Chicago-based developer Fifield Cos. has announced the promotion of six executives and one associate, as well as the addition of a new senior associate, in response to an outlook of continued growth in top markets such as Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami and Washington, DC.
Promotions include senior vice president Lindsey Senn to executive vice president, responsible for the firm’s finance and development team. At Fifield, Senn, who studied real estate and urban land economics at the Wisconsin School of Business, has played a key role in evaluating investment opportunities and overseeing $600 million of multifamily development in the Chicago market. Senn’s recent successes include financing and securing Target as the anchor retail tenant for Logan, a transit-oriented mixed-use development currently under construction in Logan Square, as well as leading the redesign of the recently topped-off 740 North Aberdeen in West Town, transforming plans inherited from the seller into a financially feasible,188-unit multifamily mid-rise.
“As one of our most innovative team members, Lindsey has excelled in data-oriented design, complex construction financing, and asset management, where she often exceeds projections,” said Steve Fifield, chairman of Fifield Cos. “Since joining Fifield six years ago, she rose to become the youngest vice president in our company’s history and continues to bring her collaborative, visionary approach to problem solving to our workplace every day.”
Other promotions at the firm include Jon Schneider, who was elevated from vice president to senior vice president on the asset management team, driving the creation and implementation of asset-specific business plan strategies, and the financial performance of Fifield’s multifamily assets. Schneider, whose background is in accounting and finance, spent a decade with GEM Realty Capital, where he oversaw a national portfolio of multifamily assets.
Givi Peradze was promoted from vice president to senior vice president, leading the overall construction management, supervision and coordination of large-scale projects in Chicago. Peradze, who has a background in civil and structural engineering, spent a decade working as a senior project manager for Lendlease and applies more than 20 years of construction experience to his role.
Greg Vance was promoted from vice president to senior vice president, managing the construction, architecture and design of Fifield developments in metro Los Angeles. Vance, who holds a degree in architecture, worked for several top-25 general contractors throughout the country prior to joining Fifield, and is involved in all facets of development, from schematic design through project completion.
Navi Sandhu has been elevated from assistant vice president to vice president, responsible for underwriting multifamily development projects and handling debt and equity financing. Prior to joining Fifield, Sandhu worked as an analyst on development platforms structured to provide growth capital and on an office investment sales team. She holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Joe Pitsor was promoted from senior associate to assistant vice president of finance and development, handling underwriting for multifamily developments and acquisition. Pitsor has been involved in the financing of over $150 million of multifamily investments and oversees the company’s RandyCo division, a Chicago-based neighborhood property rehabilitation program. A licensed CPA, he worked in the real estate advisory practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers prior to joining Fifield.
Margaret Hinz was promoted from senior escrow officer to assistant vice president, responsible for the execution of pre-development and construction cash management, as well as building and maintaining relationships with lenders, inspectors, vendors and title companies. Prior to joining Fifield, Hinz was an escrow officer at the Illinois Real Estate Title Center, overseeing construction escrow for the firm.
“Fifield has always been structured in a way to recruit top talent and give them the discretion to grow and succeed,” said Kevin Farrell, president of Fifield Cos. “The promotion of these seven individuals is a reflection of how instrumental they have been in the exceptional developments we’ve recently completed and that are underway in Chicago and Los Angeles, as well as other markets across the country where we are active. In adding to our team, we anticipate continuing this trajectory, especially as we explore multifamily opportunities in new markets and consider additional asset classes.”
New to Fifield is Justin Westfall, who joins as a senior associate in the finance and development group. Westfall was previously a vice president in the valuation and advisory services group at JLL, and began his real estate career at Cushman & Wakefield as a transaction advisor. He has an MBA in finance and real estate from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Indiana University.