NAREIM DEI Committee announces Heitman's Velamati as new chair
NAREIM DEI Committee
March 9, 2023:
Heitman Chief Diversity Officer Rachna Velamati to drive strategy for nonprofit working group
The National Association of Real Estate Investment Managers (NAREIM) has named Heitman Chief Diversity Officer Rachna Velamati Chair of the NAREIM DEI Committee.
In this role, Ms. Velamati will be working alongside real estate investment managers from NAREIM member firms to:
Expand awareness of the Global Real Estate DEI Survey—the only corporate benchmark for diversity, equity and inclusion metrics and management best practices in CRE globally.
Provide professional development, mentorship and thought leadership through virtual and in-person meetings, including the 2023 Black Real Estate Roundtable meeting in Atlanta.
Ms. Velamati rejoined real estate manager Heitman in 2022 in the newly created role of Chief Diversity Officer, leading the firm’s equity and inclusion initiatives as well as serving on the Heitman's global management committee and DEI council. Previously she had been a vice president leading DEI strategies at Nuveen, and before a vice president overseeing global recruitment, serving on Heitman's DEI council and co-chairing the DEI role within the human resources group.
Of the new appointment, Ms. Velamati said: “I’m thrilled to have been named Chair of the NAREIM DEI Committee. It’s a privilege to work alongside other member real estate investment firms to drive DEI strategies and initiatives that positively impact our industry.”
About NAREIM:
NAREIM is the industry association dedicated to the business and organizational strategy of real estate investment management. Founded in 1990, NAREIM today represents real estate investment management firms with combined assets under management of more than $2.8 trillion. For 30 years, NAREIM has been the home of real estate investment management benchmarking and best practice education, with a focus on peer-to-peer networking and candid conversations.
For more information please contact:
Sanyu Kyeyune
Head of Programming
NAREIM