BKM CAPITAL PARTNERS ANNOUNCES THE ADDITION OF FIVE TEAM MEMBERS INCLUDING FORMER CEO/CHAIRMAN OF MORGAN STANLEY
John J. Mack, Paul Dolinoy, and Jeff Gehl join the firm’s Board of Advisors
BKM also hires two executive staff fund management experts: Michael Hernstad and Charlie Ittner
IRVINE, Calif., – November 20, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — BKM Capital Partners has formally announced its Board of Advisors, which includes former CEO/Chairman of Morgan Stanley, John J. Mack, Paul Dolinoy, former President of Equitable Real Estate Investment Management, and Jeff Gehl, Managing Principal and co-founder of RCP Advisors. These three business leaders join BKM’s co-founders Brian Malliet and Nima Taghavi on the board. The firm has also hired two executive staff fund management experts, Michael Hernstad and Charlie Ittner, according to Brian Malliet, CEO and Co-Founder of BKM.
BKM Capital Partners is a fund manager and operator platform targeting value-add, multi-tenant industrial real estate in the Western U.S. The firm has made five acquisitions with combined capitalization of over $70 million in 2014 on behalf of its first commingled fund, BKM Industrial Value Fund I.
“Our core team’s track record and reputation in the marketplace have allowed us to collaborate with top individuals in their industries,” explains Malliet. “The prominence of our Advisory Board members in their respective fields indicates that our investment strategy and model are resonating with people who have seen it all and accomplished incredible things in their careers.”
In addition to forming its Advisory Board, BKM Capital Partners has hired two seasoned fund management professionals: Michael Hernstad, formerly of Colony Capital, as Director of Finance and Accounting, and Charlie Ittner, formerly of Platinum Equity, as Director of Investor Relations. Hernstad and Ittner join BKM’s execution team, which already rostered Brett Turner (Director of Acquisitions), Matt Stephenson (Director of Asset Management), and Rene Velasquez (Director of Property Accounting), all of whom worked with Brian Malliet prior to BKM’s incorporation.
“Though BKM Capital Partners is a new entity, the collective experience and accomplishments of our leadership group would be the pride of a firm of any age or tenure,” notes Malliet. “The team now contains all requisite skillsets to execute on our mission of becoming the preeminent multi-tenant industrial real estate fund manager in the country.”
BKM Capital Partners’ officially appointed Advisory Board members are:
John J. Mack
John Mack previously served as President and COO of Morgan Stanley from 1997-2001 and Chairman and CEO from 2005-2009; he was also CEO of Credit Suisse First Boston from 2001-2005. As a member of the Advisory Board, Mack leverages his knowledge to provide guidance for and strategic input toward capital raising, principal investment activities, and enterprise direction.
Paul Dolinoy
Paul Dolinoy serves as Vice Chairman and Advisory Board Member of BKM Capital Partners. In his prior role as President of Equitable Real Estate Investment Management, Dolinoy managed all of Equitable Life Insurance’s real estate holdings as assets under management grew to over $30 billion. Additionally, he was a Founding Partner of the GMAC / Capmark Real Estate Advisor business, which developed to hold $5 billion AUM. His board positions include Hunt Investment Management (past), New York State Teachers’ REAC (current), JP Morgan Income and Growth Fund (past Chairman), and Pension Real Estate Association (past Board and Executive Committee.)
Jeff Gehl
Jeff Gehl advises the BKM management team in its strategic direction, investor relations, and back-office operations. Gehl brings more than 15 years of experience in the private equity industry to BKM from his work as Managing Principal and co-founder of RCP Advisors, a leading independent sponsor with over $4 billion AUM.
In addition, BKM Capital Partners’ new Directors are:
Michael Hernstad, Director of Finance and Accounting
Michael Hernstad has over 13 years of accounting and financial reporting experience specific to real estate transactions and valuation. As Director of Finance and Accounting, Hernstad manages all fund-related financial and accounting functions for the firm.
Prior to joining BKM Capital Partners, Hernstad served as Director of Accounting at Colony Capital, where he was responsible for financial accounting, management, and reporting for the firm’s funds and sponsored investments. At Colony, Hernstad oversaw funds with aggregate AUM over $5 billion. He began his career at Deloitte and Touche, serving high-profile, multinational clients on real estate-related matters.
Charlie Ittner, Director of Investor Relations
With over ten years of private equity fund experience, Charlie Ittner serves as BKM Capital Partners’ Director of Investor Relations. In this role, Ittner is responsible for investor interfacing and communications, in addition to providing strategic input on decisions related to fund structure and mechanics.
Prior to joining BKM, Ittner worked at Platinum Equity for eight years, most recently as Director, Office of the Chairman. There, he acted as chief liaison and a central advisor to Chairman and CEO Tom Gores. Ittner was responsible for coordinating day-to-day operations of the firm and managing critical information flow among its teams across all functional areas.
BKM Capital Partners
Headquartered in Irvine, California, BKM Capital Partners is a fund manager that specializes in the acquisition and improvement of value-add multi-tenant industrial properties in metro areas across the Western U.S. BKM’s real estate operator platform builds value in acquired assets through strategic upgrades, hands-on management, and adaptive repositioning.
Additional information is available at www.bkmcapitalpartners.com. Inquiries can be answered directly by Brett Turner, Director of Acquisitions, at 
The Niru Group
Founded by Nima Taghavi, The Niru Group is a private investment management firm focused on opportunistic direct investment into real estate, private businesses, and philanthropic organizations. The company is known for combining operating expertise and entrepreneurial know-how to generate superior results in business acquisitions and real estate..
Additional information on the Niru Group is available at www.thenirugroup.com.
