CREFC's Women's Network hosts its largest annual event
NEW YORK, April 22, 2025 -- The CRE Finance Council (CREFC), the trade association that exclusively represents the nearly $6 trillion commercial and multifamily real estate finance industry, will host its annual Spring Symposium on May 7 in New York City. Now in its ninth year, this event features an extensive program that is an important component of CREFC's ongoing effort to elevate the visibility of women professionals in commercial real estate finance.
"As the commercial real estate finance industry's trade association, we are thrilled to bring together remarkable senior women business leaders to share their insights about their career journeys," said Lisa Pendergast, President and Chief Executive Officer, CREFC.
Hosted by CREFC's Women's Network, the Spring Symposium draws leading industry participants to the event. The day starts with speed mentoring sessions that facilitate meetings between seasoned market participants and junior and mid-career professionals in small working groups where they share insights on advancing their careers, understanding industry trends, and overcoming challenges.
"Our Spring Symposium, the largest annual event for the Women's Network, attracts leading commercial real estate finance professionals," said Julia Powell, Chair of CREFC's Women's Network. "I look forward to hearing insights from this year's keynote speaker and program panels as they share their insights on today's CRE finance markets and what is driving transaction activity. This is just one of many Women's Network initiatives that help business leaders keep up with today's highly dynamic industry."
Special Keynote Speaker: Col. Eileen Collins
This year, CREFC's Spring Symposium features Col. Eileen Collins, the first female to pilot a U.S. spacecraft with the Discovery shuttle flight in 1995, and the first female commander on the 1999 Columbia shuttle flight. In 2005, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) tapped Col. Collins to command the space shuttle Discovery's historic "Return to Flight" mission, NASA's first piloted flight following the loss of space shuttle Columbia in 2003.
Col. Collins logged 872 hours in space and her memoir, Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars, was published in 2021. In 2022, Col. Collins was awarded the National Aeronautic Association's Wright Brothers Award for her inspirational career as an astronaut, teacher, and leader.
Ms. Pendergast added: "The Spring Symposium is part of CREFC's mission to provide women professionals with opportunities to network and build their careers. In addition to learning about how industry participants manage market challenges and gaining other insights from CRE industry leaders, I look forward to hearing about Col. Collins' experiences in space as a shuttle pilot with NASA and learning how her experiences give CREFC members important and usable insights on leadership, the personal qualities needed for professional success, and the importance of teamwork."
Following speed mentoring, this year's Spring Symposium offers panel sessions addressing timely topics and issues for CRE finance professionals, including:
- The Dealmakers' Perspective: Tackling Market Challenges & Closing Transactions
- Reaching New Heights: Insights from Leaders in CRE
When: May 7, 2025
Where: Citi
45 Hubert Street
New York, N.Y., 10013
Program: https://bit.ly/SpringSymposiumProgram25
Registration: https://bit.ly/SpringSymposiumRegistration25
To learn more about CREFC's upcoming conferences and events, please visit: https://www.crefc.org/events
About CREFC
The CRE Finance Council (CREFC) is the trade association for the nearly $6 trillion commercial real estate finance industry with a membership that includes approximately 400 companies and 19,000 individuals. Member firms include balance sheet and securitized lenders, loan and bond investors, private equity firms, servicers, rating agencies, and borrowers. For more than 30 years, CREFC has promoted liquidity, transparency, and efficiency in the commercial real estate finance markets, and functioned as a legislative and regulatory advocate for the industry, playing a vital role in setting market standards and best practices and providing education for market participants.
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