Ward is recognized as a leader in Real Estate executive search and is a trusted advisor to his clients on aligning a human capital strategy to an organization's business strategy.
Ward Feste has completed more than 350 searches in such areas as fund management; REIT securities investment management; development; mortgage finance; property acquisitions and sales; leasing, asset and property management; and corporate management.
Ward joined Carlyle Group in 1986. He co-manages the Real Estate Practice and has had recruiting success in virtually all real estate functions. Prior to joining Carlyle Group, he was a partner with an executive search firm specializing in marketing and sales positions.
Ward has been active in numerous professional real estate associations, including the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT), Pension Real Estate Association (PREA), the Urban Land Institute (ULI), the Commercial Mortgage Securities Association (CMSA), the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) and the Corporate Real Estate Network (CoreNet).
Ward is a member of the Wisconsin Real Estate Alumni Association (WREAA) and a lifetime member of the Indiana University Alumni Association. Ward has served on the board of directors for the Indiana University Kelley School of Business Alumni Club of Chicago and is the founder and a past president for the Indiana University Real Estate Club of Chicago in conjunction with the IU Center for Real Estate Studies. He is also a board member for City of Hope’s Real Estate Action Committee (REACH).
Ward received a BS in business from Indiana University, with concentrations in real estate, marketing and management.