Waterton Grows National Operations Team with Two Senior Executives; Lela Cirjakovic promoted to executive vice president; Scott Ferguson joins firm as assistant vice president

Lela Cirjakovic

CHICAGO, IL (March 15, 2016) – Waterton, a U.S. real estate investor and operator, today announced it has promoted Lela Cirjakovic to executive vice president, operations, with responsibility for the firm’s national multifamily operations team of more than 500 site-level associates.

 In addition, veteran real estate professional Scott Ferguson has joined the firm as assistant vice president, regional operations, overseeing its multifamily properties in Chicago and the western United States.

“As we merge our multifamily and hospitality platforms and look to leverage synergies between the two, we’re simultaneously bringing on new talent and promoting from within to streamline operations and create a more cohesive brand across our entire portfolio,” said David Schwartz, co-founder and CEO of Waterton.

“With more than 30 years of experience between them, Lela and Scott understand the highly personalized, fully amenitized lifestyle that today’s renters are looking for – and, more importantly, how to deliver on those high expectations.”

Scott Ferguson

Cirjakovic most recently served as senior vice president, operations, at Waterton, overseeing nearly 10,000 rental units in the Midwestern and Eastern regions. Prior to joining the company in 2006, she served as regional manager at Chicago-based CAMCO Inc., overseeing the company’s Midwest operations.

A graduate of Loyola University, Cirjakovic previously managed eight properties in four states for Midland Property Management and also worked as an asset manager for the Illinois Housing Development Authority, where she was responsible for a 20-property portfolio comprising more than 3,500 units.

Ferguson joins Waterton from The Related Companies, where as district manager he directed the lease-up of two newly developed luxury apartment towers in downtown Chicago and managed a portfolio of high-end condominiums in the South Loop.

In his new role, he will oversee the on-site operation teams at Presidential Towers, Chicago’s largest rental community with 2,346 apartments, as well as Waterton’s three other multifamily properties in Chicago: Pensacola Place, in Uptown; One East Delaware, in Streeterville; and River North Park, in River North.

For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

Abe Tekippe, atekippe@taylorjohnson.com, (312) 267-4528

Kim Manning, kmanning@taylorjohnson.com, (312) 267-4527