Carl Tash is Chief Credit Officer at Starwood Capital Group, with responsibility for the review of investment opportunities prior to presentation to the Firm’s Investment Committee, of which he is a member. In this role, Mr. Tash monitors and supervises the acquisition and asset management of mall and lifestyle center investments for Starwood Retail Partners, the wholly owned, fully integrated operating platform that oversees Starwood Capital’s retail investments. He also serves as a mentor and assists in the training of analysts and associates at the Firm. In addition, Mr. Tash serves as Interim Chief Credit Officer of SPT Management, the external entity that manages Starwood Property Trust (NYSE: STWD), an affiliate of Starwood Capital that is the largest commercial mortgage REIT in the U.S. In this role, Mr. Tash chairs the Investment Committee and oversees deal screening, structuring and due diligence for investments made by Starwood Property Trust. Prior to joining Starwood Capital in 2011, Mr. Tash founded Cliffwood Partners LLC, a real estate securities investment firm, and served as CEO and Chief Investment Officer for 15 years. Before that, Mr. Tash spent 12 years with JMB and its affiliates. At the time of his departure in 1991, Mr. Tash was President of JMB’s investment subsidiary, JMB Institutional Realty Corp., and had a strategic, senior role with JMB’s retail development subsidiary. While at JMB, Mr. Tash was also responsible for the acquisition and structuring of more than $5 billion in corporate real estate transactions. Mr. Tash received a B.S. degree in economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Wharton Real Estate Center, and is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and the Urban Land Institute.