Blackstone announced that it is establishing a Blackstone Real Estate office in Toronto and the appointment of Janice Lin as head of its Real Estate business in Canada. Ms. Lin’s leadership experience and deep knowledge of the Canadian market will help drive Blackstone Real Estate’s Canadian footprint as it continues to invest across all asset classes, with a focus on its long-term presence in the country.
Blackstone has long had a significant presence in Canada across its businesses, including CAD $14 billion of real estate assets totaling approximately 450 properties – consisting primarily of logistics. Blackstone’s portfolio companies across the firm employ more than 3,550 people in Canada.
Nadeem Meghji, Blackstone’s Head of Real Estate Americas, said, “We are excited to officially open a real estate office in Canada and welcome Janice to lead our real estate business in the country. We are long-term believers in the strength of the Canadian economy, and we look forward to leveraging her expertise and on-the-ground views to help us expand our presence in the Canadian real estate market.”
Ms. Lin added, “Blackstone’s long-term investment approach has enabled it to build a growing logistics, office, and residential footprint across Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Canada’s population growth is the highest among G7 nations and is nearly double that of the U.S., and I believe that will continue to create exciting opportunities in the market. I look forward to strengthening Blackstone’s strong presence in Canada and supporting businesses across a number of different sectors.”
Prior to joining Blackstone, Ms. Lin served as Chief Investment Officer at Revera, a global owner of differentiated retirement living operators with residences throughout Canada, the U.S. and U.K. Previously, she held senior investment roles across multiple sectors at the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Harvard Business School.