Walker & Dunlop Expands European Team with Javier Villanueva

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE: WD) announced the expansion of its London-based brokerage and capital markets advisory team with the strategic hire of Javier Villanueva as managing director. Villanueva, an Eastdil Secured veteran, will report into Claudio V.R. Sgobba, senior managing director and Head of EMEA Capital Markets. He will be responsible for leading the structuring and execution of capital solutions across all property types and jurisdictions throughout Europe and the Middle East.

“We are bringing together a group of financial professionals, true global citizens and bankers, driven by an unwavering dedication to exceed client expectations. Javier is a perfect representation of our team and brings along with him deep expertise and a great network,” said Sgobba. “Villanueva brings 25 years of experience and over $55 billion of deal activity in commercial real estate, having worked at premier firms focusing on investment banking, advisory, investment management, lending, and structuring. He will be a true asset as we continue to grow our Walker & Dunlop footprint in this part of the world.”

Prior to joining Walker & Dunlop, Villanueva was a managing director, acting as head of investment management at Martley Capital Group, a real estate investment advisory platform focused on investing, lending, asset management and advisory. In addition, Villanueva spent nearly a decade at Eastdil Secured in London, joining in 2014 as the firm was setting up operations in EMEA. Focusing on debt solutions, he helped grow the nascent platform into the top advisory firm in EMEA. Previous roles include positions at LNR, Wachovia and Deutsche Bank in London, Nomura and MUFG Securities in New York.

Walker & Dunlop established its Mayfair London office earlier this year. Walker & Dunlop’s current EMEA leadership includes former heads of debt and equity capital raising desks, bringing invaluable expertise from esteemed institutions such as ING, RBS, KKR and Standard Chartered Bank.

“I am thrilled to join Walker & Dunlop at a pivotal moment in its growth. Having been in a similar circumstance previously in my career, I appreciate the ‘secret sauce’ that is vital to international expansion in this region,” said Villanueva. “As former investors and lenders ourselves, this team of deal makers possesses decades of experience that transcends mere advisory roles.”

About Walker & Dunlop

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE: WD) is one of the largest commercial real estate finance and advisory services firms in the United States and internationally. Our ideas and capital create communities where people live, work, shop, and play. Our innovative people, breadth of our brand, and our technological capabilities make us one of the most insightful and client-focused firms in the commercial real estate industry.