Derek Lopez
Derek Lopez joined GEM in 2017, serves on the Executive, Investment, and Valuation Committees of the firm and is the Chief Investment Officer of GEM Realty Properties. On behalf of GEM Realty Properties, Derek directs the investment process, manages the acquisitions team, and sources private-market real estate opportunities. Additionally, as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and Investment Committee, he helps to set firmwide corporate and investment strategy.
Prior to joining GEM, Derek was Head of U.S. Acquisitions at LaSalle Investment Management, where he oversaw the sourcing, underwriting, and execution processes for U.S. investments and served on LaSalle’s North American Private Equity Investment and Management Committees. Prior to joining LaSalle in 2005, Derek was a member of the mergers and acquisitions group at J.P. Morgan Chase.
Derek serves as the Board Chair of Cradles to Crayons Chicago. He received a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, where he was a Toigo Fellow, and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas A&M University.