Great Gulf Appoints New Strategic Advisors

Michele Romanow, Paul Finkbeiner, and Christopher Keber join Great Gulf as Strategic Advisors.

Toronto, February 19, 2025 — Great Gulf Group ("Great Gulf"), the leading North American real estate company, announces the appointment of globally recognized Michele Romanow, Paul Finkbeiner and Christopher Keber as Strategic Advisors. These appointments are intended to further advance Great Gulf’s position as a leading, integrated real estate developer and builder, and mark its expansion into additional real estate investment areas across North America.

“We welcome Ms. Romanow, Mr. Finkbeiner and Mr. Keber as we embark on our next phase of growth”, states Bill Tresham, Executive Chairman and Interim CEO. “These appointments reflect our commitment to reinvesting in our company, our people, and our technologies. This further ensures we continue making a meaningful impact in our communities and driving transformative growth across the real estate landscape in North America.”

Michele Romanow is a Canadian entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and Dragon on CBC’s Dragons’ Den. She co-founded and led Clearco, the world’s largest e-commerce investor, which has invested over $3.2 billion in 7,000+ companies across 10 countries. Previously, Ms. Romanow co-founded SnapSaves and Buytopia, leading them to successful acquisitions. Ms. Romanow has been named to Fortune’s 40 Under 40, recognized as Canada’s Angel Investor of the Year, and honoured as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. She also received RBC’s Women of Influence Innovation Award.

“As a champion of entrepreneurship creating solutions for some of the world’s biggest challenges, I look forward to working with Great Gulf to apply technology-driven solutions to housing and real estate, a sector that would benefit many with significant digital adoption”, says Michele Romanow. “It’s great to see a company with entrepreneurial roots continue to seek new opportunities to advance the real estate sector.”

Paul Finkbeiner, is the President of Fink Advisory Management Corp, providing strategic investment guidance to real estate companies, including startups and proptech firms. Previously, Mr. Finkbeiner oversaw $27 billion in global investments at Great-West LIFECO Inc. and, as President and COO of GWL Realty Advisors, grew its Canadian platform from $800 million to $17 billion in assets under management over 23 years.

“I am excited to support Great Gulf in its new capital and investment strategies to bring a new level of expediency, growth and advancement to their portfolio creation and management”, says Paul Finkbeiner. “It is inspiring to embrace new opportunities and share fresh perspectives together.”

Christopher Keber is a Partner at Two Sigma Real Estate, a leading investment firm managing approximately $65 billion in assets. Previously, Mr. Keber co-founded and served as CEO of Shelter Acquisition Corporation and was Head of Investments and Strategy at McCourt Global, overseeing a portfolio of alternative assets for a U.S. family office. Earlier in his career, he was Co-Head of Global Capital Markets at Hines Interests and held a similar role at Starwood Capital Group.

“With unprecedented change and pressure in our already dynamic real estate development industry, we have a responsibility to better develop, build and manage today’s real estate”, says Christopher Keber. “I’m excited to work with a company that is at the forefront of this change and I’m looking forward to making a significant impact together.”

The appointments of Ms. Romanow, Mr. Finkbeiner and Mr. Keber support Great Gulf’s commitment to enhancing its leadership and driving innovation in the real estate sector.

-30- 

For more information, please contact:        
Karen Bannister, Great Gulf, karen.bannister@greatgulf.com

About Great Gulf        
Established in 1975, the Great Gulf Group including Great Gulf, an international award-winning, low-rise and landmark high-rise residential developer; Ashton Woods Homes, the largest private builder and 15th largest in the U.S.; Beacon Residential, a U.S based build-To-Rent platform; First Gulf, an innovative market leader in sustainable, accessible and transit-oriented commercial developments and large scale design-build industrial facilities; Tucker HiRise, a leading construction management company, specializing in the construction of high-density, mixed-used projects; H+ME Technology, a precision engineering panelization manufacturing facility; and Taboo Muskoka, one of Canada's top-ranked golf courses, is one of North America’s premier real estate organizations. With major projects in Canada and the United States, the company’s fully integrated activities span the entire real estate spectrum. Learn more at www.greatgulfgroup.com.