6th Annual Titans of Real Estate

Andrew Karolyi is the Charles Field Knight Dean of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. He is a Professor of Finance and International Business as well as holder of the Harold Bierman Jr. Distinguished Professorship in the Johnson Graduate School of Management. Dr. Karolyi is also a Professor of Economics in Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences.

A scholar in the area of investment management, with a specialization in the study of international financial markets, Dr. Karolyi has published extensively in journals in finance and economics, including the Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial Economics, and Review of Financial Studies. He has also published several books and monographs, and his research is featured in print and electronic media such as the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Economist, Time, New York Times, Washington Post, Forbes, BusinessWeek, and CNBC. Dr. Karolyi recently completed a four-year term as executive editor of the Review of Financial Studies, one of the top-tier journals in finance. He has also served as an associate editor for a variety of journals, including the Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial Economics, Journal of Empirical Finance, Journal of Banking and Finance, Review of Finance, and the Pacific Basin Finance Journal.

Dr. Karolyi is a recipient of the Michael Jensen Prize for Corporate Finance and Organizations (2017), the Fama/DFA Prize for Capital Markets and Asset Pricing (2005), the William F. Sharpe Award for Scholarship in Finance (2001), the Journal of Empirical Finance’s Biennial Best Paper Prize (2006), and Johnson School’s Prize for Excellence in Research (2010). Dr. Karolyi leads various executive education programs in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia, and he is actively involved in consulting with corporations, banks, investment firms, stock exchanges, and law firms. He is president-elect/program chair of the Western Finance Association, has served as a director of the American Finance Association, and is past chairperson of the board of trustees and past president of the Financial Management Association International. Dr. Karolyi received his B.A. (Honors) in Economics from McGill University and worked at the Bank of Canada for several years in its research department. He subsequently earned his MBA and Ph.D. degrees in Finance at the Graduate School of Business of the University of Chicago.

Brian Kingston is a Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer of Brookfield’s Real Estate Group and Brookfield Property Partners. He joined Brookfield in 2001 and was named CEO of Brookfield Property Partners in 2015. Under Mr. Kingston’s leadership, Brookfield has conducted a wide range of mergers and acquisitions activities, including investments in Forest City Realty Trust, General Growth Properties, and Canary Wharf. 

Prior to his current role, Mr. Kingston led Brookfield’s Australian business activities, holding the positions of CEO of Brookfield Office Properties Australia, CEO of Prime Infrastructure, and CFO of Multiplex.

Richard A. Baker is an experienced executive and established visionary with a reputation for capitalizing on opportunities that lie at the intersection of technology, real estate and retail. Mr. Baker currently serves as Governor, Executive Chairman and CEO of HBC, a holding and investment company, including Saks, Saks Fifth Avenue, Hudson’s Bay, Saks OFF 5TH and HBC Properties & Investments.

Mr. Baker serves as President of the Saks Fifth Avenue and Hudson’s Bay Foundations, both of which are dedicated to making mental health a priority in every community. In addition to HBC’s support of this important cause, Mr. Baker is a personal advocate for changing the conversation around mental health to increase awareness and understanding.

Mr. Baker is the owner of National Realty & Development Corporation (NRDC), one of the largest private real estate development companies in the United States. In addition, he serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Retail Opportunity Investments Corporation (ROIC), a NASDAQ-listed REIT focused on acquiring retail properties on the west coast of the United States. Mr. Baker is also on the Board of Trustees at Cornell University