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EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: JAMIE IRWIN
Explain your role in acquisitions and how you work with all of the different origination teams . I manage the closing teams and oversee the closing process. My responsibilities include tracking how many days it takes to close a deal and the variance to what was projected when the Letter of Intent was signed, both overall and by closing team - which includes Account Managers and Associates. Then I work with the teams to look for ways to shrink that number. I provide training, guidance, and assistance to the closing teams as they work towards getting each deal to the finish line. We are in the middle of cross-training our Analyst and Closing Coordinator positions, the result will provide a consistent link by having an Associate assigned to the deal from pre-LOI until closing. When one of the seven originators sign a deal, I assign it to a closing team. Deals are assigned by relationship first so a developer will work with the same team at CREA for every deal, if it’s a new developer to CREA, then the deal is assigned based on which team has capacity. How do you manage working with several teams remotely in offices around the country? Communication. We have weekly calls with all closing teams to discuss process, updates, issues, questions, training, etc. on Microsoft Teams. I also meet with Account Managers and Associates on an individual basis to check in on how their deals are progressing and their capacity for new projects. Prior to March, our
main form of communication was email or conference calls. If there is a silver lining to the last 7 months, it’s that we are “seeing” each other more often. Cross training is also beneficial in allowing us to find inconsistencies among teams and streamline the process. Analysts and Closing Coordinators are shadowing and learning from their peers, which has proven to be successful. You’ve been around CREA since 2006 when we were just getting started. How has the company evolved over the years? There were only six other people working for CREA when I started. My first desk was a table in Jeff Whiting’s office because we were out of space! Over the last 14 years, CREA has opened several regional offices, went from closing five deals in a year to 86 projects last year, all of which led to adding more than 100 additional staff. We’ve seen a lot of growth at CREA in the volume of equity closed each year. What do you see as the biggest challenge that comes with this growth? As we continue to close more and more deals, time is limited. CREA has done a good job of applying best practices over the years, but there is always room for improvement so we continue to look for efficiencies in our process and ensure the best use of everyone’s time. As a busy mom of three, how do you juggle your career and home life? I try to be present wherever I am. I
avoid checking email in the evenings and on weekends when I’m with my kids as much as possible. My kids are young enough that I am able to log back in to work after they go to bed through the week if necessary. How do you fill the little free time you have? What do you enjoy doing? I love watching football on Sundays and can’t wait for college basketball to start. Fingers crossed there’s a season this year! Go IU!
RANDOM QUESTIONS & AWESOME ANSWERS
Favorite pre-quarantine thing to do? Everyone who knows me knows that I love Las Vegas. I try to go 2-3 long weekends every year. I managed to go in early March this year, the weekend before everything shut down. Least favorite e-learning subject to help with? There are so many, but my least favorite is Science. Favorite Halloween candy? Reese’s cups, my kids always have a few go missing every Halloween. Favorite Spotify/Pandora station? Nelly radio is my go to, I even have my kids listening to it. What’s your favorite CREA holiday/ celebration? Summer Solstice because it’s warm and we’re outside.
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