Team

Christopher Peatross is the Founder and CEO of Swift Real Estate Partners, responsible for the firm’s strategic vision and leadership of its investment platform.  Christopher founded Swift in 2010, bringing over 34 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry, with expertise ranging from development, leasing and management, to private equity fundraising and investments of large-scale commercial real estate transactions.

Before founding Swift, Christopher was the President and CEO of CarrAmerica, Trizec, and Equity Office Properties (EOP) where he oversaw all aspects of EOP’s 56 million square foot office portfolio, successfully creating one of the nation’s leading real estate companies.

Prior to joining EOP, he served for five years at CarrAmerica as the Northern California Managing Director.

Earlier in his career, Christopher served at Spieker Properties, Catellus Development Corporation, DivcoWest and Hunter Properties.

Christopher and his wife of 22 years, Beverly Jane, reside in Lafayette, CA with their four children, Chandler, Audrey, Charlie and Swift, and their dog, cat, 20 chickens and 300+ honeybees.  Christopher and Beverly Jane have endowed scholarships through the Leland Scholars Program (LSP) aimed at aiding first generation, under-resourced and low-income students in making the transition to college.

Christopher earned a Quantitative Economics degree from Stanford University, where he was also a member of the Stanford Cardinal football team.  He is a member of ULI and YPO.

Damian Manolis is the President and Chief Investment Officer at Swift. Previously, Damian had an extensive and well-rounded career with PGIM Real Estate (formerly Prudential Real Estate Investors), where he most recently served as head of its U.S. Transactions Group and Chair of its Investment Committee.  In this role, he was responsible for all real estate acquisitions, dispositions, development, and capital markets activities on behalf of the firm’s U.S. focused investment vehicles.  Damian holds a B.A. from Cornell University and an M.B.A. from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.

Steve Blue is the Managing Director for Swift’s Southern California region. Prior to joining Swift in 2015, Steve was a Partner from 2008 to 2015 at Davenport Partners. At Davenport, Steve led the acquisition, financing and operational efforts of numerous office properties for private and institutional investors. Before joining Davenport, he served as Senior Vice President and Partner with Buchanan Street Partners and was responsible for identifying, structuring and underwriting joint venture investments. Prior to Buchanan Street Partners, Steve served five years as Vice President at Spieker Properties. He began his career in real estate with LaSalle Partners. Steve holds a B.A. in Economics from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management.

Tamara Tanner is the Managing Director of Human Resources at Swift, overseeing Swift’s HR strategic initiatives and employee relations. Prior to joining Swift in 2010, Tamara served for fifteen years as the West Coast Sr. HR Generalist at CarrAmerica where she contributed to the growth and development of CarrAmerica’s West Coast platform. Tamara attended the University of Maryland, College Park and studied Humanities.

Rick Buziak is Managing Director of Operations at Swift, managing protocols across Swift’s asset management, property management and construction management divisions. Previously, Rick spent seven years at Kilroy Realty Corp as Senior Vice President of Asset Management, during which he helped grow the firm’s presence in Northern California dramatically. Prior to Kilroy, Rick was with Equity Office Properties and Boston Properties, where he covered both leasing and property management initiatives. Rick holds a B.A. from University of Buffalo and an M.B.A. from San Francisco State University’s College of Business.

Doug Abbey is the Chairman Emeritus of Swift Real Estate Partners and joined Swift in 2012. Doug previously co-founded two investment management organizations, AMB Property Corporation (merged with Prologis: NYSE) in 1983, now the largest global industrial REIT, and IHP Capital Partners, formed in 1992, a provider of equity to the single-family homebuilding industry.  Doug is a Trustee and past Vice Chairman of the Urban Land Institute and serves as the Chair of the ULI Foundation and on the board of the ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing.  He serves on the board of Bridge Housing, the leading non-profit affordable housing developer on the West Coast with over 13,000 units under management.  Doug also serves on the real estate committee of the UCSF Foundation.  Since 2005 he has taught the real estate class at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.  Doug holds a B.A. from Amherst College and an MCP from University of California, Berkeley.

Nooriyah is a property management professional with a diverse asset portfolio history and a strong background in managing all aspects of portfolio operations to meet company objectives by defining new initiatives for growth and enhancing the overall tenant experience. Nooriyah managed several assets in Orange County over 13 years and transitioned to Swift Real Estate Partners in Pleasanton, CA in January 2019. Nooriyah manages Rosewood Commons, and assets in the South Bay/Silicon Valley.

Lilian Betancourt is a Senior Property Manager at Swift for Millbrae Office Building and Hellyer Oaks Technology Park. Prior to joining Swift, Lilian worked at Woodmont Real Estate Services managing the Millbrae Office Building, retail portions of the site and the Owner’s Association for the site. She has 17 years of property management experience in the South Bay and is currently working on obtaining her Real Estate License, and RPA through BOMI. 

Craig Biedler is VP Fund Accounting at Swift. Prior to joining Swift in 2016, Craig served as a Fund Controller at Carmel Partners. Craig began his career at Deloitte where he was a Senior Associate in their Halifax, Canada office.  Craig is a licensed CPA, CA (Canada) and holds a degree in Economics from the University of Calgary and a degree in Commerce, with a Major in Accounting, from Dalhousie University.

Jay Bortoli is the Property Accounting Manager for Swift’s portfolio.  Jay has over 16 years of property accounting experience primarily in commercial real estate.  Prior to joining Swift in 2019, Jay worked for Hines at various assets in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Jay holds a B.A. from California State University, Sacramento.

Tommy Christman is a Director at Swift and is responsible for acquisitions and asset management in Swift’s Southern California markets. Prior to joining Swift, Tommy was an investment analyst at BBT Capital Management, a multi-strategy hedge fund.  Additionally, Tommy worked as an analyst in the mergers and acquisitions group at Rothschild, Inc.  Tommy holds a B.S. in Commerce, with a Finance concentration, from the University of Virginia, McIntire School of Commerce and holds an M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.

Nicco Cipolla is a Director at Swift and is primarily responsible for assets in the East Bay market. Prior to joining Swift in 2015, Nicco was a Financial Analyst at CBRE and The CAC Group for over three years. Nicco has a B.A. in Business Administration and Management from University of the Pacific’s Eberhardt School of Business.

Alexandra Collins is the Southern California Senior Project Manager for Swift. Alex is responsible for the management of complex capital expenditure projects, tenant improvements, and repositioning projects in her region. Prior to joining Swift, Alex worked in project management on the tenant representation side for JLL and Cushman & Wakefield. Alex holds a B.S. in Mathematics and B.A. in Spanish from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Jack Cullen is an Investment Manager at Swift and is primarily responsible for acquisitions and asset management in Southern California. Prior to joining Swift in 2019, Jack worked in the investment sales department at CBRE as a senior analyst for two years.  Jack began his career as an associate for Deloitte, serving real estate and finance clients. Jack holds a B.A. in Economics & Accounting from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Nicole Daly is the Senior Property Manager for Concord Tech Center. Prior to joining Swift in 2021, Nicole worked for RiverRock Real Estate Group overseeing a portfolio of over a million square feet. Nicole holds a B.S. from Saint Mary’s College of California, a Real Property Administrator Designation and a Facilities Management Administrator Designation.

Therin Heryford is an Investment Manager at Swift and is responsible for investments in the Pacific Northwest and portfolio management initiatives. Therin holds a B.S. in Economics & Finance from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Chris Huizenga is a Director at Swift, responsible for overseeing Operations for the Southern California region, Engineering for Swift’s entire portfolio and is a member of the Swift Management Services leadership team.  He is a LEED AP O+M providing leadership and support on Swift’s sustainability efforts. Chris has 25 years of commercial real estate experience spanning multiple disciplines (Asset Management, Financial Analysis & Operations).  After joining Swift in August 2016, Chris first served as the Asset Manager in Southern California overseeing ten assets totaling 2.4 million square feet.  Prior to joining Swift, Chris was a Director in Asset Management for Hines where his 4 million square foot office portfolio was concentrated in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is an active member of the Urban Land Institute, currently serving as a member of the ULI-OCIE Office & Commercial Local Product Council and the ULI-OCIE Program Planning Committee while also volunteering in the ULI Urban Plan Program. Chris holds a B.A. in Finance from the Eli Broad School of Business at Michigan State University.

Bernadette Kosandiak is Swift’s Assistant Controller. She hails from Adelaide, South Australia, and knew from a very young age that her destiny was to make her home in the U.S.A. In 2011, Bernadette ventured to the U.S. to fulfill her childhood dream. Before joining Swift, Bernadette was the Controller for Diodati Investments, where she oversaw accounting for a multi-dimensional real estate development firm responsible for the construction and management of light industrial commercial condominiums.  Prior to Diodati, Bernadette devoted eight-years building her financial experience as Senior Accountant at Accru Harris Orchard in Adelaide where she focused on pension funds and accounting for partnerships, trusts, and multi-country entities.  Bernadette studied at the University of South Australia and holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.

Jennifer is the Senior Manager of Property Accounting for Swift’s portfolio. Jennifer has 15 years of property accounting experience in residential, retail, and commercial real estate. Prior to joining Swift in 2018, Jennifer worked for Prometheus Real Estate Group and Safeway’s real estate division. She holds an MBA in Business – Accounting from University of Phoenix.

Lizbeth Lara joined Swift as a Property Manager for 35NOLA, 155NOLA, and The Terrace in Pasadena. Liz is a SoCal native who began her career in 2016 with owner/operator Sandstone Properties’ industrial, retail, office high-rise, and medical low-rise commercial portfolios. In 2023, she joined Douglas Emmett as an Assistant Property Manager where she sharpened her Class A Highrise prowess. Her nine years of experience have been distributed throughout West LA, the South Bay, Sherman Oaks, Miami Beach, and most recently Century City. Liz is bilingual in English and Spanish, possesses a Real Estate License, and is also a Notary Public.

Kristin joined Swift in August 2021 as General Manager of 1111 Broadway and 1333 Broadway assets. Kristin continues to manage Swift’s Oakland assets and Swift’s HQ, 260 California Street in San Francisco. She spent most of her career in Austin, Texas working with CapRidge Partners, where she was responsible for the supervision and operations of 16 Class A&B projects in over four states, totaling 2.1M sf. Prior to joining Swift, Kristin worked with various clients at Cushman and Wakefield in San Francisco overseeing a portfolio throughout Union Square, Financial District, and SOMA. Kristin is actively involved in the East Bay BOMA, CREW, and the downtown CBD District Board.

Michelle Mansfield is a General Manager at Swift and is responsible for assets in Walnut Creek and Concord. Prior to joining Swift in 2013, Michelle spent seven years at CAC Real Estate Management Co. overseeing San Francisco and Oakland Class A Office Buildings. Michelle has a B.A. in Psychology from Humboldt State University and an M.B.A. from the University of Phoenix. 

Jennifer Mauro is a General Manager at Swift for the San Francisco portfolio. Prior to joining Swift in 2014, Jennifer worked as a Sr. Property Manager at Equity Office Properties where she was responsible for overseeing the daily operations of one million plus square feet of industrial and office commercial properties. Jennifer has 25 years of commercial real estate management including retail, medical office, and a 5 facility Self-Storage portfolio in the Bay Area. During her career, Jennifer spent 3 years serving on the BOMA Silicon Valley board of directors.

Kurt Nelson is a Director at Swift and is primarily responsible for investments for the Pacific Northwest. Prior to joining Swift in 2017, Kurt served as Vice President – Capital Markets at Harsch Investment Properties in Portland, Oregon. Prior to his tenure at Harsch, Kurt served as Senior Vice President – Acquisitions and Development at Scanlan Kemper Bard. Kurt has 15 years of experience in the real estate arena in Seattle and Portland. Kurt holds a B.A. in History, from Pepperdine University and an M.B.A. from The Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine.

Olga Ornelas is the Director of Operations for Swift’s Northern California portfolio. Prior to joining Swift in 2015, Olga worked as a Portfolio Manager at Hudson Pacific Properties, Inc where she was responsible for 2.6 million sq. ft. of office and mixed use assets. Before Hudson Pacific Properties, Olga spent twelve years at Equity Office Partners/CarrAmerica touching every aspect of property management. Olga has sat on the BOMA of Silicon Valley board for the past four years and is currently Past President and Sponsorship Chair.

Kassi Oswald joined Swift in 2016 and serves as the Controller, Construction & Development Accounting. Kassi is responsible for overseeing the Construction Accounting for Swift’s entire portfolio. With over ten years of accounting and finance experience in commercial real estate and a specialty for the construction and development arena, Kassi has been instrumental in implementing Swift’s job cost process and procedures. Prior to joining Swift, Kassi spent five years at Equity Office where she was responsible for construction accounting for the California and Washington Assets.  

Stephanie Soderberg is a General Manager at Swift. She is responsible for 1M square feet of commercial office space in Los Angeles and Orange County. Prior to joining Swift in 2020, Stephanie was at EQ Office/General Electric overseeing an 800K square foot portfolio of creative office. Stephanie has 16 years of commercial real estate experience including retail and industrial operations.

Michelle Turc is a Property Manager at Swift for the Washington portfolio. Prior to joining Swift in 2021, Michelle worked as an Assistant Property Manager at Cushman & Wakefield, responsible for supporting the operation of Swift’s Washington assets. Michelle has 7 years of property management experience in commercial and residential.

Jack Waldsmith is a Director at Swift and is primarily responsible for acquisitions and asset management in Northern California. Prior to joining Swift in 2018, Jack was a Senior Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers covering real estate clients. Jack holds a B.A. in Economics & Accounting from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Vivi Wirjadisastra is responsible for overseeing the Property Accounting function for Swift’s entire portfolio. Vivi has 23 years of property accounting experience in commercial real estate. Prior to joining Swift in 2012, Vivi was a Controller at AMB Property Corporation (now Prologis) where she was responsible for a portfolio in US West and Central regions. She holds an MBA in Finance from California State University East Bay.

Jeremy Wustman is an Investment Manager at Swift and is responsible primarily for acquisitions and asset management in Swift’s Southern California markets. Prior to joining Swift, Jeremy was Vice President of Acquisitions & Capital Markets at Gemini Rosemont Realty. Additionally, Jeremy worked at KSB Realty Advisors in a dual role with acquisitions and asset management responsibilities. Jeremy holds a B.S. in Building Science-Civil Engineering from University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering.