Wharton Equity Partners Hires Ronald Uretta as COO to Guide Firm’s Continued Growth

Seasoned industry veteran tapped to oversee firm’s operations and risk management as Wharton expands its platform businesses

NEW YORK (April 1, 2021) — Real estate investment firm Wharton Equity Partners announced today that it has hired Ronald Uretta as Chief Operating Officer. As COO, Uretta will report directly to Founder and Chairman, Peter C. Lewis, in the New York office, and oversee all aspects of administration and operational functions of the firm, as well as being involved in investment strategy and execution.

Coming off a landmark year in which Wharton saw record sales and acquisition activity in its industrial platform, Uretta will help optimize processes and growth across Wharton Equity Partners’ array of real estate platforms — Wharton Industrial, Wharton Residential, Wharton Hospitality and Wharton Urban — creating efficiencies and synergies across the different business lines.

“Wharton Equity is in significant growth mode as we continue to build out our platform businesses. For instance, over the past 12 months, our early investments in industrial real estate have paid significant dividends, and Ron is a valued addition who will help us scale our development and investment activity in this sector,” said Lewis. “Ron’s business acumen and the background he brings in investment management and asset repositioning will be key to helping us reach new heights across both industrial real estate and our other initiatives.”

As a senior executive with over two decades of experience across both private and publicly held organizations, Uretta specializes in managing business processes for companies with ties to the real estate industry. Over the course of his career, he has also been highly involved with securing investments, aligning firms’ core business and revenue goals, managing risk, and leading strategic asset repositioning for commercial real estate firms.

Prior to Wharton, Uretta served as Managing Director at asset management firm CIII Capital Partners, where he oversaw risk management and major capital renovation projects for a portfolio of properties across the Northeast and Miami. In this role, he also oversaw a redesign of CIII’s insurance program, streamlining claims and slashing costs dramatically.

Earlier in his career, Uretta was the CFO and COO of international real estate services company Insignia Financial Group (NYSE: IFS), where he oversaw operations for the 12,000-person, $1-billion revenue company. Uretta built out several primary platforms for Insignia, including the firm’s tenant representation, property management and corporate real estate advisory functions. He also created and managed the firm’s operations and infrastructure for over 60 domestic and foreign markets. 

“After my work as a COO at previous companies, I’m excited to have made this move to Wharton and am eager to bring my risk and investment management experience to Peter’s team,” said Uretta. “I look forward to working with the company to provide operational oversight, help streamline activities for Wharton’s robust pipeline of projects, and optimize the firm’s acquisition and development processes.”

Uretta earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in Accounting & Business from Waynesburg University. In 2019 he received a Certificate of Completion in Commercial Real Estate Analysis and Investments from MIT. Uretta is a trustee of the New York State Troopers Signal 30 Fund for Christian’s Medical Support, and served as a mentor for the NYU Stern School of Business – Berkley Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. A resident of Harrison, N.Y., Uretta also previously served as a council member for the town’s Citizen’s Advisory Committee.

About Wharton Equity Partners

Wharton Equity Partners is a privately held investment and development firm that has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to capitalize on large thematic trends before other real estate market participants. Since 1987, it has employed its innovative approach and extensive experience to acquire, develop and operate a wide range of asset classes, including industrial, hospitality, multifamily and single-family real estate. With more than $2 billion of transactions spanning business cycles, strategies and property types, Wharton has a long and substantial track record of generating significant returns for its investors while being relentlessly focused on the preservation of capital.