Ross Brennan
Managing Director at Sterling Global Financial
The Bahamas
Skills
Education
Work Experience
Managing Director
2015
As Managing Director at Sterling Global Financial, Ross Brennan is responsible for overseeing all facets of the firm’s real estate credit and investment platforms, including origination, underwriting, operations, and capital deployment. Working alongside David Kosoy, Executive Chairman, and Steve Tiller, President, Ross plays a key role in advancing Sterling’s mission to deliver disciplined, risk-managed real estate lending and investment solutions across its global portfolio.
2011 - 2015
President and CEO
2011 - 2015
Established a CMBS platform to originate fixed rate commercial mortgages across Canada and sell them into CMBS band issues.
2008 - 2011
President and CEO
2008 - 2011
• Revitalized Otéra’s $6.5 billion Canadian real estate mortgage business, rebuilding and restructuring the organization and culture to become a customer-centric champion of best practices. These accomplishments were recognized through a third party review of the business that stated that not only was Otera one of Canada’s largest deliverers of commercial mortgages, but also was best in class on asset quality and spread. Concurrently, took on the responsibility of La Caisse de depot et Placement du Quebec's international real estate debt portfolio with a mandate to liquidate the portfolio by the summer of 2011, which was successfully accomplished with significant up-side from original third party estimates of total proceeds.
2005 - 2008
President
2005 - 2008
Founded a new conduit to participate in the Canadian CMBS market, establishing a new team of customer-centric professionals, originating over $1.3 billion of mortgage product, which sold in five separate CMBS issues. Built a strong organization brand, with a reputation of being professional, reliable and responsive. The company was profitable from inception.
1998 - 2005
Managing Director, Real Estate Group
1998 - 2005
Assumed responsibility for The Toronto-Dominion Bank’s $1.3 billion corporate banking RE group while simultaneously creating a new team to enter the Canadian CMBS market as the first Canadian bank participant. Achieved executive buy-in and realized returns of over 50% by securitizing over $3 billion of term mortgages.
1996 - 1998
Country Head, Real Estate Asset Management
1996 - 1998
Recruited by GE Capital to run and expand the Asset Management group in Canada. Grew a team to 30 professionals to deal with the up to $3.5 billion of assets under management, consisting of debt and equity positions in over 200 assets. Successfully liquidated distressed portfolios for profits that exceeded forecasts by 30%.
1979 - 1996
Final position: AVP Corporate Restructuring and Real Estate Group
1979 - 1996
Through positions of increasing responsibility, managed corporate clients in all facets of lending (construction, land loans, operating and bridge loans). In 2005 was appointed to run TD’s Corporate Banking Restructuring Group, holding responsibility for some of the Bank’s major restructuring files including Bramalea, Cadillac Fairview and Repap. Formulated and executed workout strategies for the Bank’s problem loans to command substantially better results than were anticipated.