The Urban Land Institute (ULI) Europe has appointed Ed Siskind, founder and CEO of real estate investment and financing firm Cale Street Partners (CSP), as its new Chair. Siskind takes over the position from Anne Kavanagh and will serve the honorary term for two years, commencing on 1 July 2026.
Siskind has been an active ULI member since 2011 and possesses in-depth knowledge of the organisation. He has previously served as a Global Governing Trustee, a member of the Europe Executive Committee, and the Global Exchange Council. His professional career includes 23 years at Goldman, Sachs & Co., where he held senior positions in the UK and the US, including Global Head of the Real Estate Principal Investment Area and Co-Head of European Merchant Bank.
Cale Street Partners was founded by Siskind in 2014, together with the Kuwait Investment Office, the London branch of the Kuwait Investment Authority. Since its inception, CSP has raised approximately US$15 billion and provides financing solutions to institutional investors across Europe, the UK, and the US. Siskind also brings experience from his membership on the Advisory Board of Bridges Fund Management, the Investment Committee of the Courtauld Institute, and the President’s Roundtable of Princeton University. He graduated with honours from Princeton University in 1988.
Strategic Direction and Goals
Franz F. Colloredo-Mansfeld, Global Chair of ULI, welcomed Ed Siskind and highlighted that Siskind will build on the foundations laid by his predecessor, Anne Kavanagh, to further develop ULI’s mission in Europe and integrate European work into the global organisation. He thanked Anne Kavanagh for her achievements over the past two years.
Anne Kavanagh expressed her satisfaction with her seven years of service on the Global Board and her last two years as Chair of ULI Europe. She emphasised the organisation's continued development in an uncertain market environment and the strengthening of its European and global focus. She expressed delight at the handover to Siskind, whose vision and commitment she considers outstanding.
Ed Siskind expressed his honour at taking on the role of Chair of ULI Europe. He thanked his predecessor, Anne Kavanagh, for her dedication during a period of geopolitical challenges and her forward-thinking planning of the leadership transition. He emphasised his desire to work with Simon Durkin and the team to make a transformative contribution to the built environment and communities.
Priorities for the Term
Ed Siskind has defined several key priorities for his term:
- —Supporting ULI Europe’s new CEO, Simon Durkin, in implementing his visions and priorities for the region.
- —Strengthening ULI Europe's position as a leading platform for best practices within the real estate industry in light of current challenges.
- —Fostering talent and the next generation of European leaders in the built environment through mentoring, research, and knowledge transfer.
- —Intensifying the networking of ULI leaders in Europe with their counterparts in the US and Asia, to ensure global alignment of ULI's work and reinforce the organisation's position as an indispensable authority for best practices.
