Stuart J. S. Gulland
President
As President and one of the founders, Stuart is responsible for setting Vantage’s strategic plan and its implementation at the property level. Ned and Stuart founded Vantage in 2003 to continue their investment in commercial properties in the Western United States with a focus on redevelopment and repositioning of commercial properties in core markets.
Stuart is responsible for the identification and evaluation of investment opportunities in Vantage’s targeted markets and the development and execution of the redevelopment plans for acquired assets. Stuart focuses on working with the Vantage team and market leading advisors to develop innovative, design solutions for repurposing properties and balancing those design, construction and leasing solutions with the Company’s investment objectives.
Prior to forming Vantage, Stuart was the President, Chief Operating Officer, and a member of the Board of Directors of Center Trust, Inc., a NYSE-listed real estate investment trust. Stuart was instrumental in the restructuring of Center Trust’s balance sheet and ultimate merger with Pan Pacific Retail Properties (subsequently acquired by Kimco). During Stuart’s tenure as an officer, Center Trust completed over $1.5 billion of transactions comprising equity issuance, acquisitions, debt financings, redevelopments, and dispositions. Throughout the realignment of Center Trust and its portfolio, the company, under Stuart and Ned’s direction, maintained its focus on maximizing asset value through redevelopment and operations. Such redevelopments included Wal-Mart’s first three-story urban infill location in the country at Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, Los Angeles.
A CPA and Chartered Accountant, Stuart was previously with the real estate services group of Deloitte & Touche, where he specialized in real estate entities. Stuart is a graduate of the University of Cambridge, from which he received a master-of-arts degree in law.