Matthew Birenbaum

Biography: Matthew Birenbaum is Chief Investment Officer for AvalonBay Communities, Inc., one of the leading publicly traded real estate investment trusts focused on the multifamily residential sector (NYSE:AVB). In this position, Mr. Birenbaum plays a leadership role in developing investment strategy, as well as having oversight responsibility for the Market Research, Asset Management, Investments, Construction and West Coast Development functions within the company. He serves as Chair of the Company’s Management Investment Committee, oversees portfolio allocation and strategic transactions, and works closely with the CEO in developing strategy for the overall enterprise. Prior to his current position with AvalonBay, Mr. Birenbaum had been the founding principal of Abbey Road Property Group, a boutique development and investment firm focused on infill multifamily and mixed-use projects in the greater Washington area. Prior to founding Abbey Road in 2006, he was Senior Vice President at EYA for three years, responsible for directing and supervising all activities in the land acquisition and development group for this award-winning builder/developer of architecturally distinguished townhomes and condominiums. Prior to his experience at EYA, Mr. Birenbaum spent over seven years at AvalonBay Communities, Inc. in his first stint there, developing a wide variety of luxury rental communities in formats ranging from garden apartments to midrise with structured parking to high-rise with ground floor retail and underground parking. Mr. Birenbaum holds a Master of Management degree in real estate and finance from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, where he graduated with honors, and an undergraduate degree in urban studies from Brown University, where he graduated phi beta kappa. He serves as Board Chair of APAH, a leading affordable housing provider in Northern Virginia, is a full member of the Urban Land Institute, a board member of the Feder