We Are Choice

As Canada’s largest owner, operator and developer of high-quality commercial and residential real estate, Choice Properties’ national reach carries a responsibility to create sustainable, long-term value for business and our stakeholders. This includes an industry-leading balance sheet, robust portfolio, high quality tenants and clear focus on ESG leadership. We believe in creating jobs, investing in cities and towns, and developing communities across the country to create enduring value through Places People Thrive®.

Places People Thrive®

Choice Properties is a leading Real Estate Investment Trust that creates enduring value through places where people thrive.

We are more than a national owner, operator and developer of high-quality commercial and residential real estate. We believe in creating spaces that enhance how our tenants and communities come together to live, work, and connect. This includes our industry leadership in integrating environmental, social and economic sustainability practices into all aspects of our business. In everything we do, we are guided by a shared set of values grounded in Care, Ownership, Respect and Excellence.

Building a Preeminent Real Estate Entity

Stable and growth-oriented REIT

2013

A Defining Start
Loblaw launched Choice Properties and completed an IPO of a minority stake, stepping confidently onto the stage as a leading Canadian REIT.

2018

Scale and Realignment
Choice Properties became Canada’s largest REIT with the acquisition of CREIT, and completed a spin-out from Loblaw to George Weston, positioning itself for long-term growth.

2018 – 2022

Building Strength

An active capital recycling program optimized the portfolio, enhancing flexibility, resilience, and long-term value for unitholders.

2022

Strategic Focus

Choice Properties made a decisive move to exit the office asset class, completing a strategic transaction with Allied and sharpening its focus on high-performing assets.

Positioned to Drive Future Growth

Focused on Sustainable Growth and the Creation of Enduring Value

Looking ahead, Choice remains committed to maximizing the potential of its core assets, maintaining operational strength, and advancing its development initiatives. This approach supports a resilient platform that balances stability with opportunity while delivering meaningful results for all stakeholders.

Leadership

Leadership

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Rael L. Diamond Picture
Rael L. Diamond
President and Chief Executive Officer

Rael has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Choice Properties since May 2019, after previously holding the role of Chief Operating Officer. From 2012 to 2018, he was President & Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at Canadian Real Estate Investment Trust (CREIT). Earlier in his career, Rael held senior financial leadership roles with Brookfield subsidiary public entities, including Rouse Properties, Brookfield Office Properties Canada, and the Howard Hughes Corporation.

He is a Director of the Tannenbaum Hebrew Academy and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from York University. Rael is also a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA).

 

Erin Johnston Picture
Erin Johnston
Chief Financial Officer

Erin has overall responsibility for Choice Properties’ financial strategy and capital management. She leads and is accountable for Choice’s finance, accounting and information technology teams.

Prior to joining Choice in 2022, Erin spent over a decade in various progressive corporate and operational finance positions across the George Weston Group of Companies, including roles at George Weston Limited, Loblaw Companies Limited and Loblaw Digital.

Erin previously worked at AGF Investments in financial planning, and earned her CPA, CA designation while working at KPMG. Erin graduated from McGill University and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Accounting.

Niall Collins Picture
Niall Collins
Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President, Development and Construction

Niall is responsible for Choice Properties’ operational and development strategy, leading the asset management, property management, leasing, development, and construction teams.

With more than 30 years of experience in residential and commercial development, asset management, and investment across Europe, the U.S., and Canada, Niall brings deep industry expertise to his role. Prior to joining Choice, he was President and Chief Operating Officer of Great Gulf Group’s Residential division, overseeing Canadian residential platforms and high-rise projects in the U.S. He also served as Senior Vice President of Development at Cadillac Fairview, where he led major commercial and mixed-use residential projects.

Niall holds a BSc in Surveying from the University of Dublin and an MSc in Real Estate (Honours) from the Dublin Institute of Technology. He is an accredited Chartered Surveyor with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Peter Brown Picture
Peter Brown
Vice President, Retail Leasing

Peter leads Choice Properties’ National Retail Leasing division, developing multi-year strategies to grow and optimize the retail portfolio.

He brings over 10 years of commercial real estate experience, including prior roles as Senior Manager of Retail Leasing at Oxford Properties Group — where he managed Square One Shopping Centre, the Urban Retail portfolio, and national food & beverage and entertainment leasing initiatives — and at Trinity Development Group, overseeing multiple development leasing projects across Southern Ontario and Alberta.

Peter holds an HBA and an MA in Political Science and Government from the University of Toronto, an OREA Real Estate License, and is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC).

Charlie Charalambous Picture
Charlie Charalambous
Vice President, Technology 

Charlie is responsible for leading Choice Properties’ technology strategy, ensuring alignment between IT initiatives and the company’s overall business objectives.

With more than 20 years of experience in technology, he has built and transformed technology functions to drive innovation, strengthen cyber security and privacy, and enhance operational efficiency through data and automation. Prior to joining Choice, Charlie was the Vice President and Head of Information Technology at Amica Senior Lifestyles, where he led the company’s digital transformation and modernization initiatives. He previously held progressive roles at Procter & Gamble, CIBC and Mattamy Homes.

Charlie holds an MBA from Heriot-Watt University and a BA in Economics from the University of Toronto.

Simone Cole Picture
Simone Cole
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

Simone leads Choice Properties’ legal team, overseeing leasing, transactional, operational, and corporate governance matters.

She has spent more than a decade within the George Weston Group of Companies, including five years as Vice President, General Counsel, and Head of Compliance for its former North American food manufacturing division. Earlier in her career, Simone practiced corporate law at Torys LLP in Toronto.

Simone earned her LL.B with distinction from the University of New Brunswick in 2006 and was called to the bar in 2007. She also holds an Honours BA and a BEd, both with distinction.

Mario Fatica Picture
Mario Fatica
Senior Vice President, Commercial Development

Mario oversees Choice Properties’ industrial development pipeline and retail intensification program.

He brings more than 25 years of experience in real estate development, most recently with Loblaw Companies Limited, where he held several senior roles, including Vice President, Planning & Development. In this capacity, he was involved in all aspects of Loblaw’s development and construction, through to the opening of new assets.

Mario holds a BA in Urban and Regional Planning from Toronto Metropolitan University.

John Giannone Picture
John Giannone
Vice President, Development

John leads the development of Choice Properties’ mixed-use projects, overseeing design, architecture, government approvals, and day-to-day operations.

He brings over 15 years of experience in residential, mixed-use, and commercial development, with prior roles including leading the Forma Towers project at Dream and delivering multiple projects at the 37-acre Zibi development in Ottawa. At Choice, he focuses on high-performance, sustainable development initiatives.

John holds a BBA from York University and is an active member of the Urban Land Institute and the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD).

Sandra Liepkalns Picture
Sandra Liepkalns
Vice President, Information Security and Data Governance

Sandra is responsible for the design, development and implementation of information security, privacy, management, and data governance programs at Choice Properties.

Prior to Choice, Sandra worked at LoyaltyOne, Netrus, Ernst & Young and Unilever where she strategized and managed secure corporate information security architectures to meet industry best practices, compliance requirements and raised security consciousness levels of the organizations by actively engaging all parts of the business. Sandra is Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC), a Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE) and a graduate of OCAD University.

Craig MacIntyre Picture
Craig MacIntyre
Vice President, Corporate Development

Craig leads strategic business initiatives at Choice Properties, focusing on financial strategy, capital management, and corporate development.

He brings more than a decade of experience across the George Weston Group of Companies, including senior roles at Choice Properties and leadership of the Capital Markets and Corporate Finance function at George Weston Limited. Earlier in his career, Craig worked at Deloitte, where he earned his CPA, CA designation.

Craig holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting from Dalhousie University.

Jeffery Marshall Picture
Jeffery Marshall
Vice President, Commercial Development

Jeffery is responsible for overseeing development projects across all commercial asset classes nationally.

Jeffery has over 25 years of development experience across retail, mixed-use, industrial, and residential asset classes in both Canada and the United States. Prior to joining Choice, Jeffery was Vice President, Development at QuadReal Property Group. Over his career, he has managed numerous large-scale projects including the Bow River Shopping Centre, Westwind Centre, and Sunfish Shopping Centre.

Jeffery holds a Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES) in Urban Planning from the University of Waterloo.

David Muallim Picture
David Muallim
Senior Vice President, Leasing and Operations

David is responsible for Choice Properties’ operational strategy, where he leads and is accountable for leasing, asset management and property management teams.

Before this role, David was Vice President, Real Estate at Loblaw Companies Limited from 2021 to 2025. Here, he oversaw new store development, lease renewals, and other strategic real estate initiatives. Prior to Loblaw, he was Vice President, Investments at Choice Properties and held progressive roles at Canadian REIT (CREIT) and Ernst & Young LLP.

David graduated from York University (Schulich School of Business) with a Bachelor of Business Administration. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and a CFA Charterholder.

Claudia Nemi Picture
Claudia Nemi
Vice President, National Property Management

Claudia oversees the planning and delivery of property management services, capital improvements, and lease administration across Choice Properties’ national portfolio of retail, industrial, office, and mixed-use assets.

She brings more than 30 years of real estate experience, with prior roles at Slough Estates, Dundee Realty Management, GE Capital Real Estate, and CBRE Limited, where she led property management teams, mentored staff, and fostered high-performing, service-oriented cultures.

Lauryn Pittana Picture
Lauryn Pittana
Vice President, Industrial Asset Management and Leasing

Lauryn leads the asset management and leasing of Choice Properties’ industrial and office portfolios.

She brings over 18 years of commercial real estate experience across both leasing brokerage and asset management. Prior to joining Choice, Lauryn was Vice President of Asset Management at Crown Property Management Inc., overseeing leasing, property management, dispositions, financing, ESG, and capital planning. She emphasizes sustainability and cross-functional collaboration to drive asset performance.

Lauryn holds an Honours BA from Western University, an MBA from the Rotman School of Management, and an OREA Real Estate License.

Julie Robinson Picture
Julie Robinson
Senior Vice President, Construction

At Choice Properties, Julie leads construction across all asset classes in Canada—including retail, industrial, mixed-use, and residential. She oversees the construction, design, and engineering teams, ensuring corporate environmental and social sustainability goals are integrated into all new development projects.

Julie has more than 20 years of experience in complex high-rise residential construction. Prior to joining Choice, she led development and construction initiatives at Hines Canada and spent 12 years at Canderel, where she was responsible for several landmark Toronto projects, including the 80-storey Aura, YC Condominiums, and the Residences of College Park.

She holds a BSc in Civil Engineering with a specialization in structures from the University of the West Indies.

Orit Sarfaty Picture
Orit Sarfaty
Vice President, Sustainability and Placemaking

Orit leads Choice Properties’ ESG portfolio and oversees Marketing & Communications, ensuring sustainability and social impact are embedded across all lines of business and with stakeholders.

She is a veteran in urban development and placemaking, with experience spanning non-profit, public, and private sectors. Prior to joining Choice, Orit was Chief Program Officer at Evergreen, where she directed Evergreen Brickworks and led national initiatives in smart cities, affordable housing, and municipal sustainability planning. Her work also includes developing a comprehensive cultural plan for the City of Chicago, strengthening communities by advancing cultural assets, infrastructure, and neighbourhood investment.

Orit holds a BA (Honours) from Harvard University and a Master’s in Urban Planning from the University of Washington.

Lisa Street Picture
Lisa Street
Vice President, Human Resources

Lisa is responsible for driving people strategies and aligning HR initiatives with business objectives.

With an overall experience of 20 years in HR leadership, Lisa has helped organizations embrace growth and transformation in the Retail, Tech, Real Estate and Pharmaceutical industries. Prior to joining Choice, Lisa held progressive roles at Loblaw Companies Limited for 15 years, where she led and developed teams of trusted, collaborative business partners.

Lisa earned a Bachelor of Human Resources Management from York University and holds a CHRL certification.

Rose Tassone Picture
Rose Tassone
Vice President, Controller

Rose has spent nearly 20 years in the real estate industry with progressive roles in finance and accounting. Prior to joining Choice Properties, Rose held various positions with First Capital REIT and earned her CPA, CA designation with Deloitte. Rose graduated with honours from the Schulich School of Business at York University with BBA focused in Accounting.

Fernando Valenzuela Picture
Fernando Valenzuela
Vice President, Development

Fernando manages the execution and delivery of Choice Properties’ residential and mixed-use developments.

He brings more than 20 years of experience across multi-residential and commercial development in Canada and Mexico, with prior leadership roles at Shiplake and Collecdev, as well as multinational organizations including Hines, Lendlease, and Acciona. Fernando has overseen complex high-rise residential, industrial, and infrastructure projects, with a focus on construction management, financial analysis, and sustainable development.

He holds a Master of Finance from Anahuac University and a BSc in Civil Engineering from the University Tec de Monterrey.

Nicole Vicano Picture
Nicole Vicano
Vice President, Retail Asset Management

Nicole leads retail asset management at Choice Properties, overseeing a diverse portfolio of mixed-use and retail assets.

She brings over 15 years of commercial real estate experience across development, asset management, property management, and leasing. Prior to joining Choice, Nicole managed RioCan’s retail portfolio and previously worked on enclosed mall expansions at Ivanhoe Cambridge and land development at SmartCentres.

Nicole holds an Honours BA in Urban Development from Western University and an MBA in Real Property from the Schulich School of Business.

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