Frontiers in Private Equity Real Estate: Insights from Industry Leaders

Alex Berman

Founder and CEO

Greenwood Global

Alexander L. Berman is the founder of Greenwood Global, Inc. and has leadership experience in the Real Estate industry, including roles as CEO at GGP International, EDT Retail, and EPN GP LLC. Mr. Berman began his career as a Certified Public Accountant and was an executive at General Growth Properties, Inc. (GGP) from 1999 to March 2009, where he later founded and headed GGP International. 

After his time at GGP, Mr. Berman led EPN GP LLC during its $1.43 billion sale of 47 properties to Blackstone Real Estate Partners and DDR Corporation.  Mr. Berman has also held positions as Executive Chairman of EDT Retail Trust and has served as a director for several trusts. 

Currently, he is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Mr. Berman holds an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois.

David Scherer (MBA '14)

Co-Founder and Co-CEO

Origin Investments

David Scherer is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Origin Investments. Mr. Scherer moved into real estate, initially through personal investments, purchasing properties in Chicago in the late 1990s while working for DBS partners, a hedge fund.

In 2003, Mr. Scherer transitioned fully into real estate, eventually meeting Michael Episoce. In 2007, the two co founded Origin Investments with the mission of building a best-in-class real estate investment firm that places the interests of investors above all else.

Today, Origin Investments has regional offices in Charlotte, Denver, Nashville, and Chicago where teams live and integrate into their communities. Origin combines data with local knowledge and relationships to optimize deal flow and decision making. Across their five funds, Origin has acquired over $3 bn in real estate, with a focus on multi-family investments.

Mr. Scherer has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and has served on boards for One Million Degrees, Harvard club of Chicago and Invest for Kids.

Mr. Scherer received an undergraduate degree from Harvard University and an MBA from the University of Chicago

Bill Stein (MBA '94)

Senior Managing Director

Blackstone

William J. Stein is a Senior Managing Director in the Real Estate group. Since joining Blackstone in 1997, Mr. Stein has been involved in the direct asset management and asset management oversight of Blackstone’s global real estate platform. Blackstone’s portfolio includes hotel, office, retail, industrial and residential properties in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

Mr. Stein currently serves on the boards of Edens Investment Trust, Great Wolf Lodge, Extended Stay America, Encore Global and Nobu. He is a member of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business Advisory Board and the University of Michigan Real Estate Fund Advisory Board. Prior board memberships include Hilton Worldwide, La Quinta, Brixmor Property Group, Invitation Homes, the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, and the Blackstone Charitable Foundation.

Before joining Blackstone, Mr. Stein was a Vice President at Heitman Real Estate Advisors and JMB Realty Corp.

Mr. Stein received a BBA from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of Chicago.