Real estate was the topic of the day at the most recent Queens College (QC) Business Forum that featured Howard M. Sipzner, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Brandywine Realty Trust, as the keynote speaker.
Sipzner, who addressed borough business leaders on Friday, December 10 at QC, delivered a presentation entitled “The Future of Real Estate Markets: Opportunities and Challenges.”
Headquartered in Radnor, PA, Brandywine Realty Trust is one of the nation’s largest, publicly traded, full-service, real estate investment trusts (REIT) that owns, develops and manages class-A suburban and urban office properties. Sipzner, who is a QC graduate, oversees all of Brandywine’s financial activities including accounting, SEC reporting, budgeting, investments, human resources, cash flow, investor relations and capital markets.
Prior to joining Brandywine in 2007, Sipzner served as executive vice president of Equity One, a publicly-traded shopping center Real Estate Investment Trust, which, through acquisitions, developments and strategic transactions, he helped turn into a $3 billion company. Sipzner currently serves on the boards of the World Affairs Council in Philadelphia and the Queens College Foundation.
“The Queens College Business Forums are among one of the best examples of the vital partnerships we’ve built between the college and the community,” QC president James Muyskens said in a statement. “They provide a platform for local businesses, government, faculty and students to engage in a lively and productive exchange of ideas, successes and strategies. Mr. Sipzner’s input at the most recent forum helped put today’s real estate market in perspective as we continue to weather the challenges of a still-struggling economy."
The QC Business Forum started in 2005 as a way to bring together the business community, local government, academia, and students to provide an opportunity for “town and gown” to interact. This year, the forum’s theme was “Looking Forward to the Future.”
The forum is sponsored by the Queens Borough President’s Office; Queens Chamber of Commerce; The Queens Courier; Queens Economic Development Corp.; Farrell Fritz P.C.; PricewaterhouseCoopers; and TD Bank.
