Canada
Canada CRE News In Your Inbox.
Sign up for Connect emails to stay informed with CRE stories that are 150 words or less.
People and Companies News for Week Ending April 3, 2026
- SLC Management has appointed Sonny Kalsi, as president and CEO. The move comes after SLC completed its acquisition of full ownership of BGO. Kalsi is the co-founder and co-CEO of BGO. Steve Peacher remains executive chair of SLC. John Carrafiell, co-founder and co-CEO of BGO, has been named sole CEO of BGO. Both SLC and BGO are subsidiaries of Sun Life.
- Starlight Investments and Vancouver FC of soccer’s Canadian Premier League have renewed their Take Flight program. Presented by Starlight, the program is the club’s premier community ticket-donation initiative. Take Flight allows corporate partners to sponsor blocks of seats that are donated directly to local youth, charitable organizations, and families who might otherwise not have the opportunity to experience a professional soccer match. Vancouver FC plays out of the suburb of Langley, B.C. The CPL aims to provide a place for Canadian professional players to develop their skills and advance their careers while also helping to produce talent for Canada’s national men’s team.
- Functionalab Group has promoted Anne-Valérie Guidollet to CEO as part of the firm’s CEO-succession plan. She moves up from her role as chief commercial officer, the position she held since joining the firm in 2024 with the plan to be elevated to the top executive position. Guidollet succeeds Francis Maheu, the company’s founder and CEO. Functionalab operates 63 medical-aesthetics clinics through its subsidiary Dermapure.
- EBC has named Ghyslain Deschamps as president and CEO, effective April 15. This transition reflects a spirit of continuity, built on many years of close collaboration between Marie‑Claude Houle, who has served as President and Chief Executive Officer since 1999, and Deschamps, said the company. The two are credited with, together, playing a key role in reinforcing EBC’s position as one of Canada’s foremost construction companies.
- Hazelview Investments has appointed Corrado Russo and Michael Tsourounis as co-CEOs. Their appointments took effectt immediately as predecessor Ugo Bizzarri transitioned to executive chair. Russo and Tsourounis have also remained in their respective roles as chief investment officers of Hazelview’s public and private real estate platforms. Russo and Tsourounis each bring more than two decades of experience with the firm and have worked closely together in shaping its strategy, culture, and growth.
- The Retail Council of Canada (RCC) announced that Michael Brownstein, CEO of Browns Shoes, will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Excellence in Retailing awards. “This honour is presented to a distinguished industry leader whose business success and community leadership have had an enduring impact on the retail industry,” said the RCC. Brownstein has spent more than five decades building Browns, one of Canada’s most respected retail enterprises. Since taking the helm as president in 1998, he transformed the Montreal-based chain into a national powerhouse, opening more than 70 stores across Canada and establishing the company as North America’s largest independent footwear retailer. In addition, he has launched a successful sister chain, B2, which has grown to nine locations nationwide.
- La Caisse has hired Emmanuelle Leclerc-Granger as executive vice-president and chief financial and information officer. She has 20 years of experience in global organizations, most recently Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group since 2021.
- Jean Trudel has been promoted to president and CEO at Innergex. Trudel moved up from his CEO post, which he held since 2002. He has been with the company. He succeeds Michel Letellier, who is retiring after nearly 30 years with Innergex.
- Jenny Hammarlund has joined Cadillac Fairview‘s board. Hammarlund oversees The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan‘s global real estate investing and portfolio management activities and a team of almost 40 investment professionals globally. She has more than 20 years of experience in private equity, primarily focused on real estate acquisitions.
- InterRent President andCEO Brad Cutsey has resigned to pursue other career opportunities as the REIT continues to advance its friendly takeover by Carriage Hill Properties Acquisition Corp. Cutsey has also resigned from the REIT’s board after helping to advance the proposed deal with Carriage Hill. Dave Nevins has been appointed interim CEO. He has served as InterRent’s chief operating officer for the past eight years and has more than three decades of multi-family real estate experience.
- Hillcore Industrial has appointed Kevin Fleury as CEO and Alan Hartslief as CFO. They had held the same positions with CEDA, which was acquired by Hillcore in 2024. Hillcore Group buys and operates various businesses across Canada with a focus on backing management buyouts. The company invests mainly in the in real estate, seniors living, industrial, logistics, forestry, and energy sectors.
- Lynsey Masson has joined affordable-housing property manager firm Ikigai Impact as director of properties for Western Canada, where she will support the firm’s continued expansion in Alberta. She moved to Ikigai from Leston Holdings after overseeing a portfolio of about 3,500 residential units at 65 Alberta sites. Masson also serves as vice-president of the Alberta Residential Landlord Association.
- Leading analyst Ray Wong has moved to Newmark from Altus Group. Wong spent nearly nine years with Altus. He is regarded as one of Canada’s top commercial real estate market-intelligence experts. Wong’s move comes after Altus agreed to sell its appraisals business to Newmark for an undisclosed price.
- Michael Brooks has announced that he will retire from his position as CEO of REALPAC at year-end 2027. Brooks has served as the group’s top executive for almost three decades. REALPAC is expected to begin its search for a new CEO later this year.
- Former Canadian Football League commissioner Randy Ambrosie has been appointed president and CEO of the Siksika Group of Companies. The firm is owned by the Siksika Nation based in Southern Alberta and operates businesses in the hospitality and tourism, retail, and construction and energy sectors.
- Allison Mendes has been appointed to the Canada Lands board by Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson. Mendes is a former chair of CreateTO, Toronto’s city-owned real estate development corporation.
- Robert Balfour has moved into an advisory role with MCAP. He spent about 14 years as managing partner for MCAP’s development finance group.
- Concert Properties has promoted Laura Legan to investor relations director. She previously served in investment-management roles.
- Montrusco Bolton Investments and Walter Global Asset Management have appointed Rick Nino to senior advisory roles to both organizations. At Montrusco Bolton, he will perform a senior advisory consulting role focused on accelerating the firm’s presence in the U.S. market. In addition, he will serve as a strategic advisor with WGAM, collaborating closely with the leadership team to identify and engage prospective U.S.-based investment opportunities for the firm’s asset management-focused private-equity strategy. His contributions will also include helping with U.S. fundraising initiatives and broader-market development efforts.
- Chandos Construction has promoted Padraig McCarthy to vice-president and district manager for the Calgary region. He previously filled operations manager, project director and senior project manager roles. Meanwhile, Chandos has promoted Todd Baker to the same roles in Edmonton. He experience is identical to that of McCarthy, albeit in the Alberta capital.
- Andrew Furey, former premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, has been appointed as vice-chair of National Bank, effective March 16. Furey will build on his extensive network, strong leadership, and broad sectoral knowledge to connect the bank to businesses in Atlantic Canada and across the country. He will also work with the financial institution’s commercial banking and capital markets teams and bring solutions to help clients grow.
- Carbon Upcycling has appointed Suzy Taherian as CEO. She has more than 25 years of executive-leadership, board and capital-markets experience. She moved to Carbon Upcycling 3Degrees, where she supported Fortune 100 companies on energy and decarbonization strategies. Carbon Upcycling is a leading recycled-cement manufacturer.
- GWL Realty Advisors has promoted Tae Kim to senior director of corporate finance and financial planning. He moved up from his former position as director of financial planning and analysis. Kim has been with GWLRA since 2022. He is a chartered professional accountant and certified internal auditor.
- David Colla will join the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board as a senior managing director and global head of credit investments on April 26. He will be a member of the organization’s senior management team. He succeeds Andrew Edgell, who will remain with CPPIB as a senior advisor after holding senior leadership positions for the past 18 years.
- Smart-building technology firm1Valet has appointed Demetrios Barnes as president and CEO. Barnes brings deep operational, go-to-market, and capital markets experience to 1Valet, most recently, he served as chief operating officer of SmartRent. As a result of his appointment, 1Valet Founder Jean-Pierre Poulin will transition to the role of executive chairman.
- David Chemia has been appointed to the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority Board. WDBA is a not-for-profit federal Crown corporation responsible for overseeing the construction and delivery of the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit. The authority will also manage the operations of the new international crossing, a vital link that will enhance transportation capacity and trade flow along Canada’s busiest border corridor. Chemla brings over 25 years of experience in delivering and overseeing major public-private partnership (P3) infrastructure projects. As President and founder of Sage Project Advisors, he advises public- and private-sector clients on large-scale initiatives. Meanwhile, Charles van Niekerk has resigned as CEO of WDBA. Charbel (Chuck) Andary has been named as the interim CEO for one year, or until a new CEO is appointed. He previously served as the WDBA’s chief legal officer. Niekerk has joined Metrolinx as chief capital officer.
- Société immobilière Bélanger has appointed Pierre-Olivier Bertrand as vice-president of operations. He is returning to the multi-family real estate firm after having previously served as general manager between 2012 and 2014. In the years away, he worked at Business Development Bank of Canada.
- Sheri McEwen has joined Savills Canada as a senior vice-president in the firm’s Toronto office. She will strengthen the company’s retail platform, providing senior-level expertise in leasing, asset services and retail asset management across Canada. McEwen has 18 years of commercial real estate experience.
- Innergex Renewable Energy has appointed Jean Trudel as president and CEO, effective March 13. Trudel will succeed Michel Letellier, who is retiring after nearly 30 years with Innergex, including nearly 20 years at the helm of the corporation. Letellier will remain actively involved with Innergex, serving on the investment committee and acting as an advisor to the new president and CEO to ensure a smooth transition.
- PowerBank has promoted Andrew van Doorn to president. He will continue to serve as the company’s chief operating officer. Van Doorn has about 28 years of executive leadership experience in engineering and construction in the renewable energy and utility sectors, with over 200 MW of solar projects completed throughout his distinguished career. PowerBank also named Tracy Zheng vice-president of corporate development. PowerBank is an independent renewable and clean-energy project developer and owner focusing on distributed and community solar projects in Canada and the U.S.
- AutoCanada has appointed Samuel Cochrane as permanent CEO after he had acting in an interim capacity since October 2025, when he joined the company as CFO. He will serve as interim CFO until a permanent replacement is named. AutoCanada develops, owns and operate automotive dealerships and collision-replair centres in Canada and the U.S. The company has 64 franchised dealerships and 33 collision-repair shops and one calibration centres. The company’s U.S. operations have been held for sale.
- Michael Emory has resigned as executive chair of Allied Properties REIT, effective May 2. Allied’s independent board members decided not to renew Emory’s three-year employment contract and he agreed not to see re-election as a trustee. Emory is Allied’s founder and served as president and CEO until Cecilia Williams succeeded him in those roles as part of a leadership transition in 2023. At that time, he signed the three-year employment contract. The move comes as Allied is seeking to accelerate debt reduction and improve its balance sheet.
- George Armoyan has resigned from the Ravelin Properties REIT board to pursue other commitments. Armoyan previously chaired the REIT and at last report held about a 20% ownership stake through his family-owned company G2S2 Capital.
- Aviel Koganov has joined the Northview Residential REIT board. Koganov replaces Rob Kumer as Kingsett Capital’s representative on the board. The move comes after Kumer transitioned to Kingsett’s CEO.
- Carbon Upcycling has hired Markus Kritzler to lead the Calgary-based company’s expansion across North America and Europe. Kritzler joined the firm in 2025 as chief revenue officer. Carbon Upcycling develops recycled-cement manufacturing plants that develop products for use in construction.
- Build Canada Homes has appointed Valesa Faria and Jeffery Coles to its leadership team. Faria will serve as vice-president of partnership and development. Coles has assumed the role of senior vice-president of investments. Faria moved to BCH after spending eight years with the City of Toronto, most recently as executive-director of Development Review. Coles joined BCH after serving as an independent real estate consultant for the past two years. Before then, he worked in various executive capacities with Northwest Healthcare Properties REIT for about seven years.
- Connor Teskey has been appointed CEO of alternative-investment giant Brookfield Asset Management. He succeeds Bruce Flatt, who will continue to chair BAM’s board and remain as CEO of Brookfield Corporation. Teskey has been with Brookfield since 2012, most recently serving as BAM’s president, after Flatt relinquished those duties to him, and heading Brookfield Renewable Power & Transition.
- Morguard Corporation has rebranded Lincluden Investment Management as Morguard Lincluden Global Investments. Morguard acquired a majority interest in Lincluden in 2015 and announced in early 2025 that it had gained full ownership. The investment company provides commercial real estate investment-management services to institutional and private clients.
- George Reznik has joined broadband-over-power-line provider Corinex as chief operating officer. Reznik has three decades of leadership experience across publicly traded and high-growth companies within the technology sector. His experience includes executive roles at Light AI, Tantalus Systems, Intrinsyc Technologies, and Infowave Software.
- Avison Young has promoted Andrew Boyd to Toronto office-leasing practice leader. Boyd will identify opportunities for growth, explore new ways to drive revenue, and support client and business development and retention, for both agency leasing and tenant representation. Boyd will collaborate with, and lead, the firm’s Toronto’s office-leasing team, supporting its members’ development and career paths within a high-performance, accountable, and innovative environment. Also a company principal and vice-president, he has been with Avison Young since 1994.
- British Columbia Investment Management Corporation has appointed Jon Salon as an executive vice-president and global head of private equity. He has more than three decades of private-equity investment and executive management experience. Salon has been with BCIMC since 2024 and replaces Jim Pittman.
- Leading brokers Jim Szabo and Tony Quattrin have relinquished their roles as the Vancouver leaders of the CBRE national investment team. They have become executiveve chairs and are acting as ambassadors for the company while working on strategic projects within its B.C. operations.
- Mortgage lender CMI Financial Group has appointed Elizabeth Wood as chief operating officer. She will lead enterprise operations across the CMI platform, strengthening execution, scalability, and operational excellence as the organization continues to expand nationally, said the company. In addition, she will incorporate the responsibilities of her former chief administrative officer position into the new role. Wood has been with CMI since 2015. She succeeds Mike Spero who has transitioned from the COO role to join the CMI MIC Funds advisory board as a committee member.
- Lennard has hired three new executives in Vancouver. Allon Shapiro becomes a partner and managing broker. He specializes in investment-property and development-site sales. Aaron Ulinder joins the firm as a partner specializing in office leasing and investment sales. Thomas has been named a senior vice-president. He specializes in sales and leasing and has gained considerable experience in the North Shore area since launching his career in 2005. Lennard has also hired two executives in Ontario. David Hearn joins the company’s Mississauga, Ont., office a vice-president, bringing about 40 years of commercial real estate experience. Ray Robinson was named a senior vice-president in Waterloo. He has approximately 41 years of industry experience.
- QuadReal Property Group has appointed Candice Todd to its board. Todd brings global financial expertise, performance and investment management experience and leadership in governance activities. She most recently served as managing director and CFO at Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investments.
- Yousry Bissada has joined HomeEquity Bank as president and CEO. Bissada has 30-plus years of experience across mortgage and financial services. He previously held the same roles with Home Trust and Home Capital Group.
- Mark Hope has resigned as senior vice-president of development at Coast Hotels, effective March 2, as he proceeds towards retirement. The 32-year company veteran will remain with Coast as a part-time executive advisor.
- Andrea Rawas has joined Bird Construction as manager of internal communications. She returns to the construction industry after spending the past three years-and-a-half years in the commercial real estate sector as marketing and business manager with Edon Management.
- BMTC Group has appointed Louis-Philippe Auger as president of the Tanguay division, effective immediately. Auger was promoted from his former vice-president position with Tanguay. He held that post for three years and has been with the furniture, household goods, electronics and computer retailer for 26 years. He succeeded Charles Tanguay, who has left the company to pursue other challenges.
- Brand Factory Group has named Ashley Shearer as its new president, succeeding Joseph Sulpizi, the company’s founder. Shearer has been with the firm for 15 years. The Brand Factory is a multiple award-winning real estate lifestyle agency and a collective of seven vertically integrated companies specializing in branding, technology, design and immersive experiences.
- Kipling Group has appointed Michael Case as president and chief operating officer, effective immediately. Case joined Kipling in 2024 after spending 23 years building a distinguished career in commercial real estate. Kipling is one of Canada’s largest independent full-service property management firms.
- Barry Palmer has assumed the role of president and CEO with North American Construction Group. He succeeded Joe Lambert, who resigned. Palmer has held various positions with NACG since 1982, most recently serving as chief operating officer and president of the firm’s McKellar Group in Australia.
- Robert Hayes has joined the Trico Homes board. He currently serves as president of Calgary Sports and Entertainment, the owner of the NHL‘s Calgary Flames, along with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League and the city’s other leading sports teams.
- Robert Mackowecky has joined Brookfield Residential as director of its commercial division. He spent the last 11 years with grocer Loblaw in various real estate roles.
- CAPREIT has announced that Chief Investment Officer Julian Schonfeldt will leave the organization in April to pursue new career opportunities. Schonfeldt became CAPREIT’s first CIO in 2022 and has executed about $6 billion in transactions.
- Artelia Canada has appointed Benoit Baudry as CEO. Baudry has more than 30 years of experience with the Artelia Group. He will support Artelia’s growth and major projects in Canada. During the past decade he has guided Artelia’s mobility and infrastructure teams in France.
- Partner Assessment Corporation has appointed Coralie Olson as a relationship manager in Toronto, Olson brings extensive experience in commercial real estate advisory services and creative development strategy for institutional clients. She will leverage her consultative approach to bolster Partner’s relationships with CRE stakeholders across Canada.
- ◦People
- ◦Recruitment
