Arbor Realty Trust Appoints Robyn Stern as Executive Vice President - Asset Management
UNIONDALE, N.Y., April 27, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ABR), a real estate investment trust focused on the business of investing in real estate related bridge and mezzanine loans, preferred and direct equity investments, mortgage related securities and other real estate related assets, announced the appointment of Robyn C. Stern as Executive Vice President - Asset Management. Ms. Stern will be responsible for the Company's Asset Management Group, including the formulation of value enhancement/disposition strategies of Arbor's debt and equity positions.
"Robyn is a seasoned industry veteran who has held senior management positions at a number of prominent financial services companies," said Ivan Kaufman, President and CEO of Arbor Realty Trust. "Her in-depth understanding of the commercial real estate industry and extensive knowledge of asset management will provide Arbor's strong management team with additional insight and expertise. She is a great addition to our team and we look forward to her contributions to Arbor Realty Trust as we continue to further build our franchise."
Prior to joining Arbor Realty Trust, Ms. Stern was Regional Director - Structured Finance at Ernst & Young LLP, where she started a group that provided advisory services to various securitization issuers, investors and mortgage REITs and managed a portfolio of more than 100 CDOs. Prior to Ernst & Young, she served as Executive Director at CIBC Oppenheimer where she began a Structured Finance Group and was responsible for the group's origination, transaction structure, deal negotiation, credit risk analysis and execution. Prior to CIBC Oppenheimer, she served as a Vice President and Regional Manager in the Commercial Real Estate Group at Chemical Bank, prior to its merger with J.P. Morgan Chase, where she led a team that managed a large troubled commercial mortgage portfolio and worked out more than $2 billion worth of loans. Ms. Stern has also held commercial real estate positions at Financial Security Assurance, Inc. (FSA) and Shearson Lehman Brothers, Inc. (Shearson). Her role at FSA included the analysis of various structured commercial real estate and mortgage loan transactions, real estate due diligence, structure and negotiation of credit supports and discussions with various rating agencies. At Shearson, she was responsible for the structure and negotiation of structured commercial real estate transactions, including acquisition of the real estate, real estate due diligence, preparation of the offering documents and investor road shows.
Ms. Stern is a member of the Board of Governors of the Commercial Mortgage Securities Association (CMSA) where she founded and chaired the organization's Regulatory Committee. Currently, she co-chairs the CMSA's Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduit Reform Task Force and is a member of the CMSA's PAC Advisory Committee. Ms. Stern is also a member of the Capital Markets Committees for both the Mortgage Bankers Association and the Real Estate Roundtable.
Ms. Stern received her Bachelor of Arts degree from S.U.N.Y at Binghamton, earned her Juris Doctorate from Emory University School of Law and her Masters of Law from New York University School of Law. She is licensed to practice law in New York and Connecticut.
Ms. Stern will be located in Arbor's New York City office.
About Arbor Realty Trust, Inc.
Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. is a real estate investment trust, which invests in a diversified portfolio of multi-family and commercial real estate related bridge and mezzanine loans, preferred equity investments, mortgage related securities and other real estate related assets. Arbor commenced operations in July 2003 and conducts substantially all of its operations through its operating partnership, Arbor Realty Limited Partnership. Arbor is externally managed and advised by Arbor Commercial Mortgage, LLC, a national commercial real estate finance company operating through 15 offices in the US that specializes in debt and equity financing for multi-family and commercial real estate.
Safe Harbor Statement
Certain items in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Arbor can give no assurance that its expectations will be attained. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Arbor's expectations include, but are not limited to, continued ability to source new investments, changes in interest rates and/or credit spreads, changes in the real estate markets, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Arbor's periodic and other reports filed with the SEC. Such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Arbor expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward- looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in Arbor's expectations with regard thereto or change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
Contact:
Arbor Realty Trust, Inc.
Investor Relations
516-506-4200
InvestorRelations@arbor.com
SOURCE Arbor Realty Trust, Inc.
