The CRE Finance Council Unveils Its 2025 Class of ‘20 Under 40’
June 6, 2025
CREFC celebrates young professionals from lenders, investors, borrowers, legal and accounting firms
NEW YORK, June 6, 2025 – The CRE Finance Council (CREFC), the trade association that exclusively represents the $6 trillion commercial and multifamily real estate finance industry, unveiled its 2025 class of accomplished ‘20 Under 40’ professionals. The 2025 class will be introduced at CREFC’s Annual Conference in New York City.
This year’s ‘20 Under 40’ recipients are reshaping commercial real estate (CRE) finance with fresh ideas and innovation. They work with lenders, investors, borrowers, and legal and accounting firms. These young professionals focus on a wide range of commercial properties and support servicers, borrowers, and lenders. They originate loans, structure CMBS transactions, and are involved with loan workouts. Also, this class of ‘20 Under 40’ mentors other young professionals and devotes time to community charities.
“We want to congratulate and welcome members of the 2025 class of ‘20 Under 40’, who will become tomorrow’s CRE finance leaders. As professionals, they have come of age in a market that has been challenged by high benchmark and mortgage rates and a wide range of economic uncertainty,” said Lisa Pendergast, President and CEO of CREFC.
“We salute this class of talented professionals, many of whom are actively involved with CREFC committees and help shape the development of novel and engaging CREFC programming. Their creative energy, determination, and innovations help ensure the CRE finance industry continues to evolve and meet a variety of challenges as we move forward.”
CREFC’s annual ‘20 Under 40’ awards are part of an ongoing effort to recognize the next generation of leaders in CRE finance. CREFC’s Young Professionals Network offers career development, networking, and educational opportunities for this group of CRE finance professionals.
DANIEL BLAKELY
ALLISON M. BORTNER
Partner
Duane Morris LLP
PATRICK BOYLE
Vice President, Boston Capital Markets
Colliers
ANTHONY CANDELA
Senior Vice President
Slate Asset Management
THOMAS F. DUGAN
Partner
Eversheds Sutherland
EVAN GIBSON
Executive Vice President,
Capital Markets
Merchants Capital
BRANDON HEIM
Principal, Real Estate
Ares Management
RACHEL HUNTER-GOLDMAN
Managing Director
KKR
NITYA KUMAR GOYAL
Partner
Dechert LLP
MICHAEL IANNO
Senior Director, Capital Markets
Walker & Dunlop
EUNI JO
Associate
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
KENNETH KASMIR
Senior Manager
Deloitte & Touche LLP
SOPHIA (XUEFEI) OUYANG
Director
KPMG LLP
CHLOE PARK
Assistant Vice President, CMBS & Real Estate Finance Group
Citibank
CLAYTON ROSS
Director
JLL Capital Markets
JEFFREY SCHWARTZ
Director, Real Estate Sector Coverage
ING
PRERNA SONI
Partner
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
STEPHANIE STEIN
Partner
McDermott Will & Emery LLP
MADELINE TRACY
Director, U.S. CRE Finance Group
Barclays
MICHAEL WATSON
Director
SVN
To learn more about this year’s class of ‘20 Under 40’ recipients click here.
About CREFC
The CRE Finance Council (CREFC) is the trade association for the nearly $6 trillion commercial real estate finance industry with a membership that includes more than 400 companies and 19,000 individuals. Member firms include balance sheet and securitized lenders, loan and bond investors, private equity firms, servicers, rating agencies, and borrowers.
For 30 years, CREFC has promoted liquidity, transparency, and efficiency in the commercial real estate finance markets, and acted as a legislative and regulatory advocate for the industry, playing a vital role in setting market standards and best practices, and providing education for market participants.
Media Contact:
Aleksandrs Rozens
ARozens@crefc.org
646-884-7567