Starwood Capital Group promoted Qahir Madhany to Head of Acquisitions for the Americas, effective immediately, marking a significant leadership move just 18 months after his arrival at the Miami-based firm. Madhany, who joined in January 2025 as a Managing Director focused on special situations, takes the helm during what executives view as a turning point in the real estate cycle, following Starwood Capital's record $10.22 billion fundraising close for its flagship opportunity fund.
Barry Sternlicht, Chairman and Chief Executive of Starwood Capital, announced the promotion on July 13, describing Madhany as a seasoned partner with proven track record across the firm's business lines. Jonathan Pollack, President of Starwood Capital, emphasized that Madhany had emerged as a key contributor since joining, bringing judgement, entrepreneurialism and collaboration to the investment team. In his new role, Madhany will oversee Starwood Capital's equity investments across North and South America, with responsibility for sourcing and executing transactions. No search firm involvement was disclosed in the announcement.
Madhany arrives with two decades of real estate investment experience and deep expertise in complex transactions and special situations. He previously spent time as a Managing Director in the Real Estate Group at Blackstone, where he helped lead more than $60 billion in investment activity across multiple asset classes in the United States and Canada, including notable work on senior housing acquisitions and the acquisition of One Manhattan West. Before Blackstone, he spent more than seven years at Westbrook Partners executing real estate transactions across the United States. He began his career as an analyst in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group at Deutsche Bank. Madhany earned a degree in Biomedical Engineering and a degree in Economics from Duke University and serves as a board member of the Corporation for Supportive Housing and The Bruce Museum.
Starwood Capital Group, founded in 1991, manages approximately $130 billion in assets and operates as a leading global alternative investment firm focused on real assets. The company has invested across virtually every category of real estate, having deployed over $117 billion of capital through its affiliate Starwood Property Trust, the largest commercial mortgage real estate investment trust in the United States. The firm also manages Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, a non-listed REIT, alongside multiple private debt and opportunity funds. Starwood Capital's ecosystem includes hotel brand management, property management, data center investment platforms and energy infrastructure operations.
The promotion reflects Sternlicht's confidence in the real estate market at a moment when the firm projects an improving cycle ahead. In Starwood's recent announcement of its $10.22 billion fund, executives cited unusually low new supply across numerous asset classes and the operational impact of artificial intelligence innovation as tailwinds for the sector. The timing suggests Starwood Capital is positioning its acquisitions function to capitalize on that thesis, with Madhany tasked with directing capital deployment across the Americas. His rapid ascent from special situations to leading a global region signals the firm's appetite for executing deals at scale, particularly given the acquisitions team's role in driving the company's return generation across its diverse real estate portfolio. The promotion also appears designed to establish deeper integration within Starwood's executive ranks, capitalizing on his cross-functional experience across senior housing, office, multifamily and other property types.
