LOS ANGELES—Cottonwood Group, a private equity real estate investment firm, announced an East Coast team expansion with two strategic leadership hires and three internal promotions to support the firm’s growth in its Boston office. Cottonwood founder and CEO Alexander Shing made the announcement.
“Cottonwood continues its strategic growth in Boston by establishing a dynamic powerhouse team of dedicated leaders to solidify our Northeast presence,” said Shing. “With experienced professionals who hold strong and diverse backgrounds across private equity and real estate, to the leveling up of internal team members with significant promotions, our expanded leadership team will be instrumental in helping us achieve our portfolio goals in the Boston market and greater East Coast region for years to come.”
Michael Barowsky previously served as a strategic consultant for Cottonwood before stepping into his new leadership role as Senior Vice President and Head of Development. Barowsky is responsible for overseeing the firm’s development portfolio. This includes identifying and managing strategic partnership opportunities, as well as the development potential of the firm’s full capital stack of debt and equity projects. Barowsky brings over 20 years of experience to Cottonwood, with a particular focus on large-scale, mixed-use development. He has not only led significant development projects, but also has a strong background in structuring and executing deals in Boston. This comprehensive expertise will be instrumental in Cottonwood’s ongoing and future projects.
Prior to Cottonwood, Barowsky was Senior Vice President at The HYM Investment Group, where he oversaw several large projects including the 16.2 million square-foot redevelopment of Suffolk Downs and the 4.5 million square-foot Cambridge Crossing development. He earned an MBA from the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College and a BA from Washington University in St. Louis.
Angelica Nouhi recently joined Cottonwood as Vice President of Asset Management and has over a decade of investing and asset management experience across multiple real estate asset classes. Nouhi is responsible for overseeing the firm’s equity portfolio, working closely with investments, capital markets, portfolio management, legal and operations.
Before joining Cottonwood, Angelica served as the Director of Asset Management at Fundrise, a privately held REIT, where she was responsible for more than 4 million square feet across the U.S. Prior to Fundrise, Angelica was Vice President of Asset Management at the Akno Group, a large European-based owner and developer of industrial and commercial real estate assets. She earned a BA in Finance from Northeastern University, where she graduated magna cum laude. Angelica also received an MBA from Tufts University.
Scott Russell and Maxwell Rittner have both been promoted to Senior Vice President of Investments. Russell and Rittner will manage sourcing, underwriting and executing credit and equity investments for Cottonwood’s investment platforms. Russell earned a BA from Washington and Lee University, where he graduated magna cum laude, followed by an MBA from Harvard Business School. Rittner earned a BA from Boston College, graduating magna cum laude with a concentration in finance and management.
Peter Miller was promoted to Vice President of Investments. In his new role, Miller is responsible for structuring, originating and sourcing debt and equity investments. He earned a BA in economics with a concentration in finance from Princeton University.
“With an unwavering commitment and tireless effort, Russell, Rittner and Miller have consistently identified and capitalized on sourcing opportunities,” said Mark Green, CIO of Cottonwood. “Their expansive network and strategic insight extend beyond Boston, covering key markets throughout the U.S.”
Cottonwood Group’s previous Boston projects include the investment and development of EchelonSeaport™—featuring 1.33 million square feet of luxury condominiums, and The Alyx at EchelonSeaport—offering 270 luxury multifamily apartments. Most recently, the firm extended a $240 million senior condo inventory financing to St. Regis Residences, Boston.