Walker & Dunlop Hires Susan Mello as Group Head of Capital Markets

Walker & Dunlop, Inc. announced today that it has hired Susan Mello as Group Head of Capital Markets. Based out of the company’s Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey office, Ms. Mello will oversee all aspects of the company’s Capital Markets platform, which structures debt and equity transactions through a wide range of capital sources.

Walker & Dunlop President Howard Smith commented, “We are thrilled to bring Susan to Walker & Dunlop to lead our rapidly expanding Capital Markets platform and join the ranks of our senior management team. She is the perfect leader to position our platform for continued success over the long term and to accelerate our progress towards our ambitious Drive to ’25 objectives with a combination of great people, an expanding brand, and industry-leading technology. Her experience, deep relationships and reputation in the industry are unmatched, and we cannot wait to benefit from her strong track record going forward.”

“I am very excited to join Walker & Dunlop to oversee the Capital Markets group and to play an integral role in the company’s continued growth and success as a member of its senior management team,” stated Ms. Mello. “I was extremely motivated by W&D’s exceptional growth and ambitious long-term goals, and the role that the Capital Markets team will play in the company’s future growth. Finally, diversity, equity, and inclusion are extremely important to me, and I am proud to be joining a company that has become a leader in this space.”

Prior to joining Walker & Dunlop, Ms. Mello was Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at PGIM Real Estate where she oversaw a series of U.S. multi-product closed end equity funds, with direct responsibility for capital raising, investment strategy, portfolio construction and investment selection. During her time at PGIM Real Estate, Ms. Mello held a number of different roles in transactions and portfolio and asset management and was directly involved in the structuring, negotiation, and management of more than $5 billion of value-add investments. Prior to PGIM, Ms. Mello was a partner at McCarter & English, LLP law firm where she worked extensively on structuring real estate development investments and joint ventures.

Ms. Mello has a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Rutgers University, an LLM in taxation from New York University, and a JD degree, with high honors from Rutgers University School of Law. She is a member of the National Multi-Housing Council (NMHC); the Urban Land Institute (ULI), where she is on the leadership committee for Urban Development and Mixed Used Council, Gold; the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC); and the tax policy committee of the Real Estate Roundtable. Ms. Mello is also active in diversity and inclusion efforts in the industry and is a member of NMHC’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and the Steering Committee for KPMG's Women in Real Estate.

As the fourth largest commercial real estate lender in the United States in 2020, Walker & Dunlop is a leader in the industry and continues to expand its capabilities and reach across the United States with a goal to originate $65 billion of annual debt financing volume by 2025. To learn more about our Capital Markets capabilities and financing options, visit our website.

About Walker & Dunlop

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE: WD) is the largest provider of capital to the multifamily industry in the United States and the fourth largest lender on all commercial real estate including industrial, office, retail, and hospitality. Walker & Dunlop enables real estate owners and operators to bring their visions of communities — where Americans live, work, shop and play — to life. The power of our people, premier brand, and industry-leading technology make us more insightful and valuable to our clients, providing an unmatched experience every step of the way. With over 1,000 employees across every major U.S. market, Walker & Dunlop has consistently been named one of Fortune’s Great Places to Work^® and is committed to making the commercial real estate industry more inclusive and diverse while creating meaningful social, environmental, and economic change in our communities.