Hawkeye's Talent Coup Signals New Era in Real Estate Private Equity

AUSTIN, TX – July 01, 2026 – Real estate private equity firm Hawkeye Partners has executed a major talent acquisition, appointing two of the industry's most respected executives, Jennifer Ciullo and Greg Moran, as Partners. The move is far more than a simple leadership shuffle; it represents a powerful catalyst for a fundamental strategic evolution at the firm, signaling a decisive shift from its historical model of seeding independent managers to building and scaling its own institutional-quality investment platforms in-house.

Ciullo, who previously served as Global Head of Capital Formation at industry giant Greystar, joins as Partner and Head of Client Solutions. Moran, a veteran investor with nearly three decades of experience, joins as Partner and Head of GP Solutions. Their appointments are designed to supercharge Hawkeye's capabilities in capital formation and strategic partnerships, providing the firepower needed to compete in an increasingly consolidated market.

A New Era of Leadership: The Power Players Behind the Pivot

The caliber of the new hires underscores the scale of Hawkeye's ambition. Jennifer Ciullo is a formidable force in institutional capital raising. During her nearly decade-long tenure at Greystar, she was a key figure in the firm's meteoric rise, helping expand its assets under management from approximately $15 billion to a staggering $80 billion. She led a global team responsible for raising over $5 billion in capital annually and served on Greystar's influential Executive Committee. Her track record, which also includes senior roles at JP Morgan Asset Management, has earned her deep-seated trust among the world's largest institutional investors and a place among PEI's Women of Influence in Private Markets in 2023.

"Jennifer has built deep relationships with many of the world's leading institutional investors and helped drive the growth of one of the industry's most successful investment platforms," said Scott McArtor, Co-Managing Partner of Hawkeye. "Her expertise is critical as we scale our in-house platforms."

Joining her is Greg Moran, an investor with a 28-year career spanning multiple market cycles and virtually every major property type. Having been involved in more than $15 billion of acquisitions, dispositions, and joint ventures, Moran brings a wealth of transactional and operational knowledge. He most recently served as Managing Principal of Investments at FrontRange Capital Partners and was previously the Chief Investment Officer of Ares Real Estate Income Trust (AREIT). His experience is tailor-made for his new role leading Hawkeye GP Solutions, a strategic capital initiative focused on partnering with operators and developers.

"Greg has spent nearly three decades investing across multiple property sectors and capital structures while building trusted partnerships with operators and developers," McArtor added. "Together, they significantly enhance Hawkeye's ability to build and scale institutional-quality investment businesses in high conviction sectors."

Beyond Seeding: A Fundamental Shift to In-House Dominance

These high-profile appointments are the most visible sign of a deeper strategic pivot underway at Hawkeye. For years, the firm successfully operated by seeding emerging independent investment managers, raising dedicated vehicles like its Scout Fund series. However, the leadership team recognized a significant shift in the institutional landscape.

Industry insiders note that large institutional investors are increasingly looking to consolidate their capital with fewer, larger managers who can offer a diverse suite of specialized strategies under a single, well-governed umbrella. This trend disadvantages smaller, standalone firms. Hawkeye's new model is a direct and ambitious response to this evolution.

"These appointments represent another important milestone in Hawkeye's evolution," stated Claudia Faust, Co-Managing Partner. "Jennifer and Greg each bring exceptional experience, credibility, and leadership capabilities that will benefit our investors, our operating partners, and the growth of the firm for years to come."

The firm is transitioning to a model where it will build and scale these specialized platforms internally, combining the agility and deep sector expertise of a boutique with the robust infrastructure, governance, and capital-raising power of an institutional-grade manager. This allows Hawkeye to attract top-tier talent and offer differentiated products focused on investor outcomes.

"I am excited to join Hawkeye, which has established a reputation for identifying talented investment teams and helping build successful platforms," Ciullo commented. "The firm's evolution to build and scale institutional-quality businesses in-house...positions Hawkeye to provide differentiated investment products and solutions."

The Strategic Architects: Deconstructing Ciullo and Moran's Roles

The new roles for Ciullo and Moran are not just titles; they are the core functional pillars of Hawkeye's new strategy. As Head of Client Solutions, Ciullo will leverage her extensive network and fundraising acumen to attract institutional capital directly into Hawkeye's proprietary platforms. Her role is central to funding the firm's growth and ensuring its specialized strategies are well-capitalized.

Moran, as Head of GP Solutions, will lead the charge in identifying and structuring partnerships with best-in-class real estate operators and developers. His platform will provide a flexible toolkit of capital—from GP co-investments to project-level LP equity—that helps these partners grow, execute succession plans, and pursue strategic acquisitions. "Throughout my career, I've seen firsthand that many [operators] eventually reach a point where they need a strategic capital partner," Moran said. "Hawkeye has built a platform specifically designed to meet that need."

This new strategic alignment is already in motion. The hires follow the recent launch of Hawkeye's Senior Housing platform, a prime example of the in-house model. That platform is led by Steve Blazejewski, another industry heavyweight who previously headed PGIM Real Estate's senior housing business, where he raised over $2 billion. Hawkeye has already built out Blazejewski's team with additional key hires. With Ciullo driving capital formation and Moran sourcing strategic operator partnerships, platforms like the senior housing initiative are poised for accelerated growth.

Reshaping the Real Estate Investment Landscape

Hawkeye's strategic pivot and talent acquisitions position it uniquely in the competitive real estate private equity market. By creating a home for specialized, expert-led teams within a larger institutional framework, the firm is creating a compelling alternative to both monolithic "mega-managers" and siloed emerging managers.

This move taps directly into two powerful industry currents: the investor demand for consolidated, trusted relationships and the persistent need for deep, specialized expertise in niche sectors like senior housing. The firm has already signaled that more verticals are on the horizon, with plans to launch additional platforms starting next year and a second fund focused on real estate operating platform investments currently in pre-marketing.

By bringing on proven leaders like Ciullo and Moran, Hawkeye is not just adding to its leadership roster; it is making a definitive statement about its future. The firm is aggressively retooling its business to meet the demands of tomorrow's institutional investors, building a multi-platform powerhouse designed for long-term, specialized growth.