OUR TEAM
OUR STORY
WE ARE EXPERTS IN THE NET LEASE SECTOR
Paramount Specialty Finance (“PSF”) was formed in 2015 to provide unique capital solutions to net-leased developers and sponsors around the country. PSF focuses our lending efforts on build to suit and ground lease development loans and acquisition bridge loans.
As former build to suit developers ourselves, we understand the challenges and intricacies of the pre-development and development process. We speak the language of our borrowers and can creatively structure our investments to ensure the highest chance of success.
Our platform and team has been designed as a one-stop shop for the entire net lease investment and development process, from credit and real estate underwriting to in house loan servicing and construction draw management.
We focus on building long-term programmatic relationships which allows our borrowers to focus on what they do best: pursue development opportunities and cultivate tenant relationships. This is best illustrated by the fact that in 2020, ~65% of our loans and investments come in to us via repeat sponsors.
Paramount’s team is constantly striving to provide solutions that make our borrower’s financing process more efficient and ultimately more profitable. Our ability to effectively communicate and tailor capital solutions is one of the reasons we have closed over 165 net-leased loans for over $800 million in transactions since inception.
PSF has long-term committed capital. Unlike most of our competitors, we aren’t dialing for dollars to fund our investments. All of our investments and our loans are all held on the balance sheet of entities with committed capital that PSF manages. Our borrower’s loans will never end up being offloaded or end up in the CMBS black hole.
BRIAN BARROW
MANAGING PARTNER
Brian is the co-founder of Paramount Specialty Finance (“PSF”), the Austin, TX based built to suit and net lease investment platform. Since inception in 2015, PSF has closed over $800 million in net lease transaction and currently has ~$500 million in AUM. Prior to PSF, Brian spent his entire career in commercial real estate development, investment, and private equity. During the Great Recession, Brian shifted his focus to investing in distressed real estate in secondary markets. Brian began his career in real estate with Lincoln Property Company in Dallas and received both his undergraduate and MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.
JOEL WAXMAN
Managing Partner
Joel is the co-founder of Paramount Specialty Finance (“PSF”), the Austin, TX based built to suit and net lease investment platform. Since inception in 2015, PSF has closed over $800 million in net lease transaction and currently has ~$500 million in AUM. Prior to PSF, Joel spent 9 years at Imperial Capital in their Los Angeles office on the special situations, high yield, and distressed credit desk where he analyzed, sourced, and transacting across the entire capital structure. Joel received his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
Orlagh Sinisgalli
Chief Operating Officer
Orlagh was our first employee back in 2015 and was named COO in 2021. She is a favorite of all of our borrowers and is responsible for managing PSF’s loan process in its entirety, from loan closings to construction draws to loan dispositions. Prior to joining PSF, Orlagh was the head of sales support at Imperial Capital, based in NYC. Before joining Imperial Capital, Orlagh worked on the loan closing desk at Jeffries Group (NYSE: JEF) in NYC. Orlagh received her undergraduate degree from Texas State University.
Dennis Nabors
Chief Financial Officer
Dennis started at PSF in 2018 as a senior credit analyst and was named CFO in 2021. He is focused on portfolio management, investor reporting, internal best practices, and real estate due diligence and investments. Prior to joining PSF, Dennis was a senior financial analyst at Medical Properties Trust (NYSE: MPW) based in NYC. MPW is a publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) with over $6bn in actively managed assets in its portfolio. Dennis received his undergraduate degree and MBA from the University of Alabama.
MATT VALDEZ
Head of Business Development
Matt leads our business development team and is responsible for sourcing and originating new investment opportunities for the firm. Matt focuses on building and cultivating long term relationships with commercial real estate professionals and developers across the country. Prior to joining PSF, Matt was a tenant rep broker at Viceroy Realty Advisors, a boutique commercial real estate services firm based in Austin, TX. Matt received his undergraduate degree and MBA from St. Edwards University in Austin, TX.
Peter J. Winstanley
HEAD OF CREDIT
Pete is Head of Credit at PSF and is responsible for the deep dive credit underwriting of every underlying tenant in our net lease transactions, with a particular focus on short and medium term insolvency risk. Prior to joining PSF, Peter spent 11 years at Credit Suisse in NYC and Singapore as a senior credit analyst managing $6bn of a $75bn portfolio. Peter also worked at CS in the Distressed, Restructuring and Workout Group, actively managing $3bn of distressed and defaulted loan exposure. He began his career as a fixed income analyst for Mitsubishi UFJ in London covering European IG & HY credits. He received his undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Hull (UK) and M.A. from the University of Warwick (UK).
DOUG FLORENCE
DIRECTOR OF ACQUISITIONS & DEVELOPMENT
Doug Florence joins us from Briarwood Capital, where he spent 9 years focusing on opportunistic real estate acquisitions throughout Texas across a variety of sectors and tenants. Prior to Briarwood Capital, Doug spent 5 years at Armstrong Development, a national real estate development company and a preferred developer for CVS. Doug was involved in all stages of the site selection process for over 60 CVS’s across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, East Texas and Oklahoma. We look forward to expanding the portfolio with Doug on the team and the wealth of experience he brings.
DASHA WHITE
DIRECTOR OF ACQUISITIONS
Dasha oversees day to day operations and diligence of our STNL Acquisitions business. She also works closely with our business development and credit team on all net lease investment opportunities that come through the door. Prior to joining PSF, Dasha was VP of Fixed Income at Endeavor Real Estate Group where she served as the primary CR advisor to a growing hedge fund with peak NAV of $900 million. Dasha previously worked as an associate at B of A Merrell Lynch in NYC in their Real Estate Principal Investment Group. Dasha graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign with a degree in economics and Political Science.
MATT BROWN
DIRECTOR OF NET LEASE INVESTMENTS
Before joining PSF, Matt served as a member of the Capital Markets team with Avison Young in Austin, TX, with a focus on net lease investments. Prior to his work at AY, Matt was the senior consultant for Savills in Dubai, U.A.E. with a focus on tenant representation and investment sales, for 4 years. Founded in the UK in 1855, Savills is one of the world's leading brokerage firms, with more than 600 offices across the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Matt will be responsible for sourcing new net lease investments for PSF, as well as assisting Matt Valdez with business development opportunities. Matt received his undergraduate degree in hospitality management and culinary arts from California Culinary Academy.
Jay Rowland
CONTROLLER
Jay oversees all things accounting at PSF. He is responsible for multiple entity accounting and bookkeeping as well as managing third party tax and audit firms across all of our managed entities. Prior to joining PSF, Jay was a Senior Account Manager at ScaleFactor, managing over 40 entities concurrently. Jay also worked at Whole Foods Market on the Operational Accounting team, responsible for global fixed assets and marketing. Jay Is an Eagle Scout and graduate of Texas A&M University with a BBA in Accounting with an Economics minor.
MELANIE LAWSON
Sr ACCOUNTANT
Melanie joined Paramount as Senior Accountant in June 2021. She brings over 15 years’ experience in the investment management industry. Prior to PSF, she spent 9 years in portfolio accounting and administration at Prophet Capital Asset Management, an Austin-based firm, where she oversaw financial reporting, investor services, trade settlement, and operational improvements for a privately managed hedge fund with assets under management over $1B. She received her undergraduate degree in Finance and Management from Texas Christian University.
Theresa Risenhoover
Sr Paralegal
As PSF’s Sr Paralegal, Theresa works closely with our borrowers, outside counsel, and loan closing team to efficiently get loans closed. Therese has a CRE diligence focus on title, survey, and lease review. Prior to joining PSF, Theresa spent 5 years as a senior real estate paralegal with Forestar Group (NYSE: FOR) based in Austin, TX. Prior to Forestar, Theresa spent 27 years with Temple-Inland, now part of International Paper Company (NYSE: IP), also based in Austin, TX.
KELLY AMANN
LOAN CLOSER
Kelly works with closely with Orlagh to ensure smooth loan closings, construction draw administration and reporting, and borrower and investor communications. Prior to joining PSF, Kelly worked as a Loan Officer in the origination department for Cascade Financial Services covering residential loans in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Mexico. During her seven years at Cascade, Kelly’s focus was on manufactured housing with FHA, VA and conventional financing. She received her undergraduate degree in Finance and Business Economics from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.
STEVE LEVINE
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE
Steve Levine serves as an Associate to support the lending and acquisition platforms, helping identify and source new deals as well as maintain existing client relationships. Prior to PSF, Steve spent a year working as an acquisition specialist at SHIR Capital, focusing on sourcing and analyzing hotel to multifamily conversion deals. Steve received his undergraduate degree from Indiana University in 2020.
