Jim Chang serves as Chairman of the Board for Esen, bringing a distinguished track record of global leadership and financial innovation.
He is the Founder, Executive Chairman, and CEO of Singapore-based investment platforms The Croesus Group and Everglory Group, managing diversified holdings across real estate, infrastructure, transportation, and financial asset management in Asia and the United States. Recognized by CNBC as one of Asia’s Best CEOs, Jim’s foundational expertise includes launching EVA Air and playing a pivotal role in adopting Japan’s Shinkansen system for Taiwan’s High-Speed Rail after joining the Evergreen Group in 1990 as a key early leader. He went on to establish The Croesus Group in 2004, managing an expansive Asia-Pacific and U.S. real estate portfolio, and in 2013 launched Croesus Retail Trust (CRT), which was later acquired by Blackstone. Under Everglory Group, he spearheaded strategic corporate investments, including the acquisition of Trust Capital—now one of Japan’s largest mezzanine financing platforms—and key investments in Silicon Valley technology companies. Jim serves as an advisor and board director for several global institutions, including Asia Society (Japan) and the Taiwan High-Speed Rail Corporation.
He holds a B.A. in International Studies from Temple University, an Executive Certificate in Business Management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and a Global Leadership Certificate from Harvard Business School.
Matt Elsesser serves as Chief Executive Officer for Esen, anchoring the firm’s executive leadership with an exceptional background in large-scale property development.
He previously served as the U.S. Head of Development for Logistics at Brookfield Properties, where he oversaw an active pipeline of more than 15 million square feet of ground-up logistics development across North America. Prior to that, he was Brookfield’s President of Commercial Development, directing all mixed-use projects across the continent. Matt also served as Chief Development Officer at Forest City prior to its $11 billion acquisition by Brookfield. Throughout a career spanning both private equity and publicly held companies, he has successfully managed a pipeline in excess of $5 billion, overseeing 27 million square feet of development, including 10,000 multifamily units.
Matt earned his Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Baldwin Wallace University.
Dave Boillot serves as President and Chief Investments Officer for Esen, leading the company’s capital allocation and investment strategies.
Most recently, he was the Managing Director and CIO of Croesus and Company, where he oversaw the investment and development of more than 2,500 apartment units and 1 million square feet of commercial development. Over a career spanning the development and private equity sectors—including institutional stints with both AEW and Citigroup—Dave has successfully completed transactions in excess of $2 billion across all major property types.
He graduated from Columbia University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Finance and earned his Master’s degree in Real Estate Development from the University of Southern California.
Jason Bonnet serves as Chief Development Officer for Esen, driving the vision and execution of the company’s delivery pipeline.
He was formerly the Head of Commercial Development for the East Coast region at Brookfield Properties, where he managed a project pipeline valued at over $7 billion. Throughout his career, Jason has successfully executed over 4,000 multifamily units, 1 million square feet of office space, and more than 500,000 square feet of retail, hotels, parks, and community spaces. This extensive track record equates to more than $5 billion of development value delivered in major markets from coast to coast.
Jason holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina, a Master’s degree in Real Estate Development from the University of Southern California, and is an alumnus of Harvard Business School.
For nearly 20 years, Kate Bicknell has been leading transformational, urban development projects.
Specializing in complex public-private, institutional, and industry partnerships, she previously served as Managing Director for Tishman Speyer, where she led the development of the Enterprise Research Campus—a 2 million square foot life sciences, residential, hotel, and conference center project in Boston. Prior to Tishman Speyer, Kate was Vice President and Head of New York Development for Oxford Properties Group, driving the adaptive reuse of a historic freight train terminal into a new headquarters for Google. She began her development career at Forest City, helping lead the delivery of the Barclays Center & Atlantic Yards, and directing the partnership with Cornell University to develop Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island.
Kate holds a B.S. in Urban Studies from Cornell University, where she serves on the Cornell University Council and Alumni Advisory Board, and has chaired the Alumni Trustee Nominating Committee and the AAP Dean’s Advisory Board. She earned her MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Ben Freeman serves as Senior Vice President for Esen, bringing more than 20 years of experience in mixed-use and retail redevelopment to the team.
As the former Senior Vice President of Development at Brookfield Properties, Ben led large-scale redevelopment initiatives across some of the country’s most prominent retail destinations, deploying more than $1 billion across iconic assets including Northbrook Court, Oakbrook Center, Ridgedale, and Cumberland. His deep expertise spans the full development lifecycle, encompassing entitlements, zoning and up-rezoning, public-private partnerships, tax incentive structures, and complex municipal negotiations. Ben specializes in crafting design-driven, market-defining redevelopment plans that integrate retail, entertainment, food and beverage, multifamily, hotel, and public realm components.
He began his career in finance and capital markets, holding roles at Bank of America, BMO, and Truist (formerly SunTrust), where he developed core expertise in underwriting, joint venture structuring, and investment analysis before joining Brookfield via the GGP (General Growth Partners) merger.
Loren Morgan serves as Head of Construction for Esen, ensuring operational excellence and precision from pre-construction through delivery.
As the former Head of Pre-Construction for Brookfield Properties’ Commercial Development group, he oversaw all pre-construction activities for master-planned communities, commercial, mixed-use, and residential projects across the United States and Canada. Loren’s institutional leadership experience extends across premier industry firms, including foundational stints at Greystar, AvalonBay, and Clark Construction. Over the course of his career, he has ensured the successful delivery of more than 5,000 apartment units and 4.5 million square feet of real estate, totaling in excess of $2 billion in projects.
Loren holds a B.S. in Economics with a minor in Spanish from the U.S. Naval Academy.
Joginder Singh serves as Construction Lead for Esen, bringing more than 45 years of elite construction and development expertise to the team.
He previously served as Executive Vice President of Construction Services for Forest City Realty Trust, where he directed construction activities for major retail, office, residential, and mixed-use projects from conceptual planning through grand opening, managing project budgets ranging from $10 million to $400 million. In this capacity, he coordinated design and construction drawings while collaborating closely with Development and Management groups from inception to delivery. Joginder began his career with Forest City as a Project Manager in 1980, delivering the Tucson Mall which opened in 1981. He left Forest City in 1995 to work for Stark Enterprises, later returning to Forest City in 2000 as Executive Vice President of Commercial Construction.
He graduated from Panjab Engineering College (India) in 1974 with a degree in Civil Engineering.
Lori Sindelar serves as Chief Administrative Officer for Esen, optimizing company operations through structured management and organizational design.
She previously served as Vice President of Operational Excellence at Brookfield Properties, partnering cross-functionally with development, design, and construction teams to identify and execute repeatable activities to scale operations. An expert in Lean and Six Sigma methodologies, Lori spearheaded and oversaw the standardized processes governing design and construction turnover milestones. Additionally, she led the institutional implementation and unification of a comprehensive project management and job costing platform across all of Brookfield’s commercial development.
Lori holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Kent State University and a Master of Business Administration from The Ohio State University.
Mike May serves as the Accounting Lead for Esen, anchoring the finance team with more than three decades of accounting leadership.
He began his career at PwC, spending 14 years advising a wide variety of clients across the real estate, manufacturing, and non-profit industries. Following PwC, Mike spent 13 years as Vice President of Finance for the Forest City Commercial Group, where he directed internal and external financial reporting, financial forecasting, and strategic planning. In September 2011, he transitioned to a corporate role to lead the creation of Forest City’s Accounting Service Organization (ASO) as Senior Vice President. Following the acquisition of Forest City by Brookfield Corporation in December 2018, Mike assumed the role of Senior Vice President of Development Accounting, overseeing Brookfield’s national commercial development pipeline.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from John Carroll University.
Jeff Morrow serves as the Investments Lead for Esen, bringing deep expertise in complex financial modeling, underwriting, and analysis to the firm’s portfolio.
His 26-year real estate career spans development, acquisitions, dispositions, and asset management across life science, office, retail, multifamily, warehouse, and hotel asset classes. Jeff formerly served as Vice President of Transactions at Ancora L&G, leading the team responsible for underwriting, due diligence, and closing major acquisitions and developments. Prior to Ancora, he was Vice President of Investments at Brookfield Properties, leading an evaluation and reporting team for nationwide development projects, following earlier career roles at GE Capital Investment Advisors and Pembroke Real Estate.
Jeff holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Northeastern University and is an active member of the Real Estate Investment Advisory Council’s Northeast Chapter.
Shaw Henry serves as Vice President of Development for Esen, bringing more than 15 years of industry experience to the execution of complex urban projects.
He previously served as Senior Director for Commercial Development at Brookfield Properties for the East Coast Region, where he was responsible for the full lifecycle development of mixed-use and multifamily assets, including overseeing the landmark Fifth & Broadway destination in Nashville. Prior to Brookfield, Shaw managed multiple mixed-use and multifamily developments in the Washington, D.C. area, highlighted by the entitlement and design of a 25-acre public-private partnership with the District’s Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. Having led multiple teams across several high-growth markets, Shaw has successfully executed more than 2,500 multifamily units.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Furman University and a Master of Science in Urban Planning from the University of Tennessee.
Kelly Taylor serves as Vice President of Development for Esen, bringing more than 8 years of specialized real estate experience to her role.
As a former Director of Commercial Development at Brookfield Properties for the East Coast Region, Kelly was responsible for overseeing the full cycle of development for multifamily and mixed-use projects, highlighted by her leadership on the $100 million Tallulah apartments in Atlanta. She began her career within CBRE’s Retail Brokerage group, where she advised retail brokers and authored quarterly market reports and white papers analyzing the evolving retail landscape.
Kelly holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Villanova University and an MBA from Cornell University.
Joe Natella serves as Vice President of Construction for Esen, anchoring the execution team with 49 years of elite construction experience.
He previously served as Vice President of Construction for Brookfield Properties and Forest City for 17 years, where he oversaw day-to-day construction activities for multiple major mall renovations alongside the construction and revitalization of several prominent apartment projects. Prior to his long tenure at Brookfield and Forest City, Joe built an extensive track record as a Project Manager and Superintendent for several large-scale construction firms, directing the delivery of complex hospital, hotel, mall, and residential assets.
He holds a construction degree from the University of Florida and has held multiple state contractor licenses throughout his distinguished career.
Michael serves as Director of Development for Esen, leveraging over 10 years of experience in mixed-use, multifamily, and retail development.
Prior to joining Esen, Michael was a Development Manager at Akridge, a full-service commercial real estate firm based in Washington, DC. In this role, Michael focused on developing Burnham Place, a 2.5 million-square-foot multi-modal air rights development spanning 14 acres adjacent to Washington Union Station. Michael managed relationships with federal and local agencies, public utilities, and design, engineering, financing, and legal consultants to advance the private air rights. As a Development Associate at Brookfield Properties, Michael oversaw projects from conception to completion. Michael managed design and operations teams to create dynamic developments that were responsive and additive to the communities in which they were delivered.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture with a minor in City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University.
Martha Gurule serves as Controller for Esen, overseeing the firm’s financial management, reporting, and accounting compliance.
She brings more than 40 years of financial management expertise spanning multiple real estate asset classes. Martha has established a long track record of success in the development, construction, and management of residential, hotel, and commercial portfolios across the Southwestern United States. Her extensive career includes dedicated financial leadership roles with the Bruder Companies, Bradford Homesuites, and the Croesus Group, alongside various independent developers and owners in the region.
Martha holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance from East Texas A&M University.
Parker Burrus serves as Vice President of Investments and Capital Markets for Esen, leveraging extensive experience in real estate finance, underwriting, and large-scale asset execution.
Prior to joining Esen, Parker was a Senior Associate of Multifamily and Mixed-Use Development at Brookfield Properties, where she underwrote and executed development projects across New York and the Southeast, including the delivery of more than 1,200 residential units in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Her tenure at Brookfield also included time on the Homebuilder Capital Solutions team, underwriting new land development and homebuilder capital transactions nationwide. She began her career in J.P. Morgan’s Real Estate Investment Banking Division, advising REITs and developers on M&A, equity, and debt transactions.
Parker holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Business Administration from Washington & Lee University, where she graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.
Scott Bishop serves as Director of Operations for Esen, integrating a disciplined operations and asset management perspective into the development team’s active project pipeline.
Having spent his career entirely on the ownership and operations side of real estate, Scott applies operational insights directly to design, programming, and delivery decisions across various developments. Prior to joining Esen, he served as Vice President of Bishop Real Estate, where he oversaw the development and operation of three premier resorts in Ohio, South Carolina, and Florida. He also led operations for K&D Group—the largest privately owned real estate owner-operator in Ohio—directly managing a portfolio of eight adaptive reuse assets in downtown Cleveland and serving on the development team for three of them. Across these roles, Scott has had more than 10,000 multifamily units under management, over 2 million square feet of office and retail space, and more than 2,000 hotel keys.
He holds a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Hotel and Tourism Management from Ohio University.
Elizabeth Ajadi serves as Project Manager for Esen, bringing extensive experience in operational strategy, standardized process design, data analytics, and large-scale project execution.
Most recently, Elizabeth served as Director of Legal Operations at Brookfield Properties’ Multifamily group, where she established the global Legal Operations function and oversaw the implementation of enterprise matter management software and outside counsel operations. Previously, as Manager of Operational Excellence for Brookfield’s Commercial Development group, she managed construction turnover milestones and led high-impact initiatives across Suburban Multifamily Development and Vision and Design planning. Prior to transitioning into real estate, she built a strong foundation in complex data and operational analysis during her tenure at Medical Mutual. A Six Sigma-trained professional, she specializes in building clear, repeatable frameworks for complex master planning and operations.
Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Arts from Cleveland State University and an MBA from Baldwin Wallace University.
Lily Berger serves as a Development Analyst for Esen, bringing a blend of financial technology operations and real estate analytics to the development team.
She previously worked at Tandy, a financial technology startup, where she served as Manager of Finance and Operations and contributed directly to the development of the company’s consumer debt underwriting model. Lily’s foundational real estate experience includes serving as a Summer Analyst at AvalonBay, where she supported multifamily development projects.
She holds a Master’s degree in Real Estate Development from the NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate and earned her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley, where she also competed as a Division I athlete.
Andrea Rizk leads public relations and marketing strategies, municipal and community engagement, and music industry-related initiatives for Esen.
Since launching her career on Nashville’s Music Row, Andrea has spent more than 25 years developing and executing highly successful publicity, marketing, community relations, and brand strategies for premier institutions, developers, and individuals. Her prominent client roster has included the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Country Radio Broadcasters, Brookfield, Northwood Retail, National Corvette Museum, Floor & Decor, Georgia-Pacific, Oliver McMillan, Food Hall Co., financial expert Wes Moss, and consumer advocate Clark Howard.
Andrea graduated from Middle Tennessee State University and serves as an active board member for several non-profit and industry organizations.
