alberta. She holds a bachelor of arts degree and a law degree from Dalhousie University, and a master of laws degree from King’s College, University of London.