Wesley LePatner, who became CEO of Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust (BREIT) in January, was killed by a gunman in yesterday’s shooting rampage at the 345 Park Avenue office tower in Midtown Manhattan. She was 43.
LePatner succeeded the retiring Frank Cohen at the helm of $55 billion BREIT. LePatner joined Blackstone in 2014 to spearhead the creation of the Core+ business, including the launch of all three open-ended Core+ strategies (US, Europe and Asia). In a press statement issued with her promotion, LePatner observed that BREIT’s portfolio “is over 85% concentrated in data centers, industrial and rental housing, sectors which are benefiting from megatrends and we are well-positioned to capitalize on the highly compelling opportunities in today’s market.”
Before joining Blackstone, LePatner spent over a decade at Goldman Sachs, most recently as a managing director in the real estate investment group within the Asset Management Division. Outside of Blackstone, she was a member of the Advisory Board of Governors of NAREIT and served on the boards of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Abraham Joshua Heschel School, The UJA-Federation of New York, and Yale University Library Council.
Blackstone issued a statement that said, “We are heartbroken to share that our colleague, Wesley LePatner, was among those who lost their lives in the tragic incident at 345 Park Avenue. Words cannot express the devastation we feel. Wesley was a beloved member of the Blackstone family and will be sorely missed. She was brilliant, passionate, warm, generous, and deeply respected within our firm and beyond. She embodied the best of Blackstone.”
LePatner is survived by her husband, two children and parents.
