Movers & Shakers: Cresa taps former CushWake exec as managing principal…and more

From Cushman & Wakefield to Cresa South Florida: Caroline Fleischer is now Cresa’s managing principal. Fleischer, previously a director at Cushman & Wakefield’s tenant advisory group, will help the firm expand with up to 12 hires this year. Her clients include Microsoft, Cross Country Healthcare Services, the state of Florida, Carnival Corp. and First Green Bank.

“I greatly respect Cresa’s niche as a pure, conflict-free tenant advisory firm, and I was attracted by Cresa’s entrepreneurial business model, strong platform of integrated services, and its collaborative culture,” Fleisher said in a press release.

Cresa, which represents office tenants only, is active in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. JLL acquired Cresa in December.

CBRE’s former communications and media manager left to join Kreps DeMaria Public Relations & Marketing. Melinda Sherwood has more than 10 years of experience in public relations for clients in real estate, architecture and design, education and lifestyle sectors. She’s now an account director at Kreps DeMaria.

ONE Sotheby’s International Realty brought on three new associates. Coldwell Banker’s mother-daughter duo Patricia and Ryan Lewis in the company’s Weston office, as well as Douglas Elliman’s Juan Carlos Zapata in the Fort Lauderdale office. The Lewises have 16 years of experience and a combined sales volume of more than $475 million. Zapata has more than 14 years of luxury real estate experience.

William R. Derrer joined Gulf Building LLC as COO. Derrer co-founded James A. Cummings Inc., a construction management firm he previously led as president and CEO until he retired in October. Perini Corp. acquired the company in 2003. In his new role, Derrer will help expand in-house construction services, including general contracting and construction management.

Invitation homes hired Colleen A. Yeager as vice president of operations for its South Florida office. Yeager was previously vice president of Sunrise-based Pinnacle Living, where she oversaw properties and assisted with leadership.

FirstBank Florida brought on five hires in its commercial banking department, including Mahesh Pattabhiraman as senior vice president and commercial banking head. Pattabhiraman was previously executive vice president, chief lending officer and senior vice president of commercial lending at Apollo Bank. At FirstBank Florida, he will be responsible for developing relationships and the overall leadership and management of the bank’s commercial banking department, which includes the following new hires:

• Yuleisy A. Montalvo joins as vice president and commercial banking officer. Previously, she served in the same position with Mercantil Commercebank.
• Jose Marrero joins as vice president of commercial real estate, responsible for commercial real estate lending. Marrero was previously with Ocean Bank for 16 years, most recently as senior vice president and relationship manager.
• Iluminada Diaz is now a business relationship officer, where she is responsible for commercial lending and growth of deposits/portfolio revenues. Diaz was a senior relationship manager at BankUnited.
• Raquel M. Riano joins as business relationship officer, responsible for commercial lending and growth of deposits/portfolio revenues. Riano was previously an assistant vice president and small business banker at Bank of America.

KW Property Management & Consulting brought on Alexander Martin as a regional manager. Martin has nearly two decades of hospitality-related experience, including 12 years with the Ritz-Carlton brand. In his new role, Martin oversees district property and general managers, as well as works with developers and association board members. KWMP’s luxury hospitality division includes Echo Aventura, Oceana Key Biscayne, Glass, 900 Biscayne, One Miami and Turnberry Village.