CREFC Names Paul Vanderslice as New President and CEO

The CRE Finance Council (CREFC) said Friday that Paul T. Vanderslice has been named president and CEO, effective Sept. 30. He succeeds Lisa Pendergast, who led CREFC for a decade before retiring last month.

Vanderslice will join CREFC from BMO Capital Markets, where he serves as head of CMBS and oversees the origination, securitization, and distribution of new issue transactions. He brings more than three decades of experience in commercial real estate finance, including senior leadership roles at BMO Capital Markets, CCRE, and Citigroup.

“Paul brings deep industry expertise, a longstanding commitment to CREFC, and a clear understanding of the issues and opportunities facing our members,” said Toby Cobb, co-founder and co-managing partner of 3650 Capital and chair of CREFC’s Executive Committee and Board of Governors. “Having previously served as chair and as a current member of the Board of Governors, Paul knows the organization and the industry exceptionally well. We look forward to his leadership as we enter this next chapter.”

Vanderslice has been a member of CREFC for nearly three decades, serving as chair of CREFC’s Executive Committee and Board of Governors from 2012 to 2013, along with serving on multiple committees and forums. As president and CEO, Vanderslice will lead CREFC’s efforts to advance its mission on behalf of the commercial and multifamily real estate finance industry, including its advocacy, market intelligence, education, industry standards, member engagement and events.

“We are deeply grateful to Lisa Pendergast for her decade of exceptional leadership and service to CREFC, and to Ed DeAngelo for his steady guidance as Interim President and CEO during this important transition,” said Leland Bunch, immediate past chair of CREFC, chair of CREFC’s CEO Search Committee and managing director at Bank of America. “The team at Spencer Stuart presented our search committee with an impressive slate of highly qualified candidates from across the commercial real estate industry and leading U.S. trade associations. Paul distinguished himself through his lifelong commitment to commercial real estate and his longstanding dedication to CREFC.”