Deb Barbanel

Biography: DEBRA S. BARBANEL Deb Barbanel leads RRA’s Global Real Estate Practice and is a member of the CEO and Board Services Practice. Deb works across the real estate spectrum to identify CEOs, CFOs and senior-level executives for public and private real estate companies. Deb leverages her in-depth knowledge and extensive experience across all aspects of real estate to bring her clients senior leadership solutions. Deb joined Russell Reynolds Associates from Ferguson Partners, a boutique executive search and professional services firm dedicated to the real estate and related financial services industry. There, she was Vice Chairman and focused on recruiting senior executives to public and private real estate companies, and financial services companies. Concurrently, she also served as Senior Managing Director of FPL Advisory Group. In that role, she oversaw the firm's West Coast office and participated in major consulting and finance engagements. Prior to that, Deb was a Senior Partner with the law firm of Pircher, Nichols & Meeks in Los Angeles, which specializes in real estate law. While there, she was a member of the firm's Management Committee and during various stages of her tenure was the partner in charge of business development, recruiting and personnel. Deb has been a member of the Advisory Board of Watt Companies, a diversified real estate company. She is also involved in non-profit activities, including serving on the board of the Children’s Burn Foundation (and is currently a member of their Governance Committee) and she was a long-time member of the Evergreen Community School Board. Additionally, she is a council member of the Urban Land Institute and participates in various other real estate-related organizations. Deb received her B.A., magna cum laude, from St. Mary’s College of Notre Dame and her J.D., cum laude, from the University of San Diego School of Law. She served as Notes and Comment Editor of the San Diego Law