Bert Erik ten Cate Managing Editor, Commercial Real Estate Debtwire

Bert Erik ten Cate has been writing about the European property sector for more than ten years. He is currently managing editor at Debtwire ABS Europe, focusing on property finance and distressed debt in Germany and the Netherlands. Prior to that, he was editor of EuroProperty, the fortnightly property newsletter. 

Bill Sexton President Trimont

As President of Trimont for EMEA, Bill Sexton is the lead contact for our clients, prospects, rating agencies and regulators throughout the EMEA theatre. In this role, Mr Sexton oversees all of Trimont’s loan servicing, asset management and due diligence businesses for the region. Based in London, he oversees the firm’s offices in London and Amsterdam, and serves on the Global Advisory Council and Operating Committee, working closely with Trimont’s global CEO and European leaders in developing and executing the firm’s strategy.

Relevant Experience:

Mr. Sexton co-founded London- based Mount Street Loan Solutions, where he served as Managing Partner, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer since the firm’s inception in 2013. In this position, he led Mount Street’s overall formation and growth and, in particular, its commercial real estate loan servicing operations with particular responsibility for CMBS special servicing, NPL underwriting, servicing and workouts.

Previously he served as co-founder and Managing Partner for GPT Halverton Ltd, a pan-European real estate fund and asset management business responsible for 11 European offices and 190 members of staff. Mr. Sexton also held leadership positions at Citigroup Property Investors, FPDSavills Commercial Limited and DTZ Debenham Tie Leung, where he served as Director of International Investment.

James Seppala Senior Manager Director Blackstone

James Seppala is a Senior Managing Director in the Real Estate Group and the Head of Real Estate Europe, based in London. Since joining Blackstone in 2011, Mr. Seppala has been involved in a number of Blackstone’s investments across Europe, including Logicor, OfficeFirst, Sponda, and Mileway.

Prior to joining Blackstone, Mr. Seppala was a Vice President at Goldman Sachs & Co, where he spent 10 years focused on equity and debt investment opportunities in Europe and the United States on behalf of Goldman Sachs’s real estate private equity group.

Mr. Seppala graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College in 2001. Mr. Seppala currently serves as Chairman of Sponda, is on the board of The Office Group, and chairs the European Advisory Board of the Zell/Lurie Real Estate Center at the Wharton School.

Michael Shields Managing Director ING Bank

Michael joined ING REF in May  2004 and has 25-year experience in real estate lending, asset management and  restructuring. Based in London, he is currently responsible for ING REF’s  lending platforms in Asia, USA, UK, Spain/Portugal, France and Italy – lending  assets totalling over EUR 12Bio. Prior to his current role, he led ING REF’s  highly successful U.S. lending platform which he helped grow from USD 200  million to over USD 7.5 billion at its peak in 2008. Before ING, Michael was an  originator in BHF Capital’s U.S real estate lending team and was one of the  original members of Helaba’s CRE finance team in the U.S. Michael started his  banking career in Chemical Bank’s real estate group in Manhattan.