Bear Stearns pro jumps to Macquarie RE team

Michelle LeRoy is one of a trio hired by Macquarie Real Estate’s capital transactions team in Chicago.

Macquarie Real Estate, part of the Macquarie Group, has hired three property professionals to join its capital transactions team in North America.

Michelle LeRoy, based in New York, joins as managing director for capital transactions. LeRoy was managing director at Bear Stearns where she led origination, due diligence and fund-raising efforts. She will focus on institutional investor markets and relationships for Macquarie’s Real Estate Capital, North America division.

LeRoy originally joined the international fund placement business of Crane Capital Associates, which was acquired by Bear Stearns in March 2007 for an undisclosed amount. Prior to joining Bear Stearns LeRoy was head of investor relations for SL Green Realty Corp, head of operations at Citigroup Property Investors, and senior manager for Ernst Young Kenneth Leventhal’s Real Estate Opportunity Funds group.

Eric Wurtzebach, based in Chicago, has also been hired by the firm. Wurzebach joins as managing director and will co-head the capital transactions team. Before Macquarie, Wurtzebach was a director of investment banking at BMO Capital Markets, a founding partner of Silver Portal Capital, and vice president of First Union Securities in the real estate investment banking group. Wurtzebach has been involved in corporate and project financing transactions totaling more than $7 billion dollars throughout the US.  

Faris Mansour, also based in Chicago, will also join the firm as senior vice president for capital transactions and will assist with new business development activities. Prior to Macquarie, Mansour was vice president for real estate, leisure and lodging investment banking at BMO Capital Markets. He was also a founding partner of Silver Portal Capital, and associate for power and infrastructure investment banking at JP Morgan Chase. Mansour has experience in public and private debt and equity capital raisings totaling more than $13 billion throughout the US.

Macquarie Real Estate, part of the Macquarie Group, specializes in sponsorship, establishment and management of real estate investment trusts globally. As of the end of 2007, Macquarie Real Estate and its associates managed approximately $24 billion of real estate assets.