Real Estate is perhaps the one thing Canadians talk about more than hockey, and Oxford Properties is at the forefront of the industry. Their portfolio of properties represents more than 50 million square feet of office, retail, hotel, industrial, land and multi-residential assets in key markets across the globe. Join us on April 10 when Blake Hutcheson, President and Chief Pension Officer, OMERS and Chair, Oxford Properties Group, shares the story of their growth into a global real estate powerhouse and what the future holds for Oxford Properties. Blake has recently been named the President and Chief Pension Officer of OMERS responsible for the Strategy, Government Relations, Communications, Pension Services, Technology and Operations of the $100 Billion Pension Plan. Prior to that Blake was the Chief Investment Officer of Real Estate and Platform Investments at OMERS overseeing approximately 15% of the OMERS Investment Portfolio covering the Pension Funds real estate holdings as well as its direct energy investments, ventures portfolio and other new platform investments. He was also President & CEO of Oxford Properties Group since 2010 where he was responsible for overseeing the global business, consisting of approximately $50 billion of assets under management and 2,200 employees in Canada, Europe and the USA. Prior to that he was based in New York as the Head of Global Real Estate Investing for a multi-strategy private equity firm, with offices in New York, London, Hong Kong and Mumbai. Prior to that, he was the Chairman & President of CB Richard Ellis Canada (1999 – 2008) & Latin America (2001 – 2008) overseeing all operations in multiple countries with over 2,500 employees. Mr. Hutcheson has also served on several Boards and Committees including: The Executive Committee of OMERS; Director of Algoma Central Corporation (listed on the TSE); Member of the Toronto Mayor’s Task Force on Affordable Housing 2015; Chair of Build Toronto (2010 – 2012); Member of the Premier’s Transit Advisory Panel (2013); Chair of the Mayor of Toronto’s Fiscal Advisory Committee (2008); President of the University Club of Toronto; Director of RealNet Canada; Director of REALpac and Chair of the Canadian Real Estate Forum (2005 and 2016). He is also the recipient of the ICONS of the Industry Award through BOMA, Ottawa and the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Columbia University Masters Real Estate Development Program. He has been named as one of the 100 Most Powerful Real Estate Executives in New York City for 2013 to 2017. Mr. Hutcheson is a long time member of YPO and WPO and was selected as one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40. He is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, the London School of Economics, England (with distinction), and has an MSc in Real Estate Development from Columbia University, New York He is married and has two children.
