Former Citadel executive joins Sterling Bay as director of investor relations

Sterling Bay announced that Scott Rafferty will join as director of investor relations, a new role signifying the continued expansion and diversification of Sterling Bay’s portfolio and capital base. He will be in place starting Sept. 17.

Rafferty brings more than two decades of investor relations and marketing expertise to the firm, having led capital raising, investor relations and marketing at one of the top hedge funds in the world. Rafferty was previously managing director and head of investor relations at Citadel in Chicago for 18 years. During his tenure, Citadel consistently ranked among the top hedge funds in the world by Institutional Investor, Risk and Alpha. His responsibilities included raising capital, supporting the development of new funds and partnering closely with the leadership team to represent the firm internally and externally.

“Scott has an extraordinary appreciation for what it takes to develop a diverse capital base, provide scalable value and build lasting relationships,” said Andy Gloor, managing principal of Sterling Bay. “His unique experience, contagious energy and relentless curiosity will truly set our brand apart in a competitive market.”

At Sterling Bay, Rafferty will lead initiatives to grow and deploy capital across existing and future investment opportunities. He will establish relationships on behalf of Sterling Bay with global endowments, corporate pensions, sovereign wealth funds and institutional investors and will cultivate opportunities across new and existing markets, asset classes and investment categories.

“This team is challenging every assumption about real estate investment and taking a fresh, modern approach. I get more energized the more I learn about Sterling Bay and this incredible team,” said Rafferty. “Sharing the Sterling Bay story with more audiences will be incredibly exciting, both for the firm and for our partners.”

Sterling Bay has recently grown its portfolio of iconic Chicago landmarks with a string of high-profile acquisitions, including the former Montgomery Ward building, Prudential Plaza and the pending acquisition of 875 N. Michigan Avenue, formerly known as the John Hancock Center. The firm recently opened the new global headquarters for McDonald’s Corporation in Chicago’s West Loop, a 550,000-square-foot development that was executed in just 18 months.

Sterling Bay is rapidly expanding into new markets and geographies, including Florida, Utah and Oregon, and is preparing to break ground on a $6 billion Lincoln Yards development in the coming year.

Prior to Citadel, Rafferty worked in private banking at Harris Bank in Chicago. He graduated from Ball State University and earned his master’s in business administration from Kellogg at Northwestern University.