Nadeem Meghji is leaving Blackstone after serving less than a year as the sole head of the firm's global real estate business. His departure from investment giant Blackstone follows that of other executives, including Kathleen McCarthy, who until November served as co-head of global real estate alongside Meghji. The Wall Street Journal first reported this.
David Levine and Giovanni Cutaia have been appointed as Meghji's successors. David Levine already serves as co-head of Blackstone's real estate business in North and South America, while Giovanni Cutaia is president of Blackstone's real estate business. Blackstone did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Continuity and Talent at Blackstone
Jonathan Gray, President of Blackstone, emphasised to the Wall Street Journal that despite this departure, the company possesses a business unit with a high degree of continuity and outstanding talent. He further explained that David Levine and Giovanni Cutaia are prime examples of this.
Meghji joined Blackstone in 2008 amidst the Great Recession. The Journal reports he is leaving his post to devote time to his family. During his almost two decades at Blackstone, Meghji played a significant role in expanding the company's data centre strategy, which reached a value of $185 billion in July 2026.
In the same period, the company recorded annual growth of 20 percent in total returns, fee-related earnings, fee-related revenues, net returns, and distributable earnings. These figures underscore the robust development of the business, even amidst personnel changes at the top.
Key Personnel and Business Development
- —David Levine: Co-head of real estate business in North and South America, now in an expanded role.
- —Giovanni Cutaia: President of the real estate business, also in an expanded role.
- —Jonathan Gray: President of Blackstone, highlights the strength of internal talent.
- —Kathleen McCarthy: Former global co-head, whose departure preceded Meghji's.
