Executive team
Brandon J. Shorenstein
Brandon J. Shorenstein
Brandon Shorenstein joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2012. After spending two years in the company’s New York office focused on capital transactions and asset management, he relocated to San Francisco in 2014 to assume the role of executive vice president. In 2020, he became chairman and CEO and is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction of the company. He is also responsible for overseeing the investment performance of the office portfolio owned by the Shorenstein family. Mr. Shorenstein is the chair of the company’s executive committee and a member of the investment committee.
Mr. Shorenstein is a member of the Board of Directors of The Real Estate Roundtable; serves as co-chairman of the Advisory Board for the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government; and is a member of the executive committee of the Bay Area Council.
Prior to joining the company, Mr. Shorenstein was an associate at Eastdil Secured on its investment sales team handling office, retail and hospitality transactions in the New York metropolitan area. Previously, he was an investment banking analyst at Goldman Sachs & Co.
Mr. Shorenstein graduated from Vanderbilt University with a B.A.
Charles W. Malet
Charles W. Malet
Charlie Malet joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 1996. He participates in the strategic direction of the company as a member of its executive committee. As president and chief investment officer, Mr. Malet’s responsibilities include directing the sourcing of investment opportunities for the company, managing dispositions, completing property financings and refinancings, developing and executing investment plans for all properties, and overseeing the investment performance of all assets. Mr. Malet chairs the company’s investment committee.
Mr. Malet is a member of the Urban Land Institute.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. Malet was a vice president at Cornish & Carey Commercial for eight years, where he served as an agent for commercial properties and sales, handling leasing assignments for both landlords and tenants.
Mr. Malet graduated from University of San Diego with a B.B.A.
Mark E. Portner
Mark E. Portner
Mark Portner joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 1999. As Executive Vice President of Capital Formation, he leads the company’s equity capital raising activities and oversees and manages the company’s market positioning. Mr. Portner previously served as the Managing Director of Investments Group East overseeing the Eastern United States Investment Group which includes Capital Transactions, Asset Management, Leasing, and Development. Mr. Portner participates in the strategic direction of the company as a member of its executive committee and in the company’s investment activities as a member of its investment committee.
Mr. Portner is a member of the Urban Land Institute.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. Portner was a vice president at Carey Winston Company in Washington, D.C. where he specialized in the disposition of distressed loans.
Mr. Portner graduated from University of Richmond with a B.S., and from Columbia University with an M.B.A.
Tony Calabrese
Tony Calabrese
Tony Calabrese joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2015. As Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Calabrese’s responsibilities include overseeing the company’s Accounting, Information Technology, Risk Management, Property Management and Construction Services, and Operations functions. In addition to this role, he plays an active role in the firm’s community, corporate, political and governmental relations. Mr. Calabrese also participates in the company’s investment activities as a member of its investment committee.
Mr. Calabrese is a board member of the Committee on Jobs.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. Calabrese was a partner at Hendrie Lane Partners, where he was responsible for directing the firm’s office and residential investment platform and overseeing the management of their existing portfolio. From 2005 through 2011, Mr. Calabrese was an assistant vice president at Rockwood Capital, where he was responsible for sourcing, underwriting, evaluating, and closing over $1.2 billion in acquisitions along the Eastern United States. Prior to that, Mr. Calabrese was part of Rockwood’s asset management team, specializing in loan workouts and the management of over two million square feet of office, retail, and mixed-use assets.
Mr. Calabrese graduated from Seton Hall University with a B.A. and from New York University with an M.S. in Real Estate Finance. Prior to the start of his real estate career, Mr. Calabrese was a professional baseball player with the New York Yankees and New York Mets organizations.
Investments group
Matthew M. Knisely
Matthew M. Knisely
Matt Knisely joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2006. He oversees the Eastern United States Investments Group which includes Capital Transactions, Asset Management, Leasing, and Development. His responsibilities include overseeing the sourcing of investment opportunities and directing the underwriting, due diligence, structuring and closing of capital transactions. In addition, he is responsible for the investment performance of assets in the East through oversight of the development and execution of asset specific strategies during the company’s ownership.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. Knisely was a vice president with Trilyn, LLC where he worked on the formation, fundraising and investing of a mezzanine debt fund. Previously, he was a vice president with L&L Acquisitions, LLC, where he was responsible for acquisitions, fundraising and portfolio management, and prior to L&L Acquisitions, worked as an associate in the Acquisitions Group for The Carlyle Group’s real estate opportunity funds.
Mr. Knisely graduated from The University of Richmond with a B.A.
John S. Boynton, Jr.
John S. Boynton, Jr.
John Boynton joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2006. He oversees the Western United States Investments Group which includes Capital Transactions, Asset Management, Leasing, and Development. His responsibilities include overseeing the sourcing of investment opportunities and directing the underwriting, due diligence, structuring and closing of capital transactions. In addition, he is responsible for the investment performance of assets in the West through oversight of the development and execution of asset specific strategies during the company’s ownership.
Mr. Boynton is a member of the Urban Land Institute.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. Boynton was an investment banking analyst at GCA Savvian, where he was responsible for assisting in the execution of M&A advisory and private capital fundraising assignments.
Mr. Boynton graduated from Middlebury College with a B.A.
Colby Wick
Colby Wick
Colby Wick joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2011. He oversees the Western United States Investments Group which includes Capital Transactions, Asset Management, Leasing, and Development. His responsibilities include overseeing the sourcing of investment opportunities and directing the underwriting, due diligence, structuring and closing of capital transactions. In addition, he is responsible for the investment performance of assets in the West through oversight of the development and execution of asset specific strategies during the company’s ownership.
Mr. Wick is a board member of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties San Francisco Bay Area chapter, and a member of the Urban Land Institute.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. Wick was a senior associate at Ernst & Young advising real estate and technology clients. Previously, he was an analyst at Base Capital, a boutique private equity real estate investment company based in Bellevue, WA.
Mr. Wick graduated from the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington with a B.A. and M.S.A.
Mark L. McCarthy
Mark L. McCarthy
Mark McCarthy joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2000. He is responsible for leading the company’s debt capital markets activities nationwide, including mortgage financings, partnership credit lines, and hedging arrangements.
Mr. McCarthy is on the board of governors for the Commercial Real Estate Finance Council, a board member of the Lincoln Center Real Estate and Construction Council, an executive committee member of Urban Land Institute New York District Council, and a member of the Urban Land Institute.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. McCarthy was a vice president at General Electric Investments and GE Capital where his responsibilities included real estate acquisitions, dispositions and financings. Prior to General Electric, Mr. McCarthy was a director at Aetna Realty Investors and a senior accountant at Arthur Young.
Mr. McCarthy graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a B.B.A., and from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business with an M.B.A. Mr. McCarthy is also a Certified Public Accountant.
Steve Shanks
Steve Shanks
Steve Shanks joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2020. He is responsible for overseeing the company’s office
development activities nationwide, including site evaluation, entitlement, design, construction,
project management, and initial tenant improvements.
Mr. Shanks is a member of the Urban Land Institute, US Green Building Council, and serves on
the Board of the Greenbelt Alliance.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. Shanks was the Director of Development at SKS Partners, a San
Francisco-based real estate investor and developer, for 13 years. Mr. Shanks is also a licensed
Professional Engineer and previously worked as a structural engineer with Thornton Tomasetti,
an international engineering and architecture firm.
Mr. Shanks graduated from Northwestern University with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and
University of California Berkeley Haas School of Business with an M.B.A
Jed C. Brush
Jed C. Brush
Jed Brush joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2006. He is responsible for portfolio management and oversees asset management activities and developing and executing investment strategies for a portfolio of the company’s assets located in San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Portland.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. Brush was director of institutional reporting at Interstate Equities, where he was responsible for overseeing the finances and performance reporting for a six-property portfolio.
Mr. Brush graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a B.A. and from San Diego State University with an M.B.A.
Tom McDonnell
Tom McDonnell
Tom McDonnell joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2005. He is responsible for overseeing national leasing activities throughout the Shorenstein portfolio.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. McDonnell spent 5 years as a Director at Cushman & Wakefield in San Francisco, executing leasing strategies for both tenant and landlord clients including Lowe Enterprises, Mack-Cali and ADCO. From 1988 to 2005, Mr McDonnell was a broker with both Norris, Beggs, & Simpson and Cunningham Associates in Silicon Valley. Mr. McDonnell is a member of CoreNet.
Mr. McDonnell graduated from Santa Clara University with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce (Finance).
Jeanie Rainer
Jeanie Rainer
Jeanie Rainer joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 1998. She is responsible for supporting and executing the company’s office development activities nationwide, including site evaluation, entitlement, design, construction, project management, and initial tenant improvements.
Ms. Rainer is a member of the Urban Land Institute and serves as president of the board of directors for the historic Paramount Theatres of the Arts in Oakland.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Ms. Rainer was a facilities design and construction manager at Blue Shield of California.
Ms. Rainer graduated from UC Davis with a B.S., and from California College of the Arts with an M.F.A. She is a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP).
Ronnie E. Ragoff
Ronnie E. Ragoff
Ronnie Ragoff joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2004. She is responsible for overseeing asset management activities and developing and executing investment strategies for a portfolio of the company’s assets located in New York City and Minneapolis.
Ms. Ragoff is a member of WX, an organization of senior women in New York real estate. She is co-chairman of the International/Domestic seminar committee for the Real Estate Board of New York.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Ms. Ragoff was a senior vice president at LaSalle Investment Management (formerly Jones Lang Wootton) where she worked for 23 years handling asset management for both a diversified offshore client base and fund assets on a national basis.
Ms. Ragoff graduated from George Washington University with a B.A., Columbia Teachers College with an M.A. and Rutgers University with an M.B.A.
James A. Pierre
James A. Pierre
Jim Pierre joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2000. His responsibilities include overseeing asset management activities and developing and executing investment strategies for a portfolio of the company’s assets located in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. Pierre was a vice president at iStar Financial, where he was responsible for the asset management of 68 properties, totaling over five million square feet. Prior to iStar, Mr. Pierre worked in asset and portfolio management as a vice president at GE Capital Investment Advisors and as portfolio manager for RREEF Funds.
Mr. Pierre graduated from University of California at Santa Barbara with a B.A.
Paul W. Grafft
Paul W. Grafft
Paul Grafft joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2000. He is responsible for overseeing asset management activities and developing and executing investment strategies for a portfolio of the company’s assets located in Denver, Houston, Oakland, and San Francisco.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. Grafft was a vice president with Jones Lang LaSalle Management Services, where he was responsible for the oversight of operations for an 11 million square foot investment portfolio. Prior to JLL, Mr. Grafft was a property manager with Potts & Associates, a development company located in the San Francisco East Bay.
Mr. Grafft graduated from University of California at Berkeley with a B.S.
Claude A. Esposito
Claude A. Esposito
Claude Esposito joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2014. He is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, negotiating and closing capital transactions in the Eastern United States.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. Esposito was an analyst at Monday Properties, where he was responsible for assisting with acquisitions and investment management. Previously, he was an analyst in the Transaction Real Estate practice at Ernst & Young, advising real estate clients.
Mr. Esposito graduated from Lehigh University with a B.S.
Lauren Weber
Lauren Weber
Lauren joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2015. She is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, negotiating, and closing capital transactions in the Western United States. She is also responsible for overseeing asset management activities and developing and executing investment strategies for a portfolio of the company’s assets.
Ms. Weber is a member of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties San Francisco Bay Area chapter, and a member of the Urban Land Institute.
Ms. Weber graduated with a B.S. from the Orfalea College of Business at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
Sean P. Fay
Sean P. Fay
Sean Fay previously worked at Shorenstein Realty Services in 2015 and rejoined in 2020. He is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, negotiating and closing capital transactions in the Eastern United States.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. Fay was a vice president at TA Realty, a Boston based investment management firm, where he was responsible for sourcing and closing new acquisition opportunities in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast markets. Previously, he was a vice president at JPMorgan in the real estate banking group.
Mr. Fay graduated from Fairfield University with a B.A.
Marzine Benlian
Marzine Benlian
Marzine joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2016. She is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, negotiating, and closing capital transactions in the Eastern United States. She is also responsible for overseeing asset management activities and developing and executing investment strategies for a portfolio of the company’s assets.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Ms. Benlian was an analyst at JPMorgan in the Global Real Assets group, where she was a product specialist for European and Chinese Real Estate Funds.
Ms. Benlian graduated from George Washington University with a BSB.
Emily Chou
Emily Chou
Emily joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2018. She is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, negotiating, and closing capital transactions in the Western United States. She is also responsible for overseeing asset management activities and developing and executing investment strategies for a portfolio of the company’s assets.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Ms. Chou was an associate at Prologis, where she was responsible for transaction due diligence and underwriting. Prior to Prologis, she was an analyst in the Transaction Real Estate practice at Ernst & Young, advising real estate clients.
Emily is a member of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties San Francisco Bay Area chapter.
Ms. Chou graduated with a B.A. from the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University.
Jessica Chase
Jessica Chase
Jessica joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2020. She is responsible for the asset management of Shorenstein’s multifamily investments, including driving decisions around investments, financing, and property management.
Ms. Chase is a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and the Berkeley Real Estate Club (BREC).
Ms. Chase graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Landscape Architecture, and is currently a 2023 M.B.A. candidate at UC Berkeley Haas School of Business.
Eric Hansen
Eric Hansen
Eric Hansen joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2021. He is responsible for evaluating and executing many of the company’s residential and commercial development projects throughout the country.
Mr. Hansen is a member of Urban Land Institute (ULI) and an active participant in the ULI NEXT cohort program.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. Hansen worked for ten years as a vice president at SummerHill Apartment Communities, a San Francisco Bay Area apartment developer, and five years at SKS Investments, a San Francisco-based commercial developer. Before that he spent eight years working in a variety of roles at Nibbi Brothers Construction and became a licensed general contractor.
Mr. Hansen graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a B.A.
Jack H. Corey
Jack H. Corey
Jack Corey joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2010. He is responsible for supporting and executing the company’s debt capital markets activities nationwide, including mortgage financings, partnership credit lines, and hedging arrangements.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. Corey was an investment analyst for Mousse Partners, an institutionally sized family office where he performed due diligence on global private equity funds, primarily in the real estate, infrastructure and resources sector.
Mr. Corey graduated from Duke University with a B.A.
Investor Relations
Mark E. Portner
Mark E. Portner
Mark Portner joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 1999. As Executive Vice President of Capital Formation, he leads the company’s equity capital raising activities and oversees and manages the company’s market positioning. Mr. Portner previously served as the Managing Director of Investments Group East overseeing the Eastern United States Investment Group which includes Capital Transactions, Asset Management, Leasing, and Development. Mr. Portner participates in the strategic direction of the company as a member of its executive committee and in the company’s investment activities as a member of its investment committee.
Mr. Portner is a member of the Urban Land Institute.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. Portner was a vice president at Carey Winston Company in Washington, D.C. where he specialized in the disposition of distressed loans.
Mr. Portner graduated from University of Richmond with a B.S., and from Columbia University with an M.B.A.
Katie M. McGettigan
Katie M. McGettigan
Katie McGettigan joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 1994. She manages the company’s fund management group and oversees the execution of its responsibilities, including fund-raising, investor relations, and investor reporting.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Ms. McGettigan was an accountant for McLoughlin, Briese & Co., LLP, a regional CPA firm in its tax and audit group serving various real estate clients.
Ms. McGettigan graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a B.A.
Property Management & Construction services
Lisa M. Mize
Lisa M. Mize
Lisa Mize joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2005. She is responsible for overseeing the company’s property management and construction activities in the Eastern United States. She is also responsible for the physical and financial due diligence for all acquisitions, financings and dispositions in her region.
Ms. Mize is a member of Building Owners and Managers Association, the Apartment and Office Building Association, United States Green Building Council – National Capital Region Chapter, and the Institute of Real Estate Management. Ms. Mize also serves on the Real Estate Roundtable’s Sustainability Policy Advisory Committee.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Ms. Mize was a regional manager with Carr Real Estate Services in Washington, D.C. where she was responsible for the property management oversight of a portfolio of Washington, D.C. properties.
Ms. Mize graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a B.S.
Thomas J. Cashin
Thomas J. Cashin
Tom Cashin joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 1995. He is responsible for overseeing the company’s property management and construction activities for all investments in the Western United States. He is also responsible for the physical and financial due diligence for all acquisitions, financings and dispositions in his region.
Mr. Cashin is a member of the Building Owners and Managers Association and the Institute of Real Estate Management. He is also a co-founder of San Francisco’s Transportation Management Association and Central Employment Brokerage Association.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. Cashin was an assistant property manager with Hines Interests in Minneapolis and later worked as a property manager in San Francisco.
Mr. Cashin graduated from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis with a B.S., and from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul with an M.B.A.
David A. Jaber
David A. Jaber
David Jaber joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 1995 and worked as a property manager until 2001. He rejoined Shorenstein in 2005 as senior vice president, with responsibility for the operational systems and training platforms utilized for management of the company’s national real estate portfolio. He also leads the operational transition process for acquisitions and dispositions.
Mr. Jaber is a board member of the Building Owners and Managers Association of San Francisco, a member of the Institute for Real Estate Management, and a member of the Commercial Investment Real Estate Institute.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. Jaber was a Senior Vice President at PM Realty Group (1995 and 2001-2005), managing eight million square feet of commercial property located in Northern California.
Mr. Jaber graduated from California State University, East Bay with a B.S.
Kevin Kirk
Kevin Kirk
Kevin Kirk joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2013. He is responsible for overseeing the company’s Engineering and Sustainability Groups for the company.
Mr. Kirk is a member of American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers, Association of Energy Engineers and Real Estate Round Table. Mr. Kirk is a LEED-AP, Certified Energy Manager, and BOMA SMA.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. Kirk was the Engineering and Operations Manager for JLL on the Intel Account. Prior to that Mr. Kirk was the Director of Operations for RE/MAX International in Denver CO before relocating to Northern California.
Mr. Kirk graduated from University of Colorado with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.
Accounting, Finance & Administration
Ashia A. Derksen
Ashia A. Derksen
Ashia Derksen joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2003. She is responsible for oversight and management of the company’s accounting, audit and tax functions, including budgeting, forecasting, and treasury services. She is also responsible for the company’s risk management and corporate secretary functions.
Ms. Derksen is a board member of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and a member of Financial Women of San Francisco and CREW Network Office Council.
Ms. Derksen is a Certified Public Accountant. Prior to joining Shorenstein, Ms. Derksen was a senior audit manager at EY and at Arthur Andersen, where she served public and private real estate clients.
Ms. Derksen graduated from Yale University with a B.A. and from Thunderbird School of Global Management with an M.B.A.
Lisa D. Lind
Lisa D. Lind
Lisa Lind joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2006. She is responsible for oversight and management of the company’s compliance program and the financial operations and reporting for the company’s fund and property management services business and corporate investment entities. She is also responsible for corporate budgeting, forecasting and treasury and payment services.
Ms. Lind is a Certified Public Accountant. Prior to joining Shorenstein, Ms. Lind was an Audit Senior Manager for Deloitte & Touche LLP where she was responsible for the management of client relationships and oversight of audit services for clients in the real estate, construction and not-for-profit industries.
Ms. Lind graduated from New York University with a B.S.
Matt Watkins
Matt Watkins
Matt Watkins joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2014. He is responsible for oversight and management of financial operations and reporting for the portfolio fund business.
Mr. Watkins is a Certified Public Accountant. Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. Watkins was an Audit Senior Manager for Deloitte & Touche LLP where he was responsible for the management of client relationships and oversight of audit services for clients in the real estate, hospitality and technology industries.
Mr. Watkins graduated from Washington State University with a B.A.
Mattson Hill
Mattson Hill
Mattson Hill joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2015. He is responsible for developing and implementing Human Resources strategies, policies and procedures ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. He also provides organizational consulting to senior management and manages the company’s benefits, compensation, employee relations, payroll, staffing and training governance programs.
Mr. Hill is a member of the Society of Human Resources Management and the Northern California Human Resources Association.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. Hill was Director of Human Resources at Prometheus Real Estate Group, Inc.
Mr. Hill graduated with a B.S. from the Orfalea College of Business at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and an M.B.A. from Saint Mary’s College of California in Moraga.
Sam Ghnaim
Sam Ghnaim
Sam Ghnaim joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2022. He is responsible for oversight and management of all aspects of Information Technology including business strategy, infrastructure systems, application systems, data reporting analytics, and emerging technologies.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. Ghnaim was vice president of Information Technology at Hott Solutions and chief technology officer at Essex Property Trust where he led operations, IT strategy, and policy development. He spearheaded the transformation of the IT function including governance, risk management, loss prevention, and business continuity.
Mr. Ghnaim graduated with a B.S. from San Francisco State University.
Advisory board
Michael E. Rossi
Michael E. Rossi
Mike Rossi began working with Shorenstein as a consultant in 1994, focusing on business planning, organizational development and succession planning. In 1996, Mr. Rossi was a founding member of the company’s advisory board. Upon Doug Shorenstein’s death in 2016, Mr. Rossi became chairman of the company. In 2017, he became co-chairman, working closely with Brandon Shorenstein to oversee and guide the strategic direction of the company. In 2020, Mr. Rossi returned to his previous role as senior advisor to the company and serves on the Investment Committee.
Mr. Rossi is a retired vice chairman of Bank of America Corporation, serving from 1993 to 1997. Prior to serving as vice chairman, Mr. Rossi was Bank of America’s Chief Credit Officer. Prior to that post, he held various executive positions. In 2003, he joined the executive committee of Cerberus Capital Management. From 2005 to 2007, Mr. Rossi was chairman and CEO of Aozora Bank, taking it public in November 2006. He also spent eight months as chairman of GMAC/ResCap.
Mr. Rossi is the senior advisor to the San Francisco 49ers, and lead director of the board of Five Points Corporation, and he is a former chairman of the board of the Claremont Graduate University. He is a former senior advisor for Jobs and Economic Development for the Governor of the State of California, chairman of the California Workforce Development Board, a director of the California High Speed Rail Authority, chairman of the board of the Monterey Institute of International Studies, Lifesavers, the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank, Visit California, California China Trade Association, Energy Principal for the State of California, the American Diabetes Association of Northern California, Chairman of CASA, chairman of Cal Competes, board member of the San Francisco Opera, and board member of the University of California Art Museum. He also served on the President’s Campaign Cabinet for University of California at Berkeley, was chairman of the board of the Special Olympics Committee of Northern California, board member of the Thunderbird school of Global Management, board member of the National Urban League, board member of Union Pacific Resources, board member of Blue Lynx Corp, member of the nominating committee of the Bankers Association for Foreign Trade (BAFT) and a past president of the board of BAFT.
Mr. Rossi earned an B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley.
G. Leonard Baker, Jr.
G. Leonard Baker, Jr.
Len Baker has been a partner of Sutter Hill Ventures, Silicon Valley’s oldest venture capital firm, since 1973. He is also responsible for Sutter Hill’s sponsorship of Chengwei Ventures, a Shanghai-based venture firm which makes venture investments in China, and of Golden Gate Capital, a technology buyout firm.
Prior to working with Sutter Hill, Mr. Baker worked for Cummins Engine Company, a manufacturer of diesel engines. Prior to Cummins, Mr. Baker worked for Delta Foundation, a community-owned minority business development firm started by civil rights leaders in Greenville, Mississippi.
Currently, Mr. Baker serves on the board of Corcept Therapeutics and several private companies. Mr. Baker is also a board member of Stanford Management Company, the firm that manages the Stanford University endowment. He serves on the Investment Board of GIC, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, and is a member of Singapore’s International Academic Advisory Panel. Additionally, Mr. Baker is an advisor to the Packard Foundation Investment Committee, and a board member of the Environmental Defense Fund and a Trustee of Berklee College of Music. Mr. Baker was a trustee of Yale University from 2000 through 2012, where he chaired the Finance and Trusteeship Committees. He was a member of the Yale Investment Committee, the group that oversees Yale’s endowment, from 1990 through 2015.
Mr. Baker earned a B.A. in mathematics from Yale University and an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Sarah E. Stein
Sarah E. Stein
Sarah Stein is a Managing Partner at Hall Capital Partners LLC. She is also a member of the firm’s Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Management Committee, and Investment Review Committee.
Ms. Stein joined Shorenstein Realty Services in 2002 in the Portfolio Management practice. She was promoted to managing director and moved to the Research Group in 2006 where she held several roles including co-director of research and head of capital markets. Ms. Stein was appointed president of the firm in 2012. Her prior experience includes working in the Investment Management Division at Goldman Sachs & Co., the Fisher Family Foundation, and teaching English in Guangzhou, China.
Ms. Stein serves on the Princeton Endowment (PRINCO) Board and the San Francisco Day School Board. She also serves on the Board of Directors and Investment Committee of Rosenberg Foundation and the Investment Committee of the San Francisco Foundation. Ms. Stein is a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO). She previously served as a Trustee of Princeton University, the Breakthrough Collaborative, KIPP Bayview Academy, and the San Francisco Foundation.
Ms. Stein graduated cum laude from Princeton University with an A.B. in History. She also earned an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and an M.A. from the Stanford School of Education.
Shorenstein Legacy
Douglas W. Shorenstein
(1955 – 2015)
Douglas W. Shorenstein (1955 – 2015)
Doug Shorenstein joined the family business in 1983 and became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in 1995. Under his leadership, the company evolved from a San Francisco-focused real estate operating company into a real estate investment, development and management company, active throughout the United States.
Mr. Shorenstein supported numerous civic and philanthropic causes and served on the board of many such institutions, including Environmental Defense Fund, UCSF Medical Center, The Real Estate Roundtable, the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Vanderbilt University, and Yale School of Management.
In 1993, Mr. Shorenstein worked closely with his father in forming an investor group to retain the San Francisco Giants when they were considering a move to Florida.
In 2007, Mr. Shorenstein was elected to the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and served as its chairman in 2011 and 2012.
Working with the Environmental Defense Fund, in 2013, Mr. Shorenstein established the Building Energy Initiative which created a replicable model for building owners to cost-effectively identify and implement energy management practices that drive both costs savings and emissions reductions.
In recognition of his business accomplishments and his contributions to the civic life of the Bay Area, Mr. Shorenstein was inducted into the Bay Area Council’s Business Hall of Fame in 2011.
In memory of his father, Mr. Shorenstein and his wife, Lydia, established the Walter Shorenstein Media and Democracy Fellowship at the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. Shorenstein worked as a real estate attorney with the law firm of Shearman & Sterling LLP in New York.
Mr. Shorenstein graduated from University of California at Berkeley with a B.A., and from University of California, Hastings College of the Law with a J.D.
Walter H. Shorenstein
(1915 – 2010)
Walter H. Shorenstein (1915 – 2010)
Walter Shorenstein joined the brokerage firm Milton Meyer & Company in 1946 after being discharged from military service as a Major. In 1951, he was made a partner in the firm, and in 1953 he was named a “Leader of Tomorrow” by Time Magazine. By 1960, Mr. Shorenstein had become president and sole owner of the brokerage firm Milton Meyer & Co. and began forming partnerships to own and develop commercial real estate in San Francisco. In 1979, Mr. Shorenstein formed The Shorenstein Investment Company (ultimately renamed Shorenstein Company) to serve as the primary vehicle for Mr. Shorenstein’s ownership of commercial real estate. Under his leadership, Shorenstein Company became the largest owner and operator of Class A office buildings in San Francisco, and forged lasting relationships with institutional partners such as IBM, Bechtel, MetLife and Bank of America. After Mr. Shorenstein stepped back from day-to-day management of the company in the early 1990s, his deep experience continued to offer the company an important source of strategic guidance and advice. In recognition of his business accomplishments and his contributions to the civic life of the Bay Area, Mr. Shorenstein was inducted into the University of Southern California’s Real Estate Hall of Fame in 1997, and the Bay Area Council’s Business Hall of Fame in 1998.
Mr. Shorenstein demonstrated his interest in building a better community and nation through his philanthropic and political activities. He was a steadfast supporter of the Democratic Party, and in 1997 received the Democratic National Committee’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Mr. Shorenstein was an advisor to Presidents Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton.
In 1993, Mr. Shorenstein played a major role in forming an investor group to retain the San Francisco Giants when they were considering a move to Florida, in 1995, Mr. Shorenstein chaired the United Nations 50th Anniversary Charter Commemorative Celebration in San Francisco, and in 2009 Mr. Shorenstein worked with the Clinton Global Initiative to support the recovery of New Orleans’ Broadmoor neighborhood following Hurricane Katrina.
In memory of his daughter Joan, Mr. Shorenstein and his late wife, Phyllis, founded the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He also sponsored the Shorenstein Initiative at Stanford University’s Asia/Pacific Research Center, as well as programs at UC Berkeley’s Institute of East Asian Studies.