Sean Sullivan and Antonio Biondi join Avison Young in New York City

Industry leaders become Principals, will lead asset management service line

NEW YORK, Nov. 4, 2014 /CNW/ - Arthur Mirante, Avison Young Principal and Tri-State President, announced today that asset management specialists Sean Sullivan and Antonio Biondi have joined the firm in New York City.

Effective immediately, Sullivan and Biondi become Principals and will lead the company's asset, property and facilities management services line in New York City. Sullivan and Biondi will work as a team to grow the firm's asset services group in the region. They will oversee the recruitment of top asset management professionals and, as Principals, contribute to the continued growth of Avison Young's asset-services platform throughout the Tri-State area and nationally in conjunction with Mirante.

"Sean and Antonio are among the industry's most highly regarded asset and property management professionals," comments Mirante. "It is indicative of the strength of Avison Young's growing asset-services platform that we continue to attract top industry professionals of Sean and Antonio's caliber to our organization. Their track record of success, reputation and depth of relationships in the industry will be an asset to our team as we continue to extend our reach in the region through a steadfast focus on providing best-in-class client service."

Mirante continues: "Asset management is one of our core service lines and an integral part of Avison Young's growth strategy, which differentiates our brand in the market. As Principals, Sean and Antonio will help lead the enterprise and contribute to the development of our asset-services capabilities regionally and nationally, and support our growing client base of owners, developers and occupiers in maximizing the value of their commercial real estate."

Sullivan is an industry leader with 23 years of experience managing investments for world-class real estate owners, operators and private-equity investment management firms. His experience includes the management of hundreds of investments across all major asset classes, representing more than 140 million square feet (msf) of institutional-quality real estate on a global basis. He brings a depth of knowledge in all aspects of real estate asset services, including investment, property and facilities management.

Prior to joining Avison Young, Sullivan held leadership roles with owner-operators, including Monday Properties, AvalonBay Communities, Tishman Speyer and Morgan Stanley. He has also worked with such private-equity firms as Aetos Capital, Investcorp International and DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners. 

Sullivan graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1991 from Iona College, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science; and in 1998 from New York University, where he earned a Master of Science degree in real estate investment and finance. He and Biondi were previously colleagues at Tishman Speyer and Avalon Bay in New York City from May 2002 to March 2007.

"Antonio and I have built a foundation of loyalty, trust and success through our past experience working together, and we look forward to joining the Principal-led model at Avison Young, where the client is the centerpiece of our collective focus," says Sullivan. "I see this as a unique opportunity to utilize an entrepreneurial approach to build an industry-leading asset services platform with the support and resources of a growing global organization and world-class team."

An industry leader with 19 years of experience, Biondi most recently served as Senior Vice-President/Alliance Director for CBRE, with direct oversight of Goldman Sachs' North and South America real estate portfolio. During his career, Biondi has provided direct oversight of approximately 30 msf of office, retail and corporate facilities. His experience includes managing retail leasing and operations in Rockefeller Center for Tishman Speyer, managing multi-family regional operations for AvalonBay in New York and New Jersey, and managing Related Properties' portfolio in New York, Boston and California.

In addition to his professional experience, Biondi serves on a number of local and national charitable committees, including St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, National Italian American Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Cathedral Club of Brooklyn, and the Hamilton Madison House.

"It's exciting to be joining a team of professionals with a first-class reputation, and to partner with Sean, with whom I have worked in the past and who is so highly regarded in the industry," adds Biondi. "We have an opportunity to leverage our longstanding relationships, along with the array of services offered by Avison Young, and build upon the strong platform already in place to deeply penetrate the market."

Today's announcement comes on the heels of Avison Young acquiring New Jersey-based asset management firm Kwartler Associates on September 18, 2014. The acquisition added 27 professionals to Avison Young's Tri-State operations and increased the firm's total square feet of retail, industrial and office properties under management in Canada and the U.S. to approximately 70 msf.

Avison Young is the world's fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Avison Young is a collaborative, global firm owned and operated by its principals. Founded in 1978, the company comprises 1,600 real estate professionals in 60 offices, providing value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management, financing and mortgage placement services to owners and occupiers of office, retail, industrial and multi-family properties.

Editors/Reporters

• Please click on links to view and download photos of Sean Sullivan and Antonio Biondi:
http://www.avisonyoung.com/sites/default/files/content-files/Media_Room/Temp/AY_SeanSullivan.jpg
http://www.avisonyoung.com/sites/default/files/content-files/Media_Room/Temp/AY_AntonioBiondi.jpg

For further information/comment/photos:

• Christa Segalini, Vice-President, Beckerman PR: [phone]; cell: [phone]
• Elliot Baum, Principal and Vice-President of Marketing, New York, Avison Young:
• [phone]
• Sherry Quan, Principal, National Director of Communications & Media Relations, Avison Young: 604.647.5098; cell: 604.726.0959

www.avisonyoung.com

Avison Young was a winner of Canada's Best Managed Companies program in 2011 and 2012 and requalified in 2013 to maintain its status as a Best Managed company.

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SOURCE: Avison Young Commercial Real Estate (BC)

For further information: Christa Segalini, [phone], [phone] cell, email: [e-mail]