Ares Management Corporation announced today John Case, Ben Fox, Joel Tomlinson and Taejoon Chun have joined to expand Ares’ presence and activity in net lease and related investment opportunities. These additions reflect Ares’ view of the compelling investment opportunities in the $12 trillion net lease market in the U.S. and Europe as well as the Company’s continued commitment to enhance its capabilities across the platform.
Ares’ net lease team is a joint initiative between Ares’ Alternative Credit strategy and its Real Estate Group, building on Ares’ long history of sourcing and managing net lease assets across these platforms. Ares has significant experience in the asset class with more than $4 billion in net lease investments made in the last year. Messrs. Case, Fox, Tomlinson and Chun will be based in San Diego and will work collaboratively to leverage the insights across both Ares’ Alternative Credit strategy and its Real Estate Group. In addition, the team will leverage the experience and relationships of Ares’ Credit Group and Private Equity Group to help source compelling opportunities that draw on the competitive advantages of the entire Ares platform. The team will be responsible for advancing the net lease strategy, acquiring properties, developing innovative capital solutions and structuring investments. The team will also be a resource for managing Ares’ existing portfolio of net lease assets.
Case joins as a Partner and Senior Advisor and will work with the Company on a part-time basis. Prior to joining Ares, Mr. Case served as Chief Executive Officer and Director of Realty Income Corporation (“Realty Income”) from 2013 to 2018, leading Realty Income through a significant growth phase and to inclusion in the S&P 500 Index. Mr. Case joined Realty Income in 2010 and served as its President and Chief Investment Officer before becoming CEO. Prior to that, he was a real estate investment banker for more than two decades, including serving as Co-Head of Real Estate Investment Banking at both RBC Capital Markets and UBS and as a Managing Director at Merrill Lynch. During this time, he led more than $100 billion in real estate capital markets and advisory transactions. Bringing more than 30 years of real estate, REIT, strategy, finance and net lease experience, Mr. Case is ideally suited to advance Ares’ focus in this area.
Fox joins as a Managing Director. Prior to joining Ares, Mr. Fox was Executive Vice President, Asset Management and Operations at Realty Income, where he also served as a member of the Investment Committee. Mr. Fox led Realty Income’s largest department, overseeing and managing approximately 7,000 properties across the U.S. and U.K. Previously, Mr. Fox was an Associate at Cappello Capital Corp., a boutique merchant banking firm.
Tomlinson joins as a Managing Director. Prior to joining Ares, Mr. Tomlinson was previously a Partner at Apollo Global Management, where he helped build and operate the Apollo Net Lease Capital Corporation. Prior to that, Mr. Tomlinson was the SVP of Acquisitions at Realty Income. In addition, Mr. Tomlinson was a Senior Acquisitions Director at Cole Capital, a non-traded REIT.
Chun joins as a Principal. Prior to joining Ares in 2021, Mr. Chun was Senior Vice President, Investments & Head of Asset Management at Realty Income. Previously, Mr. Chun worked at OppenheimerFunds, a global asset manager, as a Research Associate in the Value Equity Team.
“John, Ben, Joel and Taejoon are respected industry veterans who collectively bring more than 70 years of net lease and broader real estate and finance experience,” said David Roth, Partner and Head of U.S. Real Estate Private Equity in the Ares Real Estate Group. “With strong performance across public and private net lease platforms as well as extensive networks of relationships, we believe they will significantly enhance our ability to source and execute on unique investment opportunities and manage our net lease investments across North America and Europe.”
“We are pleased to welcome John, Ben, Joel and Taejoon to the team. We have known and respected each of them for many years and believe that their experience will greatly complement our existing investment efforts with net lease assets,” said Joel Holsinger, Partner and Co-Head of Alternative Credit. “We believe that Ares is uniquely positioned to invest across the spectrum of net lease opportunities given that the net lease market sits at the intersection of alternative credit, real estate and corporate credit, all areas where Ares has demonstrated experience and a market leadership position.”
“Ben, Joel, Taejoon and I are eager to be part of the Ares team,” said Mr. Case. “We have long admired Ares’ reputation as a leading alternative investment manager with significant credit, private equity and real estate businesses as well as its collaborative corporate culture. I look forward to working with such talented professionals as we pursue attractive net lease opportunities across all types and regions.”