Movers & Shakers: Skanska recruits from Ratkovich Co., CBRE expands & more

Jerde, a prominent architecture firm, named a new CEO

Claire DeBriere and John Simones (Gary Leonard)
Claire DeBriere and John Simones (Gary Leonard)

UPDATED, Oct. 29, 9:00 a.m.: Skanska, a project development and construction services firm, hired Claire DeBriere to serve as an executive vice president for its office in Downtown Los Angeles. Prior to the move, DeBriere was an executive vice president at Ratkovich Co., a development firm best known for the Hercules Campus at Playa Vista and the Bloc. In her new role, she will lead commercial development operations, including handling everything from land acquisitions to design of new projects for the New York-based company.

Architecture firm Jerde has named a new CEO and Chairman. Paul Martinkovic was promoted from chief financial officer to CEO. John Simones, though retaining his position as design director, has transitioned from CEO to Chairman of the Board of Directors. Jerde, based in Downtown, specializes in mixed-use and retail projects. Some of the firm’s best-known work includes the Mall of America in Minnesota, Universal CityWalk in L.A. and the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

CBRE Global Investors poached Todd Sammann from Narrative Capital Management, a firm he founded in 2015. Sammann was named an executive managing director at the firm, and will help lead the Credit Strategies program in the Americas. Former Narrative colleagues Charles Kim and Ed Paje will be joining Sammann at the L.A. office, Christian Fuqua and Eric Anderson in New York. Prior to Narrative, Sammann worked as a principal at Colony Capital and managing director at Deutsche Bank.

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Elsewhere at CBRE, Josh Hayes was recently hired as a senior vice president in the Inland Empire. Hayes will be based in the firm’s Ontario office, where he will work with senior vice president Eloy Covarrubias and vice president Joe Werdein to expand the development team. Prior to joining CBRE, Hayes worked at Colliers International.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that DeBriere was hired as chief operating officer.