Leadership for creativity, execution, integrity and governance is provided by a dedicated team of professionals, each a recognized authority within their discipline. Recruiting specialists from public companies, developers, investment banking and pension funds, we have assembled a nimble team that can respond to the vagaries of real estate ownership in a timely and disciplined manner.
Harold Spring
Founder, President, CEO
A career real estate entrepreneur who has developed and built homes, condominiums, industrial buildings and strip shopping centres in Canada and the US market.
Founded Bayfield Realty Advisors Inc. in 2005 and transformed the company into an integrated real estate platform with development, management and leasing divisions. Directed the Bayfield team in the acquisition, development and management of more than $1.5 Billion dollars of real estate assets over the past 16 years.
Ron Perlmutter
Chief Operating Officer
Overall responsibility for Bayfield’s operating platform, asset management and development activities. Establishment and execution of corporate strategy in conjunction with CEO and CIO.
Extensive experience in domestic and international investment, capital funding and asset management. Past key investment leadership roles at Oxford Properties Group and Primaris Retail REIT; focusing on retail, office and industrial property transactions exceeding $12 Billion.
Graduate of Richard Ivey School of Business (MBA) and Western University (B. Engineering Science – Civil).
Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) and licensed Real Estate Broker (RECO).
Bernie Ockrant
Chief Investment Officer
Primary responsibilities include planning, overseeing and executing the investment strategy; coordinating and implementing the development and management functions; and ensuring timely reporting to Fund investors.
As a leading member of advisory teams, provided strategic direction and guidance for significant real estate organizations including Walmart, Choice REIT, First Capital, RioCan, Sears, The Bay, among others.
Experienced in Team Leadership, Senior Client Coverage, Brokerage, M&A and Strategic Advisory. As a Director of TD Securities and several National Brokerage companies’ real estate teams, has completed more than $20 billion of transaction activity, including many of Canada’s largest property and public company advisory mandates.
Graduate of Richard Ivey Business School (HBA) and completed his Partners, Directors & Senior Officers accreditation (PDO).
Zahir Bhaidani
Chief Financial Officer
As a key strategic business partner, Zahir directs the company’s overall financial management and oversees strategic planning, enterprise risk, financial reporting, financing, treasury, taxation, and valuation for the organization. He brings a range of experience across finance, strategy, and risk, including specialization in real estate and investment management.
Prior to joining Bayfield, he had 15 years of financial reporting, budgeting and strategic planning experience with leading Canadian real estate firms including Smart Centres and Ivanhoe Cambridge. Previously CFO of Prime Real Estate Management Group.
Zahir holds CPA, CGA & IMAT (London School of Economics) professional designations and has an MBA with Richard Ivey School of Business.
As an active community leader and a strong champion of diversity and inclusion, Zahir served two terms as a Board member and Chairperson of the Audit and Business Investment Committee for Toronto Community Housing with assets over $9 billion.
Chris Coleman
Director of Asset Management
As Director of the asset management platform, Chris’ primary responsibilities are to oversee the property management and leasing functions, as well as establish and implement income-generating and value enhancement asset strategies.
Chris has deep experience in national asset management, portfolio and investment management, investor relations, and capital funding management across a variety of asset classes with a focus in retail, mixed-use, and development.
Chris is a graduate of the Richard Ivey School of Business (MBA) and York University (Honours BA, Economics) and is a Licensed Dealing Representative, Exempt Market Proficiency Course, IFSE.
Gabriele Cicconi
Director of Development and Construction
Primarily responsible for all aspects of real estate planning & construction on current Bayfield redevelopment projects and upcoming new developments. Along with the COO develop, implement and execute planning and building strategies for a smooth efficient turnover to our valued clients.
Over 30 years’ experience in Construction & Development across Canada and in all sectors of the industry as team lead in all facets of the project life cycle.
Previously managed teams with notable developers such as Smart Centres and Condor Properties. Extensive experience managing large scale projects with multiple phases of civil and building construction. Personally responsible for an excess of 12 million square feet of Commercial, Retail, Multi-Residential and Industrial new builds and renovations, along with several kilometers of roads and parking lots.
Our Board
Bayfield has established an Advisory Board to provide informed guidance to the Bayfield Executive team and serve as an ally in the quest for corporate governance. The Board is comprised of three experienced and sophisticated professionals. It reviews and makes recommendations with respect to acquisitions, dispositions, financial reporting, property budgets and communications to investors.
Bo Mocherniak, CPA-Ca
Bo Mocherniak recently retired from Grant Thornton LLP. Bo was the National leader of the Real Estate and Construction group. Bo was also Chair of the Board for Grant Thornton. Bo practiced in the advisory/audit area mostly working with privately held real estate clients.
Bo has volunteered on a number or organizations. He was a member of the RealPac Best Practices Committee, was treasurer of the Southlake Hospital Foundation board and was a board member of the United Way York Region.
Don Fitzpatrick, B.A.
Don Fitzpatrick was most recently President of PricewaterhouseCoopers Real Estate Inc. Don has been involved in the real estate industry since 1981 and has held a number of senior level positions, including National Real Estate Leader of Deloitte & Touche LLP and Executive Vice President and Regional Manager of CB Richard Ellis.
Don has worked on a number of Canada’ most significant investment and leasing transactions, and he provides strategic real estate advice to many of Canada’s largest corporations, public sector entities and many private clients.
Julian Aziz
Julian brings more than 30 years of corporate and institutional experience in the acquisition, development and asset management of commercial, retail and industrial properties. His focus is on achieving financial targets through a broad working knowledge of all real estate fundamentals.
Julian has maximized value creation and financial performance of investment properties through strategic planning, development, proactive leasing and financing. Mr. Aziz is skilled in negotiations with respect to offers of purchase and sale, major lease transactions, development agreements and joint venture and financing arrangements for a wide range of clients.
Since 2000, he has provided investment and asset management services to Canadian pension fund clients and other institutional investors in a fiduciary capacity.