CREF TRACK: The Changing Architecture of CRE Finance

Managing Director & Head of Real Estate Finance, Voya Investment Management

Gregory Michaud is head of real estate finance at Voya Investment Management, responsible for the oversight of sourcing, underwriting, and management for all commercial real estate loan platforms. Over the last seven years the platform developed from a proprietary platform to a third-party management one. In addition to managing Voya general account commercial mortgages, there are 21 separate managed accounts and an open-ended debt fund. Investors include a broad group of insurance companies, banks, and public pension funds. Additionally, he serves on the executive leadership team for proprietary assets, the U.S. Credit Committee and chairs the CMBS Steering Committee. Prior to joining Voya as a real estate analyst, Greg was a real estate appraiser focused on commercial properties and eminent domain cases in the southeastern U.S. Greg is an active member of several distinguished real estate industry groups, including the Urban Land Institute (Urban Development Mixed Use Blue Flight), Commercial Real Estate Finance Council (Chairman Emeritus), Mortgage Bankers Association and the National Association of Real Estate Investment Managers. Greg earned an executive MBA from the University of Georgia, an MBA in finance from Kennesaw State University, a Graduate Certificate in Ancient and Classical Studies from APUS, and a BS in real estate from Florida State University.

Chief Executive Officer, Northmarq

Jeffrey Weidell is the 2027 MBA Vice-Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Northmarq. After serving as president for eight years, he assumed the role of CEO in 2020 to continue to lead the company’s growth and transformation strategy. As part of this effort, Weidell launched the Investment Sales business for Northmarq, created talent development with the Associate Producer/Associate Broker program, and initiated broader client offerings to include a new investment advisory fund business. Under his leadership, Northmarq’s loan servicing business has expanded quickly and offers customized client services with industry-leading capabilities. Earlier in his career, Weidell was a highly successful mortgage banker, structuring debt and equity financing to meet the unique needs of his clients. He began with Trowbridge, Kieselhorst & Company, which was acquired by Northmarq in 2000, after which he became a managing director for Northmarq in San Francisco. He is an active leader in the industry serving as board member of the Silicon Valley chapter of NAIOP, vice chair of the Mortgage Bankers Association’s COMBOG Multifamily Council, a member of the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC), and former president of the Bay Area Mortgage Association. Weidell holds the certified mortgage banker (CMB) designation, and earned a BA in Economics from Columbia University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.