John Westerfield
John Westerfield
John Westerfield is a respected financial manager. He currently directs business operations throughout North America as chief executive officer of Mitsui Fudosan America.
Prior to joining MFA, he was a senior U.S. commercial real estate advisor to the company’s board of directors for three years. He has served in the industry for more than two decades and specializes in investment in real estate.
Early Life and Education
john westerfield was born on February 1, 1927, in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. He is the son of Katharine L. Westerfield and John Rogers Westerfield, Jr.
After he graduated from The Lawrenceville School, John majored in chemistry at Princeton University. He also served in the United States Air Corps during World War II.
He married Charlotte (“Char”) on June 16, 1950, and together they moved around as John pursued a career with Union Carbide. They eventually settled in Avon, Connecticut.
During his free time, he competed in tennis and paddle tennis. He was a Paddle Tennis Seniors National Tennis Champion and volunteered for Habit for Humanity. He and his wife also supported several educational programs in New York City. They were members of Student Sponsor Partners and contributed to the Skills USA program at Roosevelt High School in Yonkers.
Professional Career
John Westerfield has an extensive professional career that includes over 23 years as a managing director of Morgan Stanley, where he helped oversee the firm’s commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) operations. He also served as a managing member of Braddock Capital Management for seven years, where he focused on private investments in real estate.
He is currently the chief executive officer of Mitsui Fudosan America, a North American subsidiary of the international real estate investment and development company Mitsui Fudosan. Before taking over the position in 2015, he served as senior advisor to MFA’s board of directors.
He started playing with a Frisbee in the 1960s, and began to compete for the first time in 1975 at the Canadian Open Frisbee Championships. He was a strong overall competitor in disc golf, disc ultimate, double disc court and over-all field events.
Achievements and Honors
John Westerfield made his mark in a variety of areas during his career. He was the first African-American dean of Loyola University School of Law and also became the first director of the law center at the University of Mississippi.
In addition, he was recognized for his community service efforts. He served on the Board of Directors for the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in Washington, D.C.
He was a champion of equality and diversity throughout his career. He believed that all people should have access to quality education and that opportunities should be created so that everyone can have a chance at success.
Personal Life
John Westerfield is a well-respected financial manager who holds a bachelor’s degree in government from Dartmouth College and a master of business administration from Harvard Business School. He joined Morgan Stanley in 1985 after graduation, advancing through several roles in fixed income and investment banking with a focus on commercial real estate financing.
During his career, he also spent 23 years as the managing director and global head of the firm’s commercial mortgage-backed securities group. He left Morgan Stanley in 2008 to join Braddock Capital Management, a private company that specializes in real estate investments and REIT securities.
Outside of work, Westerfield gives back to his community by supporting multiple educational institutions and programs in New York City. He and his wife contribute to Student Sponsor Partners, Harlem Children’s Zone and Roosevelt High School’s Skills USA program.
Net Worth
John Westerfield has a net worth of $2.6 million. He has earned his wealth from his career in real estate finance, commercial mortgage-backed securities, and private investment.
For more than two decades, he was a managing director at Morgan Stanley, where he led the firm’s global Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMBS) group. He also served as a managing member of Braddock Capital Management in Harrison, New York, where he managed a variety of private investments, focusing on commercial real estate and REIT securities.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, he was committed to helping children from disadvantaged backgrounds gain access to education. He and his wife financially support several students through Student Sponsor Partners. He has also been involved with Doctors Without Borders and The Community Fund, among other charitable organizations.