CBRE Makes Key Hires In Debt And Structured Finance Division As President Prepares To Step Down

CBRE has named a replacement for outgoing Debt & Structured Finance President Rachel Vinson, who is leaving the company to tend to family matters due to a medical situation involving her husband.

New York City-based James Millon will assume Vinson’s post Nov. 1 after serving as vice chair and co-head of large loans at the Dallas-based brokerage, per CoStar. Millon came to CBRE from Deutsche Bank in 2016 and will continue to work out of New York.

Courtesy of CBRE

James Millon

Vinson was tapped to lead CBRE’s growing DSF division in June 2022 after heading up operations for the firm’s global capital markets business and advisory finance for the Americas. She has been with the firm for about four years. 

The importance of CBRE’s debt and structured finance business has been elevated in recent months as owners struggle to find capital amid a tightened lending environment. The department has averaged more than $70B worth of loans over the past two years, per CoStar. 

Millon has been tasked with taking the group’s work to more markets nationwide. The DSF group manages a loan servicing portfolio valued at more than $395B and is a lender for both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. 

Also joining the DSF team is Farhan Kabani, who, as executive vice president, will be focused on procuring debt and equity for middle-market and private clients nationwide, according to a news release from CBRE. Kabani most recently served as a senior vice president at Northmarq and is based in Dallas.