Carol Shelby, Meridian Capital Group, LLC

Name: Carol Shelby Title: Vice President Company/firm: Meridian Capital Group, LLC Years with company/firm: 20 Years in field: 20 Years in real estate industry: 20 Address: 1 Battery Park Plaza, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10004 Telephone: 212-972-3600 Email: [email protected] URL: http://www.meridiancapital.com Real estate organizations / affiliations: What was your greatest professional accomplishment in 2010? Personally negotiated and closed 86 transactions composed of $163 million in loans that I managed alone and $302 million in additional transactions that I co-managed. What was your most notable project, deal or transaction in 2010? I arranged the $120 million financing of a four-building Manhattan multifamily portfolio for a long time client and negotiated a favorable rate of 4.12% for 10-years. How do you contribute to your company and / or the industry? I was the highest performing female originator at Meridian Capital Group, LLC in 2010. I am also celebrating my 20th anniversary with the firm! What advice would you give to women just starting out in commercial real estate? Don't always take everything people tell you at face value, especially when it comes to being a female in real estate world! Across the country, and especially in the greater N.Y.C. metro area, there are no limits to the success you can enjoy from hard work and a competitive spirit. How do you manage the work/life balance? The key is to stay organized and surround yourself with a dedicated and effective team, both in the office and at home. When you have great people supporting you, you can do more with less and enable yourself to strike a better balance. Additionally, being able to prioritize is key since one cannot be everywhere at once! Who or what has been the strongest influence on your career? Our firm, Meridian Capital Group, has had the most influence on my career and helped me achieve so much professionally. Since I arrived at Meridian, when the firm was still a "start-up," I enjoyed the benefit of growing as Meridian has grown. Meridian has been an integral part of the U.S. commercial real estate finance landscape since 1991 and Meridian has secured more than $110 billion in financing over this time. The firm's upward trajectory and ability to continually improve and expand has provided significant inspiration and motivation for me over the years. What impact has social networking had on your business? In a somewhat opaque industry like real estate, information is even more critical and networking is the best way to gather information. Market trends start long before they appear in the news and being aware of these trends in advance of the masses is of critical importance.