Laurie Smith is a Managing Principal of Blue Vista and the firm’s Senior Investment Strategist and Head of Portfolio Management for the firm’s real estate credit platform. In this role Laurie is responsible for leading the firm’s real estate credit portfolio management processes, working with deal sponsors and borrowers, evaluating transactions, developing team members, and acting as a thought leader in our overall investment efforts. Laurie sits on Blue Vista’s Equity and Credit Investment Committees. Previously, Laurie was CIO of the firm’s Middle Market Equity strategy at Blue Vista, overseeing investment and portfolio management of the firm’s flagship value-add fund series. Laurie brings over 40 years of real estate experience to Blue Vista.
Prior to joining Blue Vista, Laurie was Senior Vice President of Acquisitions at Strategic Capital Partners, the managing member of a discretionary equity fund. Prior to that, Laurie spent eight years at GE Commercial Finance Real Estate in Chicago, where she held several positions including Region Manager and Senior Relationship Manager in the North American Equity Holdings group and was responsible for sourcing over $1 billion in middle market equity deals from joint venture relationships. Prior to GE, Laurie held senior positions at Julian Toft & Downey, overseeing the start- up of PruExpress, a middle market lending arm of Prudential Insurance and as Branch Manager for the started-up of the Chicago office of General American Life Insurance (now part of MetLife).
Laurie earned a Master’s in City Planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a BA in Political Science from Goucher College.