GENERAL SESSION: The Institutional Investor Power Panel with CNBC’s Diana Olick
CNBC’S Diana Olick steps inside the C-suite with some of the world’s top institutional investors as they break down the forces reshaping the global real estate market. This rare, top-echelon conversation delivers insight you won’t hear anywhere else—directly from leaders who deploy capital at massive scale. Learn why they choose certain loan products, what makes them move quickly (or pause) on a loan offer, and how they evaluate risk and opportunity in today’s market. This must-see main-stage session delivers an unparalleled view from the borrower’s side of the table.
Speakers
Introductions
Quentin Fogan is a managing director and head of real estate structured finance origination at Bank of America. Since joining the firm, Quentin has focused on commercial mortgage origination, structuring and capital markets distribution. In his current role, Quentin oversees loan origination and relationship management for the real estate structured finance platform in the US. Quentin is an Executive Leadership Council fellow, a member of the CRE Finance Council and serves on the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Commercial and Multifamily Board of Governors. Quentin is active in the Charlotte NC community, serving on the board of visitors at Providence Day School and representing BofA as a board member at Crisis Assistance Ministry, which provides assistance and advocacy for individuals in financial crisis, helping them move toward self-sufficiency. Quentin holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from Wake Forest University and a Master's in Real Estate Development from Columbia University.
Moderator
Diana Olick is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, currently serving as CNBC’s Senior Real Estate and Climate Correspondent. In 2025, she launched CNBC’s Property Play, a multi-platform initiative focusing on commercial real estate investment. She authors the weekly Property Play newsletter and hosts its video podcast.
Featured Speakers
Matt Mercier is the Chief Financial Officer at Digital Realty, with responsibility for the company's global corporate finance organization, including treasury, capital markets, investor relations, financial planning and reporting, accounting, and tax. Matt joined Digital Realty in 2006, most recently serving as Senior Vice President Global Finance and Accounting. While at Digital Realty, he has held roles with increasing levels of responsibility, including leading corporate planning and capital markets, managing integration projects, overseeing joint ventures, and serving as principal accounting officer. Matt has a B.A. in Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from University of California, Berkeley.
Ankit Patel has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since November 2022. He brings more than 13 years of experience in healthcare and life science real estate, with deep expertise in corporate finance, capital markets, and strategic planning. Prior to joining the company, Mr. Patel spent the majority of his career at Ventas, Inc., a leading healthcare REIT and S and P 500 company. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Finance and Capital Markets, where he was responsible for corporate finance, strategic planning, and capital markets execution. During his tenure at Ventas, he also held roles spanning investor relations and acquisitions, providing him with a broad perspective on capital allocation and value creation. Earlier in his career, Mr. Patel worked in investment banking at UBS and in management consulting at IBM. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Chad is Global Head of Nuveen Real Estate and is responsible for over $140 billion of commercial real estate equity and debt investments extending across 22 countries globally. He also chairs Nuveen Real Estate’s Global Executive Leadership Team, which oversees the platform’s strategic initiatives. Chad has nearly 25 years of experience in all facets of real estate investing and portfolio management. Prior to his current role, Chad was responsible for leading a global team of dedicated sector specialists that focused on workplace, healthcare, retail and mixed-use investments. He oversaw the overall strategy, performance and day-to-day activities of Nuveen Real Estate’s investments and fundraising across those sectors. Prior to joining the firm, Chad was a Portfolio Manager and Managing Director at Guggenheim Real Estate, where he oversaw their investments and U.S. open-end funds, including one that was a member of the NCREIF NFI-ODCE Index. He started his career at Banc of America Securities in the Real Estate Investment Banking and Debt Capital Markets groups. Chad graduated with a B.A. from Davidson College and a Master’s in Real Estate from Georgetown University.
WYSIWYG Callout
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