Team

Managing Principals

Josh Zegen

Managing Principal, Co-Founder

Mr. Zegen co-founded Madison Realty Capital in 2004 and is responsible for overseeing the origination and structuring of all of MRC's investment activities, as well as raising institutional capital and portfolio management. Since MRC's inception, Mr. Zegen has closed real estate transactions totaling in excess of $24 billion. At the firm, Mr. Zegen serves on several investment committees related to both the debt and equity platforms. Prior to founding MRC, he founded and was president of Alpine Commercial Capital, a mortgage advisory firm that successfully closed over $500 million in real estate financings. Prior to forming Alpine, Mr. Zegen was an investment banker in Salomon Smith Barney's financial sponsors/private equity group where he focused on leveraged buyouts, equity and debt financings, mergers and acquisitions and private placement transactions. He is a co-founder and board member of The New York Private Equity Network ("NYPEN"). Mr. Zegen graduated cum laude from Brandeis University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics.

Brian Shatz

Managing Principal, Co-Founder

Mr. Shatz co-founded Madison Realty Capital in 2004 and is responsible for structuring all of MRC's investments, risk and portfolio management, raising institutional capital, and asset management. Since MRC's inception, Mr. Shatz has closed real estate transactions totaling in excess of $24 billion. Mr. Shatz serves on several investment committees related to both the debt and equity platforms. Prior to co-founding MRC, he established Bluegrass Growth Fund Partners, LLC, a private investment fund which focused on investing in structured equity and debt investments for U.S. public companies. Mr. Shatz began his career at BlackRock where he worked closely with fixed income portfolio managers and developed institutional client relationships with some of the country's largest pension funds. Mr. Shatz graduated cum laude from Brandeis University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics.

Adam Tantleff

Managing Principal

Mr. Tantleff joined the firm in 2005 and is responsible for overseeing the raising of institutional capital both domestically and internationally, as well as investor relations. MRC's global investor base consists of corporate and public pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, university endowments, foundations, insurance companies, fund of funds, family offices, and high net worth individuals. Prior to joining MRC, Mr. Tantleff was an equity partner at Suffolk Capital Management, a multibillion-dollar institutional money manager. At the time of his departure from Suffolk Capital Management, Mr. Tantleff held the dual roles of senior equity research analyst and director of marketing where he dealt directly with the firm’s investors which were mainly Fortune 400 pension funds. Mr. Tantleff graduated from George Washington University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in small business management.

Senior Leadership

David Speiser

Senior Managing Director, General Counsel

Mr. Speiser joined the firm in 2012 and is responsible for the negotiation and execution of all firm investments, as well as overseeing the legal aspects of Madison's administration and organization. Prior to joining Madison, Mr. Speiser was a Senior Vice President at Related Companies, where he was responsible for overseeing legal affairs and operational matters for numerous transactions, including Related's 12 million square foot Hudson Yards development on the far West Side of Manhattan. Mr. Speiser earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Binghamton University and a Juris Doctor degree from New York University School of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review.

Urian Yap

Managing Director, Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Yap joined the firm in 2021 as Chief Financial Officer. His role entails the executive management, strategy, planning, and reporting of the company’s finances. Prior to joining Madison, Mr. Yap was a Senior Vice President with The Blackstone Group (Blackstone) and led both the global loan operations team of Blackstone Real Estate Debt Strategies’ (BREDS), representing over $20 billion of gross assets, as well as the financial reporting team for Blackstone Mortgage Trust Inc. (NYSE: BXMT). Prior to the tenure at Blackstone, Mr. Yap was the assistant controller at Colony Capital for the firm's platform of public and non-traded companies, which included both REITs and vehicles governed by the Investment Company Act of 1940. Mr. Yap has further held financial reporting positions in the real estate group of Morgan Stanley as well as roles in the corporate litigation advisory practices of Duff & Phelps and Ernst & Young. Mr. Yap holds a B.B.A. from Emory University with a concentration in Accounting, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder and an inactive Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the state of Georgia. 

Brad Harris

Managing Director, CCO & Deputy General Counsel

Mr. Harris joined the firm in May 2021 and serves as the Managing Director, Chief Compliance Officer and Deputy General Counsel. In his role as Chief Compliance Officer he is responsible for implementing the firm's overall compliance program and monitoring the day to day execution of policies and procedures which are necessary to ensure compliance with all federal and state securities laws and the firm's code of ethics. Prior to joining Madison, Mr. Harris was the Associate General Counsel at Garrison Investment Group, an SEC-registered investment adviser with peak assets under management of $4.5BN, where he provided strategic legal advice to internal business divisions relating to complex corporate, real estate and structured finance transactions.  Mr. Harris was also actively involved in Garrison’s role as an investment adviser working on regulatory and compliance issues as well as fund formation and administration.  Mr. Harris earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Florida in 1999, and a Juris Doctor degree from Fordham University School of Law in 2002.

Wilma Nacion

Managing Director, Chief Human Resources Officer

Ms. Nacion joined the firm in 2023 as Chief Human Resources Officer.  She is a senior HR professional with 30 years’ experience in organizational transformation, people management and talent acquisition with knowledge as a practitioner.  She is responsible for providing direction, leadership and rigor to Madison’s human resources function.  She was most recently the Chief Human Resources Officer at Marathon Asset Management, a global credit manager, where she was a member of Marathon’s Executive Committee, Title and Compensation Committee, and D&I council.  Prior to that, Ms. Nacion’s experience includes investment banking at Houlihan Lokey as the Global Head of Recruitment.  She has further held human capital roles with Big 4 firms such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, and KPMG.  Ms. Nacion holds a BS in Economics from Stonybrook University and is SHRM-CP certified. 

Mark Gormley

Managing Director

Mr. Gormley joined the firm in 2012 and is a Managing Director of Investments, focusing on acquisitions, underwriting, and asset management. He is responsible for sourcing, negotiating, and structuring transactions. Since joining Madison, Mr. Gormley has closed over $5 billion in new debt and equity transactions. Mr. Gormley also assists in asset management, financing, and disposition of debt and equity transactions in the firm’s portfolio across the United States. Prior to joining Madison, Mr. Gormley worked with a New York City-based real estate economist focused on CMBS research. Mr. Gormley received his Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in Economics from Brown University.

David Baharestani

Managing Director

Mr. Baharestani joined the firm in 2014 and is a Managing Director of Investments, focusing on acquisitions, underwriting, and asset management. He is responsible for sourcing, negotiating, and structuring transactions. During his career with Madison, Mr. Baharestani has led the evaluation and execution of over $1.3 billion in debt transactions, and over $450 million in property acquisitions. Prior to Madison, Mr. Baharestani worked at Spring Hill Capital Partners for 5 years, where he was involved in $1.4 billion of CMBS investments, and in the real estate group at Lehman Brothers. Mr. Baharestani received a Masters in Business Administration from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University.

Jay Heydt

Managing Director, Sales & Leasing

Mr. Heydt joined the firm in 2016 as Managing Director, Sales and Leasing.  His role oversees the firm’s multi-family and retail portfolio, condo inventory, and brokerage relations.  Mr. Heydt contributes to the asset management of the portfolio, partnering with the development, property management, and investment teams.  Prior to joining Madison, Mr. Heydt was Senior Managing Director for Citi Habitats, where he spent 14 years overseeing 200 agents, along with owner representation throughout NYC in the leasing execution of over 500 buildings. Mr. Heydt earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Rhode Island's Harrington School of Communication and Media.

Raphael Chejade-Bloom

Managing Director, Marketing

Mr. Chejade-Bloom joined the firm in 2018 and is the Managing Director of Marketing. He oversees strategic planning and implementation of Madison’s corporate marketing, events, and business development initiatives. He manages external agencies, including digital marketing, creative, government relations and PR, ensuring measurable results for the fully integrated portfolio. Mr. Chejade-Bloom also manages special projects for the firm, including enterprise-level technology solutions and operations. Previously, as Managing Partner at Gerber Group, he oversaw the expansion of the company’s global portfolio of innovative dining concepts, lounges, and bars, before joining The Marketing Directors, a new development advisory firm, as Vice President of Corporate Strategy. Mr. Chejade-Bloom earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Communication from American University.

Marc Zegen

Managing Director, Originations & Acquisitions

Mr. Zegen joined the firm in August of 2007 and is a Managing Director of Debt Originations & Acquisitions. He is responsible for the sourcing of new debt and equity opportunities, loan originations, purchasing of non-performing debt, and the acquisition of development properties. Since joining Madison, Mr. Zegen has sourced and closed over $5.5 billion in debt transactions as well as over $500 million in property acquisitions. Mr. Zegen also assists in asset management of properties that the firm owns outside the NY area. Prior to joining Madison, Mr. Zegen worked at Buildcorp Australia Development, a Sydney, Australia based condominium developer. Among other industry recognitions, Mr. Zegen has been named to Commercial Observer’s 25 Under 35: The Lenders and Debt Brokers To Watch. Mr. Zegen received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Brandeis University.

Shoshana Carmel Liss

Managing Director, Operations

Ms. Carmel Liss joined the firm in 2006 and is responsible for servicing all the assets in the firm's debt portfolios, assisting in cash management, and serving as a liaison to Madison's various leverage providers. In addition, Ms. Carmel Liss works with Madison's third-party administrator and accountants on financial reporting and assists in the preparation of the firm's financial statements. She manages the closing process for all new transactions, as well as various activities relating to post-closing maintenance. Prior to joining Madison, Ms. Carmel Liss worked in the Operations and Management group for a mortgage lender offering both residential and commercial loans. Ms. Carmel Liss graduated Summa Cum Laude from Yeshiva University, Sy Syms School of Business with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance.

Zach Kadden

Managing Director, Development

Mr. Kadden joined the firm in 2015 and is Managing Director of Development. He focuses on Madison’s adaptive reuse commercial development projects as well as ground up developments, which include mixed-use and mixed-income components. Mr. Kadden’s experience and education span real estate development, design, construction, legal, land use planning and policy. Mr. Kadden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor degree from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. He is a member of the New York State Bar.

Ricky Braha

Director, Originations & Acquisitions

Mr. Braha joined the firm in 2015 and is a Director of Debt Originations & Acquisitions. He is responsible for the sourcing of new debt and equity opportunities, loan originations, purchasing of non-performing debt, and the acquisition of development properties. Mr. Braha also assists with commercial and retail leasing for Madison’s equity portfolio. Prior to Madison, Mr. Braha lead acquisitions and leasing for JTRE Holdings; which accumulated approximately $100MM of retail focused assets. Mr. Braha received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Florida International University.

Elias Haddad

Director, Originations & Acquisitions

Mr. Haddad joined the firm in 2023 and is a Director of Originations & Acquisitions. He is responsible for the sourcing of debt opportunities including direct CRE loan originations and the purchasing of performing and non-performing CRE backed obligations. Prior to joining Madison, Mr. Haddad was a Director at Pangea Mortgage Capital where he was hired at the inception of the business to establish and grow the firm's strategy of distressed and transitional lending. During his tenure there he led operations across a large-scale platform, shaping investment strategy, driving originations, spearheading workouts, and structuring investments with capital partners. Mr. Haddad began his career as an investment banker at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (KBW) within their Depositories Group. His experience at KBW includes over $2BN of closed transactions including mergers, acquisitions, IPOs, and debt offerings as well as advisory engagements for government agencies. Mr. Haddad received his undergraduate degree in Finance from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business and was a faculty selected member of the Investment Banking Workshop. He is an active member of American Corporate Partners, a non-profit which helps veterans transition to the corporate world and a charter member and long-time supporter of the Kennedy High School Eagles football program of Waterbury, CT.

Adam Sadaka

Director

Mr. Sadaka joined the firm in 2021 and is a Director of Investments, focusing on acquisitions, underwriting, and asset management. He is responsible for sourcing, negotiating, and structuring transactions. Prior to joining Madison, Mr. Sadaka most recently worked at Axonic Capital for 5 years, where he was involved in sourcing and analyzing commercial real estate debt and equity investment opportunities amounting to $2 billion in capitalization and $500 million equity invested, including non-performing loan acquisitions totaling $1 billion UPB.  Before his tenure at Axonic, Mr. Sadaka worked in the commercial real estate group at Lone Star Funds under Hudson Advisors, where he was an underwriter for the lending group LStar Capital and was heavily involved in underwriting and analyzing multi-billion dollar loan pool acquisition opportunities. Mr. Sadaka began his career in the fixed income division at Goldman Sachs. Mr. Sadaka received his Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in Political Science from Washington University in St. Louis. 

Etan Slomovic

Director

Mr. Slomovic joined the firm in 2021 and is a Director of Investments, focusing on acquisitions, underwriting and asset management. He is responsible for sourcing, negotiating, and structuring transactions. Prior to Madison, Mr. Slomovic was the Head of Acquisitions and Debt investments at Castellan Real Estate Partners for 8 years. In this position, he led Castellan’s efforts to execute equity and debt transactions across the US, with a focus on assets and locations that have substantial growth potential. At Castellan, he completed over 200 transactions consisting of $1.5B in aggregate deal volume.  Prior to joining Castellan, Etan worked at Antheus Capital, a real estate private equity firm that has invested in over $1B of real estate across the United States. In that role, he evaluated and acquired multifamily, mixed-use and developmental properties.  Mr. Slomovic is also a member of the faculty at NYU’s Schack Real Estate Institute. He teaches Real Estate Financial Modeling and Finance and Investment Analysis. Mr. Slomovic graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts from Yeshiva University.

Ben Kramer

Director, Finance & Accounting

Mr. Kramer joined the firm in 2014 after having been employed with Ernst & Young and WeiserMazars. His responsibilities at Madison include assisting in the oversight and process of the accounting functions for all equity and debt deals across the firm, general oversight of REIT compliance, reporting and testing, assisting in deal structuring to minimize potential tax consequences, and reviewing and approving all tax returns. Mr. Kramer is a New York State Certified Public Accountant. Mr. Kramer received his Masters in Taxation from St. John's University and graduated from Touro College with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.

Ariel Fins

Director, Finance & Accounting

Ms. Fins joined the Firm in 2014 and is a Director of Finance and Accounting. She is responsible for the Firm’s control-side functions, which include financial reporting for Madison’s comingled funds and investment vehicles as well as supporting portfolio management and capital raising initiatives. Ms. Fins previously held assurance roles at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Ms. Fins received her Masters of Science in Accountancy at the University of San Diego and is a New York State Certified Public Accountant.

Siobhan O'Sullivan

Director, Loan Servicing

Ms. O’Sullivan joined the firm as Director, Loan Servicing in 2017, specializing in the optimization of policies and procedures for technical due diligence on development projects. She ensures that all transactions meet or exceed industry standards, including loan documents, as well as credit and compliance requirements with borrowers and leverage providers. Ms. O’Sullivan has over twenty years of asset management experience with MidFirst Bank, Eurohypo AG, Credit Lyonnais and Chase Manhattan, specializing in technical services, and construction loan administration. Ms. O’Sullivan received her Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Thomas Aquinas College. She is a member of the Real Estate Lenders Association.

Michael Goldberg

Director

Mr. Goldberg joined the firm in 2019 and is a Director of Investments, focusing on acquisitions, underwriting, and asset management. He is responsible for sourcing, negotiating, and structuring transactions. Prior to joining Madison, Mr. Goldberg worked in the investments group at SL Green Realty Corp., where he was involved in the execution of over $6.5 billion in equity and credit investments. Mr. Goldberg received his Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in Urban Studies & Real Estate from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Juan Herrera

Vice President, Development

Mr. Herrera joined the firm in 2020 as a Vice President of Development. He is responsible for oversight and management of construction at Madison. Prior to joining Madison, Mr. Herrera worked at Sugarhill Capital Partners as the executive director of development and construction.  Mr. Herrera’s professional experience includes the execution of over 1.5MM square feet of capital projects in multifamily and mixed assets while implementing sustainable work practices. Mr. Herrera earned a Master of Fine Arts in Digital Design from Parsons School of Design, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from NYU, Bachelor of Engineering in Materials Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. 

Jennifer Curtin

Vice President, Development

Ms. Curtin joined the firm in 2021 as a Vice President of Development. She is mostly responsible for overseeing the design and construction of ground up developments at Madison. Ms. Curtin spent the first ten years of her career practicing architecture and is a licensed Architect in the State of New York. In 2012, she transitioned to real estate development focusing on high-end multifamily residential developments. Ms. Curtin received her Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the State University of New York in Buffalo.

Mark Young

Vice President, Assistant General Counsel

Mr. Young joined the firm in 2022 and is a Vice President and Assistant General Counsel responsible for the negotiation and execution of the firm’s investments, as well as assisting in the asset management of the firm’s various credit and equity positions.  Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Young was an associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and Sidley Austin LLP, where his practice focused on representing major financial institutions, private equity funds and other institutional lenders in connection with the origination, purchase and sale of a variety of mortgage, mezzanine and other subordinate financing positions across all real estate asset classes. Mr. Young earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, magna cum laude, from Mercer University with a focus in Finance and Psychology, and a Juris Doctor degree from New York University School of Law.

Alex Neubauer

Vice President

Mr. Neubauer joined the firm in 2022 and is a Vice President of Investments, focusing on acquisitions, underwriting, and asset management. He is responsible for sourcing, negotiating, and structuring transactions. Prior to joining Madison, Mr. Neubauer worked at Ladder Capital Corp. for 5 years where he was involved in analyzing and executing over $1.5 billion in commercial real estate debt and equity investments. Previously, Mr. Neubauer worked for Hanover Street Capital supporting Deutsche Bank’s Special Situations Group & TPG Real Estate Finance Trust. Mr. Neubauer received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a dual major in Real Estate & Urban Land Economics and Finance, Investment & Banking from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

CAREERS

To inquire about current job opportunities at Madison Realty Capital, please email: careers@madisonrealtycapital.com