CHICAGO — Equity Office, U.S. office platform wholly-owned by Blackstone’s real estate funds overseeing approximately 58 million square feet of Class A office space, today announced the appointment of Eli Khouri as President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Khouri will oversee Equity Office’s day-to-day operations and will work together with Blackstone to further grow the office portfolio. Mr. Khouri’s appointment is effective the end of September 2015.
“I’m delighted to welcome Eli to the Equity Office team,” said Jon Gray, Global Head of Real Estate for Blackstone. “Eli is a leader within the industry, with an exceptional track record of successful capital deployment and value creation.”
Mr. Khouri has more than 30 years of real estate investment and operations experience. He joins from Kilroy Realty Corporation where he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer. In this role he was responsible for the performance of the firm’s investment activities and capital allocation including acquisitions, development, redevelopment and dispositions. Prior to that, he served as Co-Founder and Managing Director at Broadreach Capital Partners and Chief Investment Officer at Spieker Properties.
Mr. Khouri succeeds Mr. Tom August who will retire from his post as Equity Office’s Chief Executive Officer. Mr. August will continue to serve on the Board of Equity Office.
“On behalf of Blackstone and the entire Equity Office team, I want to thank Tom for his many valuable contributions as CEO. Under Tom’s leadership, we have built a first class organization, with a constant focus on maximizing value on behalf of our investors. We are grateful for his commitment to the company and are pleased to have him continue on in his role as a member of the Board,” added Mr. Gray.
“I’m pleased to have someone of Eli’s stature step into the role of CEO,” said Tom August, current Chief Executive Officer, Equity Office. “Eli’s background will serve him well in this role and I look forward to working alongside him in my continued role as a Board Member.”
Mr. Khouri received a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Stanford University. He is a member of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, the Urban Land Institute, the Fisher Center for Real Estate & Urban Economics Policy Advisory Board, Stanford Professionals in Real Estate and the Stanford Real Estate Council.
About Equity Office
The Equity Office portfolio, encompassing approximately 58 million square feet of Class A office space throughout the U.S., is rich with signature properties in the nation’s leading gateway markets. The company focuses heavily on meeting the current trends and changing strategic needs of companies and our chosen markets. We rely on a connected coalition of informed and market sensitive regional leadership groups made up of seasoned real estate professionals who keenly understand the nuances of their individual markets. With an average tenure of over 25 years in the real estate industry, our regional leaders also head teams with deep experience across the board from investment and asset management, to property management, development and construction. Our regional operations draw on the financial power and legendary prestige of one of the largest commercial real estate firms in the nation. As an affiliate of Blackstone, a pre-eminent global asset manager providing significant financial strength and long-term stability, we are extremely well capitalized. Please visit www.equityoffice.com for more information.
