Management Team

Barry Blattman
Barry is the Senior Managing Partner, responsible for Relationships and Strategic Transactions. Barry’s role contributes to the development and execution of our strategic and corporate goals, which includes oversight of relationships with capital partners that have interest in our funds as well as identifying and executing strategic transactions. Prior to joining Brookfield in 2002, Barry was employed for 16 years at various Wall Street financial institutions in numerous capacities including, advisory, financing, mergers and acquisitions and fund formation.  Barry holds a business degree from the University of Michigan and an MBA from New York University.

Jeff Blidner
Jeff is the Senior Managing Partner responsible for Strategic Planning as well as Transaction Execution. Prior to joining Brookfield in 2000, Jeff was a senior partner at a Canadian law firm. Jeff's practice focused on merchant banking transactions, public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, management buy-outs, restructurings and private equity transactions. Jeff was called to the Bar in Ontario as a Gold Medalist in 1974.

Richard (Ric) Clark
Ric is the Senior Managing Partner, Property Operations.  Ric joined Brookfield in 1996, and is responsible for the company's real estate operations. Ric is the CEO of Brookfield Properties, and formerly was the President of the company's U.S. Commercial Operations. Ric has been employed with the company's predecessors since 1984 in various executive roles. Ric holds a Business degree from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Steve Douglas
Steve is the Senior Managing Partner, Real Estate. He has held a number of senior executive positions within the Brookfield Group since joining the company in 1994, including Chief Financial Officer for Brookfield Office Properties, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of affiliate Falconbridge Limited (now Xstrata Canada Corporation) and President of Brookfield Properties Corporation. Most recently, he served for a year and half at affiliate General Growth Properties in the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer to help in the restructuring and turnaround of the company. Prior to joining Brookfield, Mr. Douglas was employed at Ernst and Young in Toronto. Steve holds a Chartered Accountant designation and has a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario.

Bruce Flatt
Bruce is the Senior Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer of the company. Bruce was appointed to this position in February 2002, following a number of roles in Brookfield's investment and operating businesses since 1990. Bruce holds a Business degree from the University of Manitoba.

Joe Freedman
Joe is Senior Managing Partner and Counsel, within Brookfield’s Special Situations Group. Since joining Brookfield in 2002, Joe has held a number of positions including general counsel and managing partner responsible for M&A transaction execution and fund formation and operations. Joe was formerly a lawyer in the corporate finance group at a Toronto law firm where he specialized in private equity transactions and public company mergers and acquisitions. Joe holds a joint MBA\LL.B from York University's Schulich School of Business and Osgoode Hall Law School and was named one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40 in-house counsel by Lexpert Magazine.

Harry Goldgut
Harry is the Senior Managing Partner of Brookfield Asset Management Inc., and Chairman of Brookfield Renewable Power, the company's power operations. Harry joined Brookfield in 1997. Harry is currently responsible for Brookfield Renewable Power's strategic initiatives, governmental and regulatory affairs, and monitoring the electricity industry's restructuring and deregulation initiatives. Harry was called to the Ontario Bar in 1982 following his graduation from Osgoode Hall Law School, York University in 1980.

Brian Kingston
Brian is the Senior Managing Partner responsible for Brookfield's Australian operations. Brian joined Brookfield in 2001 and held senior management positions within the company and its affiliates, including mergers and acquisitions, merchant banking and real estate advisory services. In 2008, he was appointed Chief Financial Officer of Brookfield's newly acquired real estate business in Australia and was instrumental in the subsequent acquisition of Brookfield's infrastructure business in that country. Brian is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Queens University.

Brian Lawson
Brian is Senior Managing Partner and Chief Financial Officer. Brian has held senior management positions within Brookfield since the early 1990's. As Chief Financial Officer, Brian is responsible for Brookfield's financial reporting, corporate finance and overall funding activities of the organization. Brian graduated from the University of Toronto and subsequently qualified as a Chartered Accountant.

Richard Legault
Richard Legault is Senior Managing Partner of Brookfield Asset Management and Chief Executive Officer of Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners. Mr. Legault oversees Brookfield’s Power & Utilities Platform, comprising the company’s renewable power generation and electric utilities businesses. He has led the growth of Brookfield’s renewable power operations in North and South America, which today comprises over 170 hydroelectric generating stations and five wind farms, making it one of the largest privately-owned renewable power portfolios. Mr. Legault was Chief Financial Officer of Brookfield Asset Management from 2000 to 2001, prior to which he held several senior positions in operations, finance, and corporate development with the company’s forest products operations.

Luiz Ildefonso Simões Lopes
Luiz is Senior Managing Partner of Brookfield responsible for Brazil and is the President and CEO of Brookfield Brasil and Banco Brascan. Luiz has over 30 years of experience in the capital markets in the country, including leading the brokerage and corporate banking areas. Prior to joining Brookfield, Luiz held various board director and senior executive positions in Brazil. Luiz obtained his degree in Business Administration from Faculdade Moraes Júnior and his Capital Markets specialization from Fundação Getúlio Vargas, São Paulo.

Cyrus Madon
Cyrus is the Senior Managing Partner responsible for Brookfield’s private equity activities including special situation, distress and private equity investing. Cyrus has been a member of the Brookfield team since 1998 when he was appointed Chief Financial Officer of Brookfield's real estate brokerage business. Cyrus has extensive experience in private equity, restructurings, corporate finance, and merchant banking across a broad range of industries, including real estate, real estate services and manufacturing. Cyrus began his career at Pricewaterhouse-Coopers where he worked in Corporate Finance and Recovery in Canada and the United Kingdom.

George Myhal
George is a Senior Managing Partner and has primary responsibility for strategic planning, business development and the Public Securities Operations. George has held a number of senior positions within Brookfield since joining the company in 1981 and has been instrumental in the development and growth of Brookfield's asset management business. George is trained as a Chartered Accountant and has an industrial engineering degree from the University of Toronto.

Sam Pollock
Sam is a Senior Managing Partner and Head of Infrastructure Activities. Sam is responsible for the expansion of our infrastructure operating platform. Sam joined Brookfield's financial services operation in 1994 and has held various senior positions in the organization, including leadership of the company's financial advisory services and investment group. Sam is a Chartered Accountant and holds a business degree from Queen's University.

Ben Vaughan
Ben Vaughan is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Brookfield Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners, overseeing the North American operations while continuing to lead the marketing, risk management and settlement teams in driving results to optimize the portfolio and maximize revenues. Mr. Vaughan is also Senior Managing Partner of Brookfield. Mr. Vaughan joined Brookfield in 2001 as part of the corporate development team and in that capacity he focused on restructurings, financings, acquisitions and divestitures. In 2006, upon joining the team at Brookfield Renewable Power as Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, Mr. Vaughan led several acquisition focused growth initiatives including the acquisition of several hydroelectric power plants across the United States and Canada. In 2007, he assumed the role of Chief Financial Officer of Brookfield Energy Marketing Inc. (“BEMI”), Brookfield Renewable Power’s marketing and sales organization, and in 2008, became its Chief Operating Officer.

 

Lori Pearson
Lori is Senior Vice President, Human Resources. Prior to joining Brookfield in 2003, Lori worked at one of the big four accounting firms for 15 years, most recently as Director of Human Resources in their Taxation Business Unit. Lori is a Chartered Accountant and graduated from the University of Western Ontario, Ivey School of Business with an Honours Business degree.

Leo van den Thillart
Leo is Managing Partner, Private Institutional Equity. Based in London, UK, he is responsible for managing Brookfield’s global client relationship and fund operations group, implementing fundraising strategies and managing private equity institutional relationships. Prior to joining Brookfield he was Senior Managing Director and Global co-Head of the Private Funds Group at a leading global investment banking, securities trading and brokerage firm directing the overall strategic and operational management of an international advisory and placement businesses. Leo was also the Chairman and Executive Director of a global private equity firm he co-founded and subsequently sold.

Katherine Vyse
Katherine is Senior Vice President, Investor Relations.  She was previously appointed Senior Vice President, Global Marketing and Client Communications in September 2007. She joined Brookfield in 2000 to build the investor relations functions for Brookfield. Her prior business experience includes a similar position at a major North American real estate company, and 10 years in the financial services industry. Katherine holds an MBA degree from the Ivey School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario.

Andrew Willis
Andrew is Senior Vice President, Communications and Media. He joined Brookfield in 2010, after a two-decade career in business journalism in newspapers, television and radio, including The Globe and Mail, Dow Jones/Wall Street Journal and Macleans magazine and BNN TV and CBC Newsworld. He has a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of King's College in Halifax and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario in London. Andrew has co-written a book, The Bre-X Fraud, with business journalist Douglas Goold.