Benenson Capital Partners names Kessler chief executive officer

Manhattan, NY Benenson Capital Partners (BCP) has named Richard Kessler as chief executive officer.

Kessler, who has served as chief operating officer since 1998, succeeds to the role after nearly five decades with the firm. He will continue to oversee the company’s strategic direction, investment activity, and day-to-day operations, while guiding BCP’s next phase of growth in partnership with the Benenson family.

Since joining the company in 1978, Kessler has held leadership roles across development, finance, and acquisitions, and has been responsible for completing billions of dollars in real estate transactions. As COO and a member of the executive and investment committees, he has played a central role in defining the firm’s investment strategy — focusing on high-quality assets, strong operating partners, and opportunities that unlock the highest and best use of each property.

“Benenson Capital Partners has always taken a long-term view — investing with discipline, partnering with best-in-class operators, and stewarding assets across generations,” said Kessler. “I am honored to take on this role and continue building on that legacy, while positioning the firm to meet the evolving needs of our partners, tenants, and the communities in which we invest.”

Founded in 1905, Benenson Capital Partners has built a portfolio of more than 130 properties across the U.S. and Canada, spanning retail, multifamily, mixed-use, industrial, office, and hospitality sectors. 

In addition to his role at BCP, Kessler is engaged in the real estate and academic communities. He serves on the Alumni Advisory Board of Harvard University’s Real Estate Academic Initiative and previously co-chaired the Alumni Advisory Committee of the Advanced Management Development Program at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. He has also been a faculty member at New York University’s Master’s Program in Real Estate Development and Investment.

Kessler is a former global governing trustee of the Urban Land Institute and past chair of its New York District Council and remains active in a range of industry and civic organizations, including the Real Estate Roundtable and the Real Estate Board of New York. He also serves as a trustee of Phipps Houses and a board member of Spark Youth. In addition, Kessler is a member of the advisory board of Interlink, an integrated real estate development, construction and asset and property management company specializing in hospitality, residential and commercial sectors in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.