Team
The Bellwether team is committed to delivering results and maximizing value for our clients.
- Dennis Grzeskowiak
- Joseph Mossotti
- Michael Baracco
- Patrick Foley
- David Chalison
- Brian Abbott
- Jigar Astik
- Ben Easton
- Will Feltus
- Greg Fink
- Carolyn Leslie
- Mitch Magoshi
- Jonathan Shapiro
- Lauren Baker
- Alexa Bisbas
- Branigan Buchfuhrer
- Ariel Cole
- Logan David
- Daniel Fine
- Paul Kim
- Eugene Lim
- Gerson Monzon
- Chantalle Rochel
- Omar Vargas
- Natalie Wozniak
- Jared Wright
Dennis Grzeskowiak
Mr. Grzeskowiak co-founded Bellwether in 2013 and has 20 years of experience in asset management and special servicing. At Bellwether, Mr. Grzeskowiak focuses on portfolio management and technology initiatives, with particular asset management expertise in debt as well as multifamily equity investments totaling over 33k units.
Prior to forming Bellwether, he was Vice President of Asset Management at Trimont Real Estate Advisors, where he was responsible for a $2bn portfolio of performing and non-performing commercial real estate investments related to multiple property types throughout the United States.
During his time at Trimont, Mr. Grzeskowiak developed a proprietary valuation cash flow model used to analyze over $30bn of debt and equity investments. Mr. Grzeskowiak has a B.A. in Economics and International Studies from Rhodes College.
dgrzeskowiak@bellwetherco.com
Joseph Mossotti
Mr. Mossotti co-founded Bellwether in 2013 and has 18 years of experience in private equity asset management and institutional corporate finance. At Bellwether, Mr. Mossotti focuses on corporate FP&A, organizational and talent management and corporate and transaction advisory.
Prior to founding Bellwether, he worked at JER in the Asset Management/Portfolio Management group at JER Partners, a Washington D.C. based private equity firm. At JER, he was responsible for investment- and fund- level modeling as well as the disposition and workout of the remaining portfolio. Before joining JER, Mr. Mossotti worked at Billy Casper Golf Management. Mr. Mossotti holds a B.S. in Finance from Siena College and is a licensed CPA.
jmossotti@bellwetherco.com
Michael Baracco
Mr. Baracco has been a part of Bellwether since its inception and currently focuses on commercial real estate investments throughout the United States, with expertise in office and hospitality. Prior to joining Bellwether, he was a Senior Project Engineer at Lockheed Martin Corp. where he supported multi-billion-dollar contracts including satellites, flight modernization systems and submarines. Mr. Baracco has an M.B.A. from the University of Denver and a B.S. in Physics from Washington & Lee University.
mbaracco@bellwetherco.com
Patrick Foley
Mr. Foley joined Bellwether in 2014 and is responsible for managing Bellwether’s Salt Lake City Office and overseeing corporate, development and residential investments in the United States. He has expertise in homebuilding, hospitality, manufacturing and other corporate investments with a focus on FP&A, strategic planning, talent management and organizational design. Mr. Foley has a B.S. in Economics with a concentration in Finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
pfoley@bellwetherco.com
David Chalison
Mr. Chalison joined Bellwether in 2016 and is responsible for leading the Portfolio Management functions for Bellwether’s equity and debt clients. David has over 10 years of corporate FP&A experience, most recently as the Director of FP&A at Chronos Solutions (now part of Covius). Here, he helped lead the closings of several strategic acquisitions along with conducting all of the firm’s reporting requirements. Prior to Chronos, he was at Tower Energy Group, a Southern California based oil wholesaler and operator. Mr. Chalison received a B.S. in Finance from Santa Clara University and holds a M.B.A. from Loyola Marymount University.
dchalison@bellwetherco.com
Brian Abbott
Mr. Abbott joined Bellwether in 2023 and currently leads a team focused on debt asset management for Oaktree Capital. With over 20 years of commercial real estate experience prior to joining Bellwether, he most recently managed the corporate operations of Pacshore Partners, including overseeing management, leasing and development aspects of the investment portfolio.
Previously, he managed Gramercy Capital Corp.’s Los Angeles office and was directly responsible for operational management of a portfolio of specially serviced loans and REO assets. Brian earned a B.A. in Economics from The University of California at Los Angeles and an MBA from the Marshall School of Business at The University of Southern California. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute and is a licensed Real Estate Broker in California.
babbott@bellwetherco.com
Jigar Astik
Mr. Astik is a Managing Director and the Global Head of the Corporate Advisory Practice. His focus is primarily around leading large-scale transformation and restructurings across various industries including industrials, technology and consumer packaged goods. He has 15+ years of experience across the M&A lifecycle, with extensive experience leading complex buy and sell-side transactions, including sourcing/target identification, formulating deal thesis, commercial and operational due diligence, integration/divestiture management, synergy identification/capture and post-deal value creation. He has also served as the Chief Restructuring Officer for numerous organizations in the industrials and consumer packaged good sectors. He is a frequent speaker on the topics of automation, robotics and M&A trends.
Prior to joining Bellwether, Mr. Astik was a leader at EY-Parthenon and their transactions practice and before that, he was a founding member of McKinsey’s Recovery and Transformation Practice. Mr. Astik is a proud Alum of the University of Michigan.
jastik@bellwetherco.com
Ben Easton
Mr. Easton joined Bellwether in 2014 and will be responsible for opening and leading Bellwether’s London Office and overseeing the European real estate portfolio. His current role is overseeing the domestic logistics portfolio in the United States and leading a team focused on debt asset management. In addition to industrial, he has extensive experience leading and overseeing office, multifamily and CRE non-performing loans investments.
Before Bellwether, he gained valuable experience at NMS Properties and Mesa West Capital, both prominent Los Angeles-based real estate companies. He holds a B.A. degree in International Business from Loyola Marymount University.
beaston@bellwetherco.com
Will Feltus
Mr. Feltus joined Bellwether in 2019 and is currently responsible for leading the multifamily vertical. Prior to joining Bellwether, he was Director of Asset Management at Strata Equity Group, a private San Diego-based multifamily real estate investor with over $3bn in AUM. Prior to that, he was a senior associate at Kettler, a multifamily investment/development sponsor based in Washington, DC with a portfolio of nearly 20,000 units. Mr. Feltus holds a B.A. in Communications with a minor in Business from Virginia Tech and a M.S. in Real Estate and Infrastructure from Johns Hopkins University.
wfeltus@bellwetherco.com
Greg Fink
Mr. Fink joined Bellwether in 2021 and is primarily responsible for expanding the Bellwether client base of institutional investors, real estate sponsors and related entities. Greg has over 25 years of institutional finance, private equity and real estate experience, most recently as Head of Capital Markets for Champion Real Estate, a Los Angeles based real estate developer and family office.
Previously, he provided capital advisory services at Moss Adams Capital, was a member of the principal investment team at IHP Capital Partners and began his career at Credit Suisse First Boston. Mr. Fink holds an M.B.A from UCLA Anderson and an A.B in art history and economics from Stanford University.
gfink@bellwetherco.com
Carolyn Leslie
Ms. Leslie joined Bellwether in 2020 and currently leads the company’s office investment vertical. Carolyn has over 20 years of commercial real estate experience, most recently as the Director of Asset Management at Atlas Capital Group, a New York based owner and developer, and oversaw the redevelopment of ROW DTLA. Before joining Atlas Capital Group, she was at Watt Companies as a Senior Asset Manager responsible for an office, retail and multifamily portfolio. Ms. Leslie has a B.A in economics from Vanderbilt University and an M.B.A from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio Business School.
cleslie@bellwetherco.com
Mitch Magoshi
Mr. Magoshi joined Bellwether in 2018 after 15 years of experience in the construction industry. Prior to joining Bellwether, he worked as a senior consultant with Gardiner & Theobald, Inc., an international construction project and cost management firm. Before G&T, Mr. Magoshi was a Construction Manager and Partner at Plant Construction Company, L.P., a prominent general contractor in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Mr. Magoshi leads the construction management and oversight group at Bellwether. He holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration with a minor in Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University.
mmagoshi@bellwetherco.com
Jonathan Shapiro
Mr. Shapiro joined Bellwether in 2023 and currently leads a team focused on debt asset management across multiple clients. Prior to joining Bellwether, he was a Director at Lightstone Capital, leading the debt asset management efforts for the company’s rapidly growing real estate debt platform. Previously, he was a loan originator at Revere Capital and Maxim Capital Group and a debt asset manager at NorthStar Realty Finance Corp (NYSE: NRF). He holds a B.A. in Economics from Northwestern University, and a M.S. in Real Estate Development from the New York University Schack Institute of Real Estate.
jshapiro@bellwetherco.com
Lauren Baker
Ms. Baker joined Bellwether in 2018 and is currently responsible for delivering market, property type, investor and competitor research functions, as well as leading the investor relations department. Prior to joining Bellwether, she worked at CoStar Group in the Analytics Division where she was dedicated to presenting, analyzing, forecasting and consulting on various market trends.
During her tenure at CoStar, she covered over 20 markets across the Southeast and the New York metro area. She has been quoted in Bloomberg, Globe St., National Real Estate Investor, Crain’s New York Business, Finance and Commerce and many other media outlets for her work. Ms. Baker holds a B.S. in Finance, Marketing, and Management from the University of South Carolina.
lbaker@bellwetherco.com
Alexa Bisbas
Ms. Bisbas joined Bellwether in 2022 and is currently responsible for all aspects of Recruiting. Prior to joining Bellwether, she was a Senior Corporate Recruiter at Irvine Company responsible for Development, Finance, Investments, Accounting, and IT full cycle recruiting. Prior to that, she was an Audit Associate at KPMG. Ms. Bisbas holds a B.A. in Psychology and Master of Accounting from the University of Southern California.
abisbas@bellwetherco.com
Branigan Buchfuhrer
Mrs. Buchfuhrer joined Bellwether in 2022 and is responsible for leading all aspects of Human Resources. Mrs. Buchfuhrer has 15 years of HR experience, including nine years acting as Head of HR in various industries. Most recently, Branigan acted as Head of HR at Ampaire, Inc., an aerospace company that developed and flew the first hybrid-electric aircraft.
Previously, she acted as Head of HR to Moose Toys, a top 10 global toy company, and Puma Biotechnology, who developed a breast cancer drug and achieved FDA approval. In each role, she was responsible for developing, implementing and managing end-to-end HR programs and HRIS systems, as well as contributing as a valued member of the leadership teams. Mrs. Buchfuhrer is PHR and SHRM-CP certified and holds a B.S. in Business Management from CSU Northridge.
bbuchfuhrer@bellwetherco.com
Ariel Cole
Ms. Cole joined Bellwether in 2020 and leads a team focused on debt asset management for Invesco. Prior to joining Bellwether, she was on the originations team in the Commercial Real Estate group at Bank of America. Prior to that, she spent five years at Wells Fargo in the Middle Market Banking group in various roles, most recently as a Relationship Manager. Ms. Cole holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of La Verne.
acole@bellwetherco.com
Logan David
Mr. David joined Bellwether in 2017 and is currently responsible for coverage of hospitality and residential development investments. Prior to joining Bellwether, he worked at EY on the Transaction Real Estate team where he was involved with valuation, audit assist and due diligence work for nearly all asset types. Mr. David holds a B.S. in Hospitality Management from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University.
ldavid@bellwetherco.com
Daniel Fine
Mr. Fine joined Bellwether in 2022 and is currently responsible for office investments. Prior to joining Bellwether, he was a Vice President at Arc Capital Partners, a Los Angeles-based real estate private equity firm. Prior to Arc, he has held positions at HRI Properties, a New Orleans-based developer, Watermark Capital Partners, a Chicago-based real estate investment advisor and JLL Hotels. Mr. Fine holds an M.B.A. from UCLA Anderson School of Management and a B.S. in Hospitality Management from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. Mr. Fine is the Treasurer of FEAST, an LA non-profit focused on promoting food education, health and wellness in underserved Southern California communities.
dfine@bellwetherco.com
Paul Kim
Mr. Kim joined Bellwether in 2020 and is responsible for supporting portfolio management functions for Bellwether’s institutional clients. Prior to joining Bellwether, he was a Vice President at CIM Group, a vertically integrated real estate investment company with $30bn in assets under management. Prior to that, he was a Director at Westchester Group, a Nuveen company. Mr. Kim holds a B.S. in Mathematics and Computer Science and a M.S. in Financial Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Mr. Kim is a CFA charter holder and a certified Financial Risk Manager (FRM).
pkim@bellwetherco.com
Eugene Lim
Mr. Lim joined Bellwether in 2020 and is responsible for overseeing portfolio and property level FP&A and analytics. He has eleven years of experience in FP&A and analytics within the private equity real estate space. Prior to joining Bellwether, he was Manager of Strategic Planning & Analysis at CIM Group where he performed forecast processes across a multitude of investment types and fund structures. Mr. Lim has a B.A. in Economics from UC Riverside and an M.B.A from the Graziadio School of Business.
elim@bellwetherco.com
Gerson Monzon
Mr. Monzon joined Bellwether in 2015 and currently leads a team focused on servicing, debt asset management and portfolio management across multiple institutional clients. Before joining Bellwether, he was an assurance professional within Ernst & Young’s real estate practice. Mr. Monzon has a B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations and a minor in Accounting from the University of California, Los Angeles.
gmonzon@bellwetherco.com
Chantalle Rochel
Ms. Rochel joined Bellwether in 2018 and is responsible for overseeing the company’s industrial and studio space portfolio across the United States. Prior to joining Bellwether, she worked in the Capital Markets group at Cushman & Wakefield where she specialized in the analysis, lease-up and disposition of industrial buildings, adaptive re-use investments, and entitled mixed-use development sites. Ms. Rochel has a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business. She also received her Master of Real Estate Development degree from the University of Southern California, Price School of Public Policy.
crochel@bellwetherco.com
Omar Vargas
Mr. Vargas joined Bellwether in 2018 and has over 20 years of professional experience. Prior to joining Bellwether, he was the Corporate Controller at Landmark Dividend LLC, a Los Angeles based real estate company. At Landmark Dividend, he was responsible for all aspects of the accounting, financial reporting and asset management functions. Before joining Landmark Dividend, Mr. Vargas was an Audit Senior Manager at Deloitte, where he was responsible for overseeing various teams on several real estate engagements. Mr. Vargas holds a B.S. in Accounting from California State University, Long Beach, and is a licensed CPA.
ovargas@bellwetherco.com
Natalie Wozniak
Ms. Wozniak joined Bellwether in 2018 and is currently responsible for the development and maintenance of Bellwether’s information technology platforms. Prior to joining Bellwether, she worked at Zillow Group as a Data Integration Analyst responsible for cleansing, analyzing, transforming and deploying residential data sets. Prior to that, she was a Data Warehouse Engineer at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, a health insurance company based in Baltimore, MD. Ms. Wozniak holds a B.S. in Statistics from Loyola University Maryland.
nwozniak@bellwetherco.com
Jared Wright
Mr. Wright joined Bellwether in 2019 and is currently responsible for underwriting debt investments. Prior to joining Bellwether, he most recently worked as an underwriter at Money360, an Orange County based bridge lender that has completed over $1bn in transactions. Before joining Money360, Mr. Wright was a Commercial Real Estate Appraiser at Integra Realty Resources (“IRR”). At IRR, he was involved in appraisal and consulting projects of all different asset classes. Mr. Wright holds a B.S. Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from California State University, Fullerton.
jwright@bellwetherco.com