Civitas Capital Group has appointed David Perel to the newly created position of President and Chief Investment Officer (CIO).
Perel, who was previously a Managing Director of Civitas Alternative Investments and President of Juno Development (both Civitas affiliates), will oversee the general management of the firm and its operating divisions.
Perel will continue to serve on Civitas' executive and investment committees, and will report to Daniel J Healy, Chief Executive Officer. He will also continue to be involved in the development and financing of lodging investments for the firm.
"David has been a valuable member of our team at Civitas for some time, and this new role is a natural evolution," says Healy. "He has the right combination of leadership experience and technical skills that the firm needs to continue to drive rapid growth as we explore new markets and opportunities. Everyone in the firm respects David, and his promotion marks an exciting turning point for Civitas."
Perel is a finance and hospitality development expert with a 20-year background in capital markets and experience managing hundreds of millions of dollars in hotel investments. A founding partner of Juno Development, Perel helped to oversee the financing of several notable hotels, including The Joule – a Starwood Luxury Collection Hotel—and the Hotel Lumen, a boutique Kimpton property. At Gatehouse Capital, where he was a Senior Vice President of Capital Markets, Perel was involved in the financing of several mixed-use hotel projects, including W Dallas Hotel and Residences and W Hollywood Hotel and Residences.
Prior to his career in hospitality development, Perel worked in New York in corporate finance and investment banking. He served as Managing Director and co-head of Health Care Group at ABN Amro, and he held senior positions in the investment banking departments of ING Barings, Furman Selz, and Bear Stearns.
Perel earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and he received his undergraduate degree in finance and accounting from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He has been licensed as a C.P.A. in the State of New York and holds several professional accreditations.
