2011 Commercial Real Estate Expo Keynote Speaker, Peter Belisle

Keynote Speaker:
Peter Belisle - President of Energy and Sustainability Services, Jones Lang LaSalle

The Empire State Building: Repositioning an Icon as a Model for Energy Efficient Investment
A strong business case for energy efficient retrofits with positive environmental results.

When Peter Belisle talks about greening real estate, he means financially as well as environmentally. For almost 20 years, he has led project groups ranging from 10 to 1,300 professionals with the credo that sustainability must first be good business. From previously directing large scale development projects for the Walt Disney Company through overseeing more than $15 billion in client project volume for Jones Lang LaSalle, Peter has proven that with sound planning and execution, sustainable strategies can reduce portfolio costs and improve return on investment. He is a “doer” whose deep experience in all aspects of real estate project work has helped dozens of clients overcome seemingly daunting challenges to meet both environmental and financial requirements.

Peter’s ability to make sustainability pay was proven repeatedly as President of Jones Lang LaSalle’s Project and Development Services group. He helped this group develop into not only the world’s largest of its type, but also the greenest through efforts such as Jones Lang LaSalle’s Sustainability University and an initiative to build an unmatched staff of almost 600 LEED AP professionals. Peter’s leadership in driving sustainable savings was demonstrated with his team in such projects as the new 58-story Bank of America Tower in New York, the world’s first skyscraper to achieve LEED Gold certification. He also was active in a partnership with the Clinton Climate Initiative to help drive a $500 million renovation of the iconic Empire State Building that is expected to generate $4.4 million annually in energy savings. Peter specializes in implementing opportunities such as energy-saving practices and space optimization to drive the highest financial and sustainable return for the lowest capital investment. He also continues to chair the national specialty practice committees for the firm’s Project and Development Services group. 

Education and affiliations
Peter’s professional path includes a B.S. in civil engineering, an M.B.A. in real estate and finance from the University of California, Los Angeles, and certification as a LEED Accredited Professional. He is a council member of the Urban Land Institute, and is active in many other professional organizations such as CoreNet Global and the International Council of Shopping Centers.