Scott Kaniewski Senior Vice President Chicago, IL Phone:  847-721-4031 Email: [email protected]

Employment

• HREC Investment Advisors® - 2011 to present - Senior Vice President - Property and mortgage brokerage firm that specializing in providing advisory services to the hospitality and gaming industry.  Range of services includes investment sales, mortgage placement, equity financing and advising stakeholders in complex situations including restructuring and bankruptcy proceedings.  Recently closed transactions and completed assignments include:
  • Sale of over $300 million of full and select service hotels
  • Finance of over $100 million of debt
  • Receivership and liquidation of two hotels
• Cortona Partners/Laurus Strategies - 2008 to 2011 - Founding Partner - Middle market firm specializing in providing real estate and corporate advisory services.  Responsibilities include new business development, engagement staffing and execution of all assignments.  Assignments included:
  • Advised a private equity firm regarding its investment in two hotels located in New York, New York and Chicago, Illinois.
  • Brokered a $130 million real estate transaction resulting in a sale to a publicly traded REIT.
  • Advised regional banks on loan portfolio issues and liquidation of real estate and loans.
  • Named as the Chief Restructuring Officer to a NASDAQ Global Markets traded financial services company in their Chapter 11 proceedings.
• Empire Resorts, Inc. - 2001 to 2004 - Chief Financial Officer/Board of Director - A NASDAQ Global Markets traded gaming company:
  • Managed and oversaw all financial aspects of the company including equity and debt raises of $110 million in an 18 month period.  Company's market capitalization grew from $10 million to $300 million during tenure.  Represented the Company in its relationships with the investment community and Wall Street.
  • Completed a restructuring of the company which included debt negotiations, recapitalization and successfully navigated the company from being delisted to full NASDAQ Global Market compliance.
  • Held New York Gaming License and approved by the National Indian Gaming Commission.
• Hospitality Worldwide Services - 1995 - 2000 - Board of Director - An American Stock Exchange traded public company that rolled up large service providers to the hospitality industry.  Portfolio companies included the largest third party purchasing company, BDS Logistics and a large construction company.
  • Founded, organized and managed a sophisticated hotel investment platform for institutional investors Area Property Partners and ING Real Estate Fund.  Completed the acquisition of $200 million of hospitality related real estate, which required significant repositioning in their markets.  Managed a $100 million capital investment program. 
  • Responsible for the business plan development, deal sourcing, underwriting, due diligence, deal structuring, acquisitions, debt placement, asset management, operational analysis and the monetization of investments. 
• VMS Realty Partners - 1988 to 1995 - Vice President Asset Management Hotel Investments- An $8 billion real estate investment, development and management firm with $3 billion of hospitality investments.
  • Successfully worked out single purpose partnerships during significant industry downturn.  Negotiated sales contracts, deed in lieu of foreclosures, asset sales and both hostile and prepackaged bankruptcy filings for investment partnerships.  Restructured corporate debt.
  • Complex restructure and prepackaged bankruptcy filing on an investment partnership with twenty-seven lenders in the syndicate.  Restructuring included the sale of certain asset and the reorganization of the balance of the portfolio.
  • Assisting in the origination of an investment allocation from Illinois Teacher's Pension Fund.
  • Responsible for strategic planning including reposition of assets with changes in management company, franchise, sales and marketing tactics and concise use of capital improvement dollars.
  • Developed and implemented multi-year capital expenditure programs.

Education
Certified Public Accountant
Licensed Illinois and Wisconsin Real Estate Broker
Indiana University Kelley School of Business, Bachelors of Science
Bloomington, Indiana