NEW YORK, March 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The CRE Finance Council (CREFC) today announced that President and Chief Executive Officer Lisa Pendergast has informed the organization’s Board of Governors of her intention to retire on or about August 3, 2026, following a decade of her leadership.
“Under Lisa’s exceptional leadership, CREFC has strengthened its role as the commercial real estate finance industry’s central forum for dialogue, advocacy, and market intelligence,” said Leland F. Bunch III, Managing Director at Bank of America and the Chair of CREFC’s Executive Committee and Board of Governors. “The Board has launched a thoughtful and thorough search process to ensure a seamless new CEO transition to continue CREFC’s success.”
Ms. Pendergast guided CREFC through a period of significant growth and industry evolution. During her tenure, the organization increased membership by more than 30 percent and firmly established itself as the leading industry voice representing the full spectrum of commercial and multifamily real estate finance participants.
Under Ms. Pendergast’s leadership, CREFC has enhanced its role as a trusted, nonpartisan resource for market participants, policymakers, and regulators. She has championed initiatives to improve market transparency, strengthen industry standards, and expand the organization’s research, education, and member engagement platforms, while fostering collaboration across lenders, investors, issuers, servicers, and other stakeholders. With more than 30 years of experience in commercial real estate capital markets, Ms. Pendergast is widely recognized for her deep market expertise and leadership. Prior to her CREFC role, she held senior positions at Jefferies, Royal Bank of Scotland, and Prudential Securities, and was consistently ranked as a top research analyst. She served as CREFC’s Chair in 2010–2011 and was a member of its Board of Governors for more than nine years.
“Leading CREFC has been one of the greatest honors of my career,” said Ms. Pendergast. “I am incredibly proud of what we have built together; a strong, collaborative organization that serves as the voice of the commercial real estate finance industry both in the markets and in Washington, D.C. I remain fully committed to CREFC and to ensuring a smooth and orderly transition.”
About CREFC
The CRE Finance Council (CREFC) is the trade association for the over $6 trillion commercial real estate finance industry with a membership that includes approximately 400 companies and 19,000 individuals. Member firms include balance sheet and securitized lenders, loan and bond investors, private equity firms, servicers, rating agencies, and borrowers. For over 30 years, CREFC has promoted liquidity, transparency, and efficiency in the commercial real estate finance markets and acts as a legislative and regulatory advocate for the industry, playing a vital role in setting market standards and best practices and providing education for market participants. For more information visit www.crefc.org
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SOURCE CRE Finance Council
