Commercial

Thomas Olson

Partner| V-Card

Thomas Olson is a Partner at The Ardent Companies. Thomas focuses on debt and equity originations and innovative strategies. Prior to Ardent, Thomas was a Partner and CFO of Acadia Homes & Neighborhoods, a sister company of Ardent, where he directed the company’s financial strategies, corporate policies, risk management, and investments. Thomas has over two decades of real estate experience in leadership roles at notable firms such as Hines, Resource Real Estate Partners, and Warren-Hanks. Thomas also serves on the Board of Directors for two medical technology companies: ViveBio Scientific and Nephrogen Sciences. Thomas is an active contributor to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, specifically the “Carter Samuel Martin Developmental Therapeutics Research Fund”. Thomas is a Minnesota native, and he received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Corporate Finance from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Richard Benson

Managing Director| V-Card

Richard Benson is a Managing Director at The Ardent Companies in the London office.  He is responsible for deal origination, capital raising, and asset management for the UK operations.  As a qualified lawyer, prior to joining Ardent In January 2021, Richard was Deputy Head of Legal at the Battersea Power Station regeneration project in London where he oversaw the legal functions.  In addition to his legal role, Richard was also part of the Development and Leasing teams where he was responsible for managing and delivering all major commercial transactional work at the project including the landmark lease to Apple of 500,000 square feet of office space as well as the £1.6 billion ownership restructuring and refinance of the Grade II* listed Power Station.  Prior to Battersea Power Station, Richard trained and worked at major UK law firms Mishcon de Reya, Nabarro LLP (now CMS LLP), and Dentons.  Richard holds an LLB (hons) in Law and French from Nottingham Trent University and gained his LPC from BPP Law School.

Mike Guynn

Managing Director| V-Card

Michael Guynn is a Managing Director at The Ardent Companies. Michael has 29 years of varied experience in commercial project management, land development, financial analysis, and distressed property turnaround. Prior to joining Ardent in January 2016, Michael served as EVP of Development for Valor Hospitality, Director of the Real Estate Group for Rialto Capital Advisors, President of Guynn Properties, Inc., and various leadership roles at Technology Park/Atlanta, Inc.   Michael served as a past Chairman of The Council for Quality Growth, Campaign Chair for United Way Gwinnett County, and on various boards including Gwinnett County Boys & Girls Club, Dunwoody Nature Center. He also assumed numerous roles at Saint Jude the Apostle Catholic Church and Pebble Tossers, Inc. Michael received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Furman University and a Master of Business Administration from Georgia State University.

Andrew Hilston

Managing Director| V-Card

Andrew Hilston is a of Managing Director at The Ardent Companies in the London office. He will be responsible for deal origination, development, marketing and asset performance for the UK operations. Andrew is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and is also a RTPI Chartered Town Planner. Andrew has 20 years of client-side property experience at UK FTSE 100 REITs Landsec and Hammerson, as well as Brookfield and most recently at the sovereign wealth backed Battersea Power Station Development Company. Prior to joining Ardent in January 2021, Andrew worked across Retail, Office, and Residential asset classes, with projects and transactions such as the mixed used Christ’s Lane in Cambridge, West Quay Shopping Centre in Southampton (winner of the Prix Versailles architectural medal), Victoria Gate in Leeds (winner of Best Shopping Centre at MIPIM Awards), the Norman Foster designed Principal Place Office Building (pre let to Amazon), the disposal of a prime central London £520m office portfolio, as well as strategic land acquisitions and joint venture partnerships. Andrew has a BSc (Hons) in Land Management and Development and MSc in Property Development from University of Reading.

Scott Werbel

Managing Director| V-Card

Scott Werbel is a Managing Director at The Ardent Companies. He is responsible for Real Estate acquisitions and originating Bridge Loans through the Ardent Financial Fund platform. Prior to joining Ardent in July 2014, Scott was an Acquisitions Officer at RCG Ventures, a Private Retail REIT,  where he managed the acquisition of shopping centers and non-performing loans collateralized by the shopping centers. Prior to RCG, Scott was Founder and Managing Principal of Impressa Group, a retail and multifamily acquisition company based in Atlanta and Chicago. Prior to Impressa, Scott was the Vice President of Acquisitions at Equity Investment Group, a private Retail REIT, where he directed an acquisition team based in Atlanta and acquired 27 retail properties. Prior to EIG, Scott was a Director of Sales at LNR, a national commercial real estate company, where he headed a disposition team which restructured, foreclosed, and sold nearly $400 million in distressed assets. Prior to LNR, Scott was an Asset Manager at Trimont Real Estate Advisors/Hatfield Philips, where he was involved with debt restructure and workouts of distressed assets. In 2019, Scott was elected to the Buckhead Community Improvement District (BCID), a nonprofit whose mission is to create and maintain a safe, accessible, and livable urban environment. Scott is also a member of the Georgia State University Real Estate Board. Scott received a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Virginia Tech and an Master of Science in Real Estate from Georgia State University.

Ricardo De Rojas

Managing Director| V-Card

Ricardo De Rojas is a Director at The Ardent Companies. Ricardo has more than 16 years of experience working for nationally and internationally recognized development and construction management firms. Prior to joining  Ardent in April 2018, Ricardo was the Development Director at Regency Centers (formerly known as Equity One), where he was responsible for the development and redevelopment of over 1 million square feet of retail real estate within the portfolio. He is an active member of ICSC and an associate member at ULI. Ricardo received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and a Master of Engineering in Structural Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Ricardo also received a Master of Business Administration from Yale School of Management with a focus in Finance and Real Estate.

Jay Douglas

Executive Director| V-Card

Jay Douglas is the Executive Director of Development for The Ardent Companies. Prior to joining Ardent in March of 2022, Jay was the Senior Vice President of Development for SJC Ventures in Atlanta. Jay has experience in all aspects of the development of retail and mixed-use projects – including acquisition, land planning, zoning and entitlements, leasing, and project management. Jay received his juris doctor from Duke University School of Law, and has a Bachelor of Arts from Brigham Young University.

Hugo Frewin

Executive Director| V-Card

Hugo Frewin is a Director at The Ardent Companies. Hugo works within the commercial asset management and Investor Relations department. Prior to joining Ardent in July 2014, Hugo was Tenancy Manager for Bristol Residential, an independent residential developer, based in the UK.  Prior to Bristol, Hugo was the Managing Broker for National Rental Services,  the residential arm of American Invesco, which is a developer based in Chicago.  Hugo received a Bachelor of Arts in Leisure Management from the University of Birmingham, UK and a Master of Arts in Real Estate Management from University West of England, UK.

Ross Mehlman

Executive Director| V-Card

Ross Mehlman is a Director at The Ardent Companies. Ross serves as the Head of Multifamily Investments.  He is responsible for all aspects of commercial and multifamily underwriting and has acquired or overseen the development of more than $1 billion of commercial assets since joining Ardent in 2013, including more than 2,300 apartments and over 4.5 million square feet of office, retail, and industrial space.  Prior to joining Ardent in August 2013, Ross handled underwriting and asset management for Rialto Capital, where he was responsible for the management of a $100 million portfolio of commercial and residential assets including over 770 rental homes.  He underwrote portfolios of real estate assets and loans in excess of $250 million.  Prior to Rialto, Ross led the acquisition team at The RADCO Companies, a multifamily investment and management company, where he focused on underwriting and acquisition of value-add apartments.  He was also responsible for working with several Wall Street banks to reposition multifamily REO assets and facilitate the successful turnaround of multiple fractured condo projects simultaneously.  Ross received a Bachelor of Science in Finance with a minor in Economics from the University of Tennessee Knoxville.

Eliot Doub

Senior Associate| V-Card

Eliot Doub is an Associate at The Ardent Companies.  Eliot graduated from the College of Charleston with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business.  His career began managing retail construction builds, which led him to move to DC to manage multifamily, office, school, and historic builds. His goal has always been to find success in real estate development. Outside of work, he enjoys playing tennis and soccer and also frequenting concerts.