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 December 12, 2025
- QuadReal Property Group has announced several board changes, with longtime Chair Thomas Garbutt stepping down after nearly a decade. He will be succeeded, effective January 1, by Scott Hutcheson, who joined the board in 2023 and has extensive executive and governance experience. The company also confirmed the retirements of directors Rita Achrekar and Lorne Braithwaite, who have served since 2022 and 2017, respectively.
- Global commercial real estate advisor Avison Young has added three new principals to its Occupier Services team in Ontario, appointing Toronto-based Jarrod Bogler, Howard Bogler and Elliot Greenberg as principals and senior vice-presidents. The trio brings a combined 90 years of experience in tenant representation across the Greater Toronto Area, offering an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach to portfolio management and real estate strategy. Together, they have completed more than 1,500 transactions valued at over $20 billion across a wide range of industries and regions.
- ATB Financial’s board has chosen Chris Turchansky as the organization’s next president and CEO. Turchansky will assume the CEO role on January 1. He replaces retiring president and CEO Curtis Stange. Turchansky has spent nearly 30 years in Alberta’s financial services sector, including two decades at ATB in senior roles such as president of ATB Wealth, chief experience officer and, most recently, group head of ATB Business and Wealth.
- Stu Kedwell will become global chief investment officer at RBC Global Asset Management in January. Kedwell has spent almost 30 years with RBC. He will replace Dan Chornous, who is heading into retirement.
- CNA Canada has hired Bryan Inglis as vice-president of its commercial mid-market, business. In another move, CNA promoted Rob Herron to vice-presidenti of construction. Both appointments take effect January 5.
- Reeta Gupta, CEO of the Gupta Group and Gupta Family Foundation has donated about $105,000 to support emergency relief and long-term rebuilding efforts in Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa. The funds will be directed by GlobalMedic, Food for The Poor Canada and Helping Hands Jamaica Foundation. Gupta is also supporting Harmonies of Hope, a fundraising concert that will raise essential funds for rebuilding homes, schools, community spaces, and vital infrastructure destroyed by the hurricane. She is also providing an additional $30,000 to Food for The Poor Canada and another $25,000 to Helping Hands Jamaica.
- Mikel Pestrak has been promoted to interim president of dealership operations at AutoCanada. He joined the company in 2018 and now oversees all dealership operations, bringing nearly two decades of automotive retail and insurance experience. Art Crawford, has been appointed president collision operations. He also joined the company in 2018 and is credited with turning its collision division into a profitable, fast-growing national network. AutoCanada named Cynthia Hill named general counsel. She joined the firm in 2020 after practising corporate law at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP and will lead legal, compliance, and risk functions. As part of a planned transition, Jeff Thorpe, former president of Canadian operations, and Brian Feldman, former chief operating officer, have exited their executive positions but will remain with AutoCanada as advisors to the interim CEO through January 1, 2026.
- Canadian Manufacters and Exporters has appointed Peter MacDonald as its board chair. He succeeds Patrick Oland. MacDonald is the director of sustainability and external relations at CKF. He has served as CME’s vice-chair since 2023. He joined the board in 2018.
- Ana Radic has been appointed director of airport and commercial real estate at the Greater Toronto Airport Authority. Radic is a former Choice Properties chief operating officer. She has worked in commercial real estate since 1999.
- Angela Sahi has been appointed CEO of Morguard Corporation. She has retained her president role. The move took effect immediately. Sahi had served as chief operating officer, as well as president, since spring 2024. Before then, she held the title of executive vice-president. Former CEO Rai Sahi has assumed the role of executive chair.
- Damon Conrad has joined RE/MAX as the head of its Canadian commercial real estate business. He joined RE/MAX from Royal LePage Commercial, where he served as vice-president and general manager.
- Michael Church, a mainstay in the Ottawa commercial real estate market, has retired from Avison Young. Church decided to call it a career after 44 years, including 38 in CRE. Church’s full retirement came after he stepped down from his post as Avison Young’s manager in the nation’s capital in spring 2024 but remained with the company as a broker while reducing his work schedule. Church says he wants to spend time with his new twin grandchildren, focus on his golf game and travel with his wife of 43 years Julie. He was Avison Young’s first employee in Ottawa 18 years ago.
- Francine Moore has joined the CAPREIT board. She has more than 25 years of real estate industry experience. Moore retired in January 2025 from Homestead Land Holdings, where she was president and before then, CFO.
- Jim Hannon has departed from his post as CEO and director at Altus Group. The company has appointed Mike Gordon as its executive chair, and he will become CEO in the first quarter of 2026. Gordon is a former Altus CEO and has served as a director since 2020. Also, Raymond Mikulich has resigned as executive chair but remains on the board as a director.
- Empire Company Limited has appointed Pierre St-Laurent as president and CEO of the company and its wholly-owned subsidiary Sobeys. St-Laurent’s appointment took effect immediately. He has also joined the board of directors. A 34-year employee of the firm, St-Laurent was promoted from his former post as executive vice-president and chief operating officer. He succeeded the retiring Michael Medline.
- Congebec has appointed Tim Ludwig as chief commercial officer. Ludwig has more than 25 years of experience in the food-processing and logistics industry. He founded Bradner Cold Storage, a multi-location logistics network in B.C. Following Bradner’s merger with Congebec earlier in 2025, he joined Congebec’s ownership group.
- Eric Plesman has become president and CEO of Oxford Properties, effective November 3. The move is a homecoming for Plesman, who held a number of executive positions with Oxford during a previous 10-year tenure. He replaced Daniel Fournier.
- Sam Cochrane has been appointed interim CEO at AutoCanada. Cochrane moved up from his post as CFO. He replaced Paul Antony, who will transition out of his role as AutoCanada’s executive chair and a director of the company over the next year. Antony will support Cochrane and any other CEO that might be appointed. Antony’s family office remains the company’s second-largest shareholder. In conjunction with Antony’s transition, Chris Harris has been appointed chair of the board. In addition, Peter Hong will transition out of his position as chief strategy officer and legal council and, like Antony, support any person hired until December 31, 2026.
- Canada ICI Capital Corporation has appointed Graham Collings as managing director for B.C. Collings brings more than two decades of experience to Canada ICI, most recently as executive vice-president of investments at ACM Advisors, where he spent 18 years.
- Darren Tangen has been appointed president of Westbank Properties. Tangen moved to Vancouver-based Westbank from U.S.-headquartered Oaktree Capital, where he served as a managing director and head of real estate business development.
- Cushman & Wakefield has appointed Walid Cheaib as vice-chair. He will be responsible for expanding and strengthening C&W’s institutional Capital Markets practice across Canada. During his career, he has been directly involved in more than $40 billion in commercial real estate and capital-raising transactions. He moved to C&W from BMO Capital Markets, where he led a team advising institutional investors across North America.
- Devin Ringham has been appointed as a vice-president of office leasing in Colliers’ Vancouver locating. Ringham is returning to Colliers in Vancouver, where he worked between 2011 and 2020 in research and as an associate vice-president of office leasing and sales, specializing in owner and occupier representation. He moved back to Colliers from Avison Young, where he was a company principal specializing in occupier services.
- Dan Peacock has been appointed president of Metro Supply Chain, a Montreal-based third-party logistics-solutions provider. Peacock also joined the company’s executive leadership team. He replaces Murray Brabender, who is retiring from his post as president and chief operating officer. Brabender will remain with the organization as an advisor to the CEO until early 2027. Peacock will be based at the company’s regional office in Mississauga, Ont.
- PCL Construction has made a $1.5-million donation to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. The construction industry faces unique pressures that increase the risk of mental-health problems and addiction, says Edmonton-based PCL. A total of 17.2% of male construction workers and 12.6 of females working in the industry have reported high or very high work-related stress due to a heavy workload and work-life balance challenges, according to the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Meanwhile, Statistics Canada figures show that 64% of construction workers want their employers to provide more support for mental-health initiatives, and the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network says that the industry is disproportionately affected by the opioid crisis. The sector accounts for nearly 8% of opioid toxicity-related deaths.
- Atwill-Morin has appointed Fabio Fialho as president of its Greater Toronto Area business. The Quebec-based company specializes in restoring major buildings, including the West and East towers on Parliament Hill and National War Museum in Ottawa, along with four major Toronto hospitals.
- Tony Geheran has been appointed to the Hypercharge board of directors. Geheran has more than 30 years of experience in the telecommunications sector in Canada, the U.K. and Republic of Ireland. He previously served as the chief operating officer at Telus. Vancouver-based Hypercharge is a leading provider of EV charging stations.
- Michelle Brothers has been named the new national director of the tenant facility office at BGIS. Based in Calgary, she was promoted from her previous position as workplace solutions program director. BGIS is a global leader in facility-management services.
- Ted Willcocks has joined Skyline as its new executive vice-president of capital raising. In his new position, he will lead Skyline’s growth strategy by uncovering new opportunities, strengthening institutional investor relationships, and driving innovation to deliver long-term value for our investors, said the company. Willcocks has about three decades of real estate asset management and investment experience. He moved to Skyline after spend the past five years as president and CEO of Triovest.
- The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board has appointed Jill Denham to its board of directors. Denham has about 20 years of experience in financial services and nearly 15 years of service on public company boards. Before launching her board career, she held several senior executive positions at CIBC.
- Chris Holtved has become the new head of global real estate at the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan. He rejoined HOOPP after taking a two-year career break and then serving briefly as president of Whitewood Realty Consulting. In his previous 11-year stint at HOOPP, he finished up as managing director of industrial real estate.
- Tom Murphy has been appointed president of Sun Life Asset Management. He will play a leading role as Sun Life brings all of its asset-management businesses together. Together, the businesses generated earnings of about $1.4 billion in 2024. Murphy has more than 25 years of experience in global asset management. He had served as Sun Life’s chief risk officer since 2022. Before then, he was the president of SLC Fixed Income, part of SLC Management.
- Jacob Cohen has been promoted to president at the Daniels Corporation. Mitchell Cohen has relinquished his president role but remains as CEO. In other company moves, Ginette Battika has been appointed as chief operating officer. and Gokul Pisharoty has become chief construction officer.
- Odyssey Retail Advisors has added four industry veterans as part of the New York-based firm’s expansion into Canada with the opening of a Toronto office. Casdin Parr, David Bishop, and Ryan McCarthy have joined the firm as executive vice-presidents, while Lesia Czech will serve as a director.
- Christine Bergeron has taken an extended leave from her position as president and CEO of Concert Properties to focus on her health and family. John Dooling will serve as interim CEO while also handling his regular managing director and CFO duties. Since the length of Bergeron’s leave is uncertain, Concert has begun a search for a new permanent president and CEO.
- Sagard Real Estate has promoted Mark Bigarel to president. Bigarel previously served as chief operating officer and head of investments for the company, a U.S.-based subsidiary of Canadian investment giant Sagard.
- Richard Hylands, a leading figure in Canadian commercial real estate for decades, has joined QuadReal‘s board. Hylands is the co-chairman of Kevric Real Estate, a Montreal market leader. Kevric also has a Toronto office.
- JLL has appointed Jillian Jackson as senior vice-president of investor services. She will oversee the execution of comprehensive capital expenditure programs for landlord clients across Canada, managing all project stages – from initial planning and advisory through completion. Jackson will work closely with JLL’s capital markets and investment management teams. Meanwhile, Nick Radford has joined the company as project development and services lead for all of Canada and Central Canada. He has 25 years of global experience managing large-scale projects and programs across many sectors, including commercial office, industrial, institutional and hotel/hospitality.
- Tribe Property Technologies has promoted Scott Ullrich to CFO. He replaces Angelo Bartolini, who is moving into a strategic advisor role. Ullrich previously served as executive vice-president. He has been with Tribe since its 2021 acquisition of Gateway Property Management, where he was the CEO.
- David Noel has joined Sagicor Financial as executive vice-president and COO for its Caribbean region. He moved to Sagicor from Scotiabank, where he held senior executive positions across the Caribbean.
- Imperial Equities has appointed Adam Chadhi as COO. He will lead the development of the company’s strategy and overseeing its operational procedures and external relations activities.
- BGO has appointed three new senior leaders who will perform different roles nationally and regionally. Marlene Farias serves as national vice-president of sustainability and technical services. Stephen Smith has been appointed principal of commercial property and leasing for the B.C. region. And, Jeff Wilson has been named vice-president of property management for the Greater Toronto Area.
- JLL has appointed Jonathan Peretz as managing director of national leasing. He will drive the company’s leasing strategy and performance across Canada. He will lead JLL’s efforts to achieve best-in-class results for clients. He will be responsible for strategic business development, team mentorship and the integration of new techology.
- Nicholas Stryland has joined Spear Realty as chief operating officer and partner. He will focus on strategic growth, brokerage services and client relationships to support Spear’s continued expansion and success. Stryland brings more than 25 years of experience in various sales and management roles to Toronto-based Spear, a brokerage that specializes in Greater Toronto Area commercial real estate, particularly industrial, land, investment and development.
- RealServus has appointed Bronwyn Smith as CEO. She assumed her new duties this week. Smith previously served as CEO of myAbode. Former president John Lusink will continue to play a strategic role with RealServus in his new role of vice-chair.
- Starlight Investments has appointed Kristopher Wojtecki as president of its new infrastructure business line, Starlight Infrastructure Solutions. He previously served as chief operating officer at Great Gulf Group and held senior roles at PSP Investments, where he contributed to developments such as Downsview in Toronto, The Wharf in Washington, D.C., and the Seaport in Boston.
- Jane Chan has joined Heartwood Trust as vice-president of capital and corporate development. Chan moved to Heartwood from TAS_Impact. She has more than fifteen years of experience in finance, investor relations, and strategic communications across global firms. She is a seasoned capital markets professional with a proven track record of building institutional-grade investor relations programs and leading successful fundraising strategies in both the private- equity real estate and healthcare sectors.
- Civic transportation infrastructure firm Argo Corporation has hired Jenna Bendayan as head of business operations. Bendayan joins Argo following nearly seven years with the Ontario government, where she played a central role in delivering large-scale initiatives including infrastructure expansion, regulatory reform, and transit modernization.
- Institutional investor SLC Management has promoted Véronique Lauzière to senior managing director and head of Canadian business development and client relationships, effective immediately. She previously served as managing director of institutional distribution.
- John MacIntyre has moved into the role of board chair at TD Bank. In addition, Frank Pearn has joined the bank. MacIntyre had a distinguished 30-year career in capital markets. He is the partner-emeritus of Birch Hill Capital Partners, which he co-founded in 2005. Pearn formerly served as global chief compliance officer and firmwide operational risk executive for JP Morgan Chase.
- John Teskey has joined P3 Investments as its director of private capital. He will support the firm’s national capital-raising initiatives, with a focus on distribution and investor relations in Eastern Canada, while contributing to P3’s strategic approach to capital formation. Before joining P3, Teskey was the senior vice-president of national accounts at Forstrong Global Asset Management. He has also held senior positions with IA Clarington Investments and Franklin Templeton Investments.
- KPMG has named Geoffrey Rush Luc Jolicoeur has joined CIMA‘s board as a director. He succeeds Richard Régimbald, who had served on board since 2019. Jolicoeur has also held executive positions, on of Canada’s largest private consulting engineering firms.
- Sandro Muzzo has been promoted to chief legal officer at Fiera Capital. He moved up from his position vice-president and general counsel for Canada.
- Luigi Favaro has been appointed as the Ontario Real Estate Association‘s new CEO, effective September 2. He has about two decades of real estate industry experience.
- Khan Tran has joined Capital Developments as its vice-president of investments. He moved to Capital following a seven-year tenure at TAS.
- Lanterra Developments has appointed Diana Girgis as its new vice-president of sales and marketing. She previously served with the Toronto Region Real Estate Board as a sales representative.
- Colliers has hired two retail specialists in its Edmonton office. Paul Raimundo was appointed as a local senior vice-president, while Bruce Peters joined the firm as a local VP. Both Raimundo and Peters have experience in tenant and landlord representation. They moved to Colliers from Avison Young. Both Raimundo and Peters have also held seniors roles with JLL, and Oberfeld and Snowcap, among others. Raimundo returns to Colliers after starting his career there more than 25 years ago. Peters has 17 years of commercial real estate experience.
- Wallace Wang has been appointed CFO at Bridgemarq. He moved to Toronto-based Bridgemarq from Brookfield Asset Management. He succeeds Glen McMillan who has been working with him to ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities.
- Crombie REIT has added two new members to its board. Sarah MacDonald and Kyle Harlton joined the board after being appointed by Empire Companies as the firm’s representatives on it. MacDonald serves as the chief transformation officer at Algonquin Power & Utility Company. Harlton is a partner with law firm Stewart McKelvey in Halifax.
- Panattoni has appointed Brad Hoffman as its new managing partner for Canada. He had been Panattoni’s executive vice-president for the past 19 years.
- SolarBank Corporation has changed its name to PowerBank Corporation. The change “reflects the company’s strategic focus, market opportunity and established position as a trusted provider of power and energy solutions that extend beyond just solar energy,” said the firm.
- Logistec has appointed Tex Howard as its new CFO. He has 20 years of industry experience, covering such areas as manufacturing, rail equipment leasing and repair, and transportation. Logistec aims to capitalize on his experience leading high-performing teams across multi-national operations, along with integrations and growth strategies in North American markets.
- Daniel Fletcher has left Dream for the Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala Investment Company. Fletcher now serves as head of the America for Mubadala. He spent the past year as a Dream senior vice-president. Prior to joining Dream, he spent six years at Starlight Investments, rising to vice-president of investments.
- Sean Meadows has been appointed as Canada leader for Arup. Meadows will oversee the firm’s Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Calgary offices.
- Karla Gourdeau has been promoted to director of finance business entities at Calgary-based WestUrban Developments. She previously served as the company’s controller.
- Brian McGowan has joined the Altrio board. Altrio creates technology for leading real estate investors, developers and brokers. McGowan is the CEO of cybersecurity firm Cybercorp.
- Altus Group has named Stuart Boyce as its Prairies Group senior director. He moves from his former post as Prairie director of the firm’s lender and developer services business.
- Colliers has rebranded its investment-management division as Harrison Street Asset Management (HSAM). As part of the move, Christopher Merrill becomes the Global CEO and largest individual shareholder of HSAM. Merrill is the co-founder and CEO of Harrison Street. In addition, Zachary Michaud, the current co-chief investment officer for Colliers, will serve as HSAM’s managing partner and global CFO. Stephen Gordon, Harrison’s Street’s current CFO, will serve as an HSAM managing partner and the firm’s global chief operating officer.
- PROREIT has appointed Steven Scott as chair of its board. Scott joined the board after PROREIT sold six Winnipeg industrial properties to Parkit for $96.5 million. The majority of PROREIT’s board (75%) now comprises independent members, including Parkit. The company holds a 9.6% interest in the REIT following a share acquisition completed in conjunction with the asset sale.
- CIMA has appointed Mathieu Bélanger as vice-president of earth and environment. He has more than two decades of leadership experience in urban planning, real estate development, public policy and infrastructure. CIMA ranks among Canada’s largest private consulting engineering firms.
- Brenda Buchanan has been named CEO of the Real Estate Council of Ontario. Buchanan has more than two decades of experience in the Ontario regulatory environment. She succeeds Michael Beard, who retired in February.
- Stacy Paquin is the new CEO of the Real Estate Council of Alberta. She was elevated from her former role of chief legal counsel, a position that she held for six-and-a-half years.
- Zachary Vaughan has been appointed CEO of Toronto-based Northwest Healthcare Properties REIT. He succeeds Craig Mitchell, who retired. He has held leadership roles with Brookfield entities, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and International Property Corporation, Reichmann International.
- Denis Dubois has been named president and CEO at the Desjardins Group, effective September 2. He has been with the Lévis, Que.-based firm since 2023. Desjardins is a financial co-operative group that provides a wide array of products and services tied to finance and insurance, including real estate banking and investment.
- Anthem Properties has appointed Chase Melynychyn as vice-president of real estate finance. He moved to the Vancouver-based firm from Alabaster Homes, where he spent about a year. He is rejoining Anthem following a seven-year stint with the company in real-estate finance director and manager roles between 2017 and 2024.
- Damon Mitchell has joined QuadReal Property Group as operations manager for Western Canadian Place in Calgary. He joined QuadReal after for serving about six years as commercial operations manager for Qualico Properties in the Southern Alberta city.
- Wallace Wang has been appointed CFO at Bridgemarq Real Estate Services, the parent of Royal LePage. He previously served as a senior associate with Brookfield Asset Management.
- Joseph Feldman has been promoted to president and chief operating officer at Camrost Felcorp. He takes over daily operations from his father David Feldman, the company’s founder, chairman and CEO. Joseph Feldman joined the company in 2014. He has held the COO role since 2020.
- Gillian Calderon Dominguez has been named vice-president of people at Calgary-base Boardwalk REIT. She was promoted from her previous role as senior human resources director. Calderon Dominguez has been with Boardwalk since 2004, progressing from her initial position as a customer representative.
- Jackson Cornelius has joined EY-Parthenon as vice-president of transactions and corporate finance, real estate. He moved to the firm from M3 Development Management, where he spent about two years as the company’s lead economist. Meanwhile, M3 has appointed Matthew as Boukall as director of market advisory.
- EQB, the parent of Equitable Bank, a large commercial real estate mortgage provider, has appointed Chadwick Westlake as its new president and CEO, effective August 25. Westlake rejoins the bank after a brief stint as CFO of Open Text, where he moved in March. Westlake was formerly the bank’s head of finance. He succeeds late CEO Andrew Moor, who died unexpectedly in June. Westlake will also join the bank’s board. Marlene Lenarduzzi will remain as interim president and CEO until Westlake takes the helm. Lenarduzzi will then resume her role as chief risk officer.
- S2 Architecture has promoted Megan Chabot to associate principal from her role as an associate. She continues to lead the firm’s design team.
- GWL Realty Advisors has promoted Stephanie Burke to director of property management in Calgary. She previously served as a senior property manager.
- The 2025 Dream Lottery has launched with 10 new luxury homes in Vancouver and across B.C., available to lucky winners. Other prizes include $2.5 million in cash. Proceeds will go to the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation. The lottery will run until October 10.
- IDA Canada, the International Downtown Association‘s Canadian chapter, will hold Downtown Month across Canada in August. Downtown Month will celebrate and showcase the vital role that downtowns play in communities throughout the country. IDA Canada advocates for federal leaders to strengthen Canada’s downtowns. The organization’s policy priorities include: Investing in infrastructure and public spaces to promote vibrancy and accessibility; increasing housing density; supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs; addressing homelessness, mental health and addictions; and ensuring downtowns remain safe and inclusive spaces through reforms to the bail system and justice policies. IDA Canada is encouraging its members to promote the importance of downtowns by sharing key messages and engaging their communities during Downtown Month.
- Lyndsay Hopps has joined JLL Canada as senior vice-president of industrial in the company’s Mississauga, Ont., office. Hopps will leverage her extensive experience as an industrial real estate specialist in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) market to serve clients in leasing, acquisition, and disposition of industrial facilities, with a specific focus on the GTA West submarket, said JLL. She has two decades of industry experience. In another move, the company promoted Julian Smith to senior vice-president of climate and decarbonization practice director. He previously served as the global lead of asset and performance modelling.
- David Blyth has joined GWL Realty Advisors as vice-president of corporate development and investor relations. Blyth brings more than 20 years of experience with expertise in institutional sales, relationship management, and investor engagement to Toronto-based GWLRA. The company said Blyth is taking on a newly developed role and will lead lead its capital-raising and client-servicing efforts, support the development of new product offerings, and help deepen client relationships—starting with the GWLRA Residential Value Fund.
- GWLRA has also appointed Namit Bhasvar as vice-president of residential leasing and marketing. He has 18 years of experience in real estate and hospitality and is known for building strong teams, fostering partnerships, and driving results through collaboration and innovation. He will lead GWLRA’s residential leasing and marketing strategies, supporting the company’s vision for growth and excellence in the multi-residential space.
- ◦People
- ◦Recruitment
