Leadership Team

Executive Management

Alan B. Levan

Chairman

BBX Capital

Alan B. Levan

Chairman
BBX Capital

Alan B. Levan serves as Chairman of BBX Capital, Inc.

Throughout his career, spanning more than four decades, Alan has served as Chairman of five New York Stock Exchange- listed companies and has been a driving force in raising more than $2 billion in debt and equity. In 1971, at the age of 27, he founded IRE Financial, the predecessor to BBX Capital Corporation, and over the next ten years, raised hundreds of millions of dollars and built a national portfolio of real estate exceeding $1.5 billion in value. Alan spearheaded the acquisition and development of several master-planned communities including tens of thousands of square feet of commercial space, shopping centers and thousands of homes. After acquiring control of BankAtlantic in 1984, Alan built the company into a 100-branch, $6 billion Florida Banking franchise and later led its sale to BB&T. As a director of Benihana, Inc. (formerly listed on NASDAQ: BNHN), Alan managed the sale of the company. Benihana grew from $2 per share, to a $16.30 per share acquisition deal price. Under his leadership, BBX Capital has invested in and acquired businesses in banking, retail brokerage and investment banking, hospitality and timeshare, real estate and other sectors.

Alan serves on the Nova Southeastern University (NSU) Board of Trustees. Previously, he served as Chairman. He is also Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of the Susie and Alan B. Levan NSU Ambassadors Board. Additionally, he is a Founder and Chairman of the Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation. He is Founder and Chairman of the BBX Capital Foundation, which has contributed over $15 million to the South Florida community and has been one of Broward County’s largest Habitat for Humanity supporters. He is currently a member of YPO Gold, the successor organization of Young Presidents Organization (YPO). Alan has received Habitat for Humanity’s Spirit of Humanity Award, NSU’s Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame Award, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s Cutting Edge Award, Sun-Sentinel’s Excalibur Business Leader of the Year Award, Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business, Business Leader of the Year award and Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award for Florida.

Alan received a bachelor’s degree from Tulane University and subsequently received their Distinguished Alumni Award. Additionally, he received an honorary Doctorate in Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University.

John E. Abdo

Vice Chairman

BBX Capital

John E. Abdo

Vice Chairman
BBX Capital

John “Jack” E. Abdo serves as Vice Chairman of BBX Capital, Inc. and has been doing so for approximately 39 years. Jack joined the Board of Atlantic Federal in 1984 and shortly thereafter joined the Board of Directors of IRE Financial Corporation, both of which are now known as BBX Capital, Inc. He also previously served as Vice Chairman of Bluegreen Vacations Holding Corporation and of Bluegreen Vacations Corporation.

Since 1967, Jack has been President of the Abdo Companies, Inc., which was formerly a development and construction company and is now a holding company managing its own affairs. He formerly served as Vice Chairman of both Benihana, Inc. (formerly listed on NASDAQ: BNHN) and Vice Chairman of Woodbridge Holdings Corporation (formerly NYSE: WDG).

Through his executive roles with several publicly traded companies and his own business, Jack has spearheaded real estate acquisitions, development and construction ventures totaling more than $10 billion. His company has built more than 5,500 residences throughout South Florida, which for a time made it the largest residential builder in Florida’s Broward County. Other notable successes include the acquisition and development of Cypress Creek Station, Center Port and a major twin-tower condominium known as Symphony Towers a project with 350 units in downtown Fort Lauderdale next to the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Jack has significant private investment experience, having managed or played an integral role in transactions totaling more than $5 billion over the course of his career.

Jack is a member of the Board of Directors and the Finance Committee of the Broward Performing Arts Center Authority (PACA). He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Broward Performing Arts Foundation and was its President for over 20 years. Jack serves on the board of the BBX Capital Foundation, which has contributed over $15 million to the South Florida community. He is inducted into Nova Southeastern University’s Huizenga School of Business Entrepreneur Hall of Fame and has received the Spirit of 100 Award from the Broward Economic Development Council. Jack was appointed to and served on the South Florida Super Bowl XXIX Host Committee in 1993.

Jarett S. Levan

President & Chief Executive Officer

BBX Capital

CEO

BBX Sweet Holdings

Jarett S. Levan

President & Chief Executive Officer
BBX Capital

CEO
BBX Sweet Holdings

Jarett S. Levan serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer and a director of BBX Capital, Inc.

Jarett is also CEO of BBX Sweet Holdings, which owns and operates IT’SUGAR, the largest specialty candy retailer in the United States with over 100 locations in 29 states and Canada, Hoffman’s Chocolates, a 48-year-old South Florida chain of chocolate and scoop shops, Hof’s House of Sweets, and Las Olas Confections and Snacks, a manufacturer of specialty chocolates and candies.

Jarett serves on the boards of the Broward Performing Arts Foundation, is the Chairman of Business for the Arts of Broward, and is an advisory board member of the Hollywood Art and Culture Center. He is also Vice Chairman of the Broward College Foundation, a board member of the Broward Workshop and Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance Foundation, a member of the Nova Southeastern University Ambassadors’ Board and Fellows’ Society, and a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) and the Florida Bar.

Jarett is also on the board of the BBX Capital Foundation. The BBX Capital Foundation, formerly the BankAtlantic Foundation, was established in 1994 to support a wide array of activities in the arts, education, social welfare, and community and economic development. The role of the Foundation is to foster partnerships with other private sector organizations, not-for-profit institutions and government agencies. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded over $20 million in contributions and in-kind services to charitable organizations throughout Florida.

A member of the Florida Bar, Jarett graduated Cum Laude from the University of Miami School of Law, and earned a BBA in Finance from Goizueta Business School of Emory University.

Seth M. Wise

Executive Vice President

BBX Capital

CEO

Altman

Seth M. Wise

Executive Vice President
BBX Capital

CEO
The Altman Companies

Seth M. Wise serves as Executive Vice President and a director of BBX Capital, Inc.  He is also the CEO of The Altman Companies, which since 1968 has built over 27,000 market rate and affordable rental apartments, and the Chairman of BBX Logistics Properties. The Altman Companies and BBX Logistics Properties are wholly-owned subsidiaries of BBX Capital, Inc.

Mr. Wise has more than 25 years of experience in many facets of real estate finance, management, investment, restructuring and development.  Throughout his career, Mr. Wise has been responsible for managing approximately $3 billion of real estate assets in various classes including industrial, retail, and a focus in housing that includes single-family, master-planned communities and multifamily. He has managed an acquired portfolio of nearly $600 million of performing and non-performing loans and real estate.  Mr. Wise’s real estate development experience includes in excess of 1.5 million-square-feet of industrial space. He has also been involved in the development of nearly 5,000 single-family homes. Mr. Wise also has expertise in equity investment, lending, and debt restructuring, including the management of a commercial real estate workout portfolio of over $1 billion.

Mr. Wise is an active member of organizations in his field and community. He is a sustaining member of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania Zell/Lurie Real Estate Center and a member of the Ambassadors Board of Nova Southeastern University. Mr. Wise has served as an Executive Board Member of the Real Estate Advisory Board of the Center for Real Estate Studies at the University of Florida, and the Southeast Florida/Caribbean Council of Urban Land Institute (ULI). He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Jewish Federation of Broward County, a member of the National Council of AIPAC and a past Chairman of the Board of Directors for Jewish Family Services of Broward County and Jewish Family Home Care. He is also a member of the prestigious Young Presidents Organization (YPO).

Mr. Wise earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Florida.

Brett Sheppard

Chief Financial Officer

BBX Capital

Brett Sheppard

Chief Financial Officer
BBX Capital

Brett Sheppard serves as the Chief Financial Officer of BBX Capital, Inc. In this role, he is responsible for leading BBX Capital’s financial and corporate strategy teams. He oversees accounting and controllership, financial planning and analysis, tax, treasury, investor relations, corporate development, information technology and corporate strategy. Brett is a member of BBX Capital’s Executive Management Committee and serves on the investment committees across most of the company’s businesses. Brett joined BBX Capital in 2017 and previously served as Chief Accounting Officer.

Prior to joining BBX Capital, Brett served as Corporate Controller of Equity One, Inc. and as a Senior Auditor with Ernst & Young LLP. Brett is a Certified Public Accountant and holds an M.Pr.A. and B.B.A. in Accounting and Finance from the University of Miami.

Team

Marcia Barry-Smith

Special Advisor to BBX Community Relations

BBX Capital

Marcia Barry-Smith

Special Advisor to BBX Community Relations
BBX Capital

Marcia Barry-Smith is a renowned and highly respected leader within the South Florida community. Ms. Barry-Smith is President and CEO of MBS Consulting Advisors Inc., a role she assumed in 2012, after serving as Senior Vice President and CRA Officer at BankAtlantic for over 15 years. During her tenure, she was also the Executive Director of the BankAtlantic Foundation from 2009-2012. Affordable Housing for the underserved, Youth aging out of Foster Care and the plight of victims of domestic violence has been her personal and professional passion garnering national recognition.

MBS Consulting Advisors Inc., specializes in creative approaches to increasing resources and capacity for community-based organizations, deploying multi-level collaboration with organizations serving low- and moderate-income households to create outcomes that defy traditional methods while being compliant with safe and sound practices and sustainability. With over 30 years in the Banking and Financial industry, Marcia honed these skills, pairing them with Government Policy and Advocacy in her role at Habitat for Humanity of Broward, 2016-2021.

In July of 2021, United Way of Broward engaged MBS Consulting Advisors as their Executive Housing Strategist to use these skills and expertise to design and develop the plan to help United Marcia was appointed to the Board of BBX Capital in September 2021 and subsequently to the Board of the BBX Capital Foundation in 2022. Her personal passion and professional success in helping to alleviate the challenges that affect the underserved, have created invaluable service to BBX Capital as a Special Advisor to BBX Community Relations.

Marcia attended the University of Toronto – Trinity College, where she majored in Sociology. She serves on various boards and councils, including BBX Capital Inc., Neighbors for Neighbors, Broward County Racial Equity Task Force, Valley Bank CRA Advisory Board, and is Chair of the Broward Housing Council. November 1, 2012, was proclaimed Marcia Barry-Smith Day by the Broward Board of County Commissioners.

Terry Frank

Director Of Marketing & Strategic Projects

BBX Capital

Terry Frank

Director Of Marketing & Strategic Projects
BBX Capital

Terry Frank is Director of Strategic Projects and Marketing for BBX Capital and BBX Sweet Holdings. Terry has been working for the company and its predecessor BankAtlantic since 1999. He has served in a senior capacity for the company for more than 16 years. In his role, Terry assists with developing and executing strategic plans for various middle-market operating businesses. His responsibilities and involvement include mergers and acquisitions, strategy, research, marketing, business development, public relations, and community relations.

Terry brings a diverse range of experience, having been Manager of Strategic Projects for BankAtlantic from 2007 to 2012. Terry was also responsible for driving BankAtlantic’s (which was sold to BB&T in 2012) customer service and employee engagement initiatives, which resulted in BankAtlantic winning the J.D. Power and Associates Retail Banking Satisfaction award in 2010, ranking highest for Customer Satisfaction in Florida. Before joining BankAtlantic, Terry was a Research Analyst for Terranova Corporation in Miami and worked for the Atlanta Olympic Committee.

Terry is actively involved in the community and currently serves on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County and Business for the Arts of Broward. Terry is also a member of Leadership Florida and is a Corporate Council Member for The Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance. Terry was previously President of The Friends of Mockingbird Trail and Chairman of ArtServe.

Terry graduated from the Goizueta Business School of Emory University.

David Friedman

Managing Director

BBX Capital

David Friedman

Chief Accounting Officer
BBX Capital

David Friedman serves as the Managing Director for BBX Capital. In this role, he is responsible for external financial reporting, tax compliance and treasury management.  David has been working for the company and its predecessor, BankAtlantic, since 1988 and served as BankAtlantic’s Manager of Financial Reporting and as its Corporate Controller. David is a certified public accountant and holds a degree in Accounting from the University of Florida and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and Management from Florida Atlantic University.

Lois A. Marino

Executive Director

BBX Capital Foundation

Lois A. Marino

Executive Director
BBX Capital Foundation

Lois A Marino is the Executive Director of the BBX Capital Foundation and Director of Community Engagement for BBX Capital. Lois drives the strategic direction of BBX Capital’s philanthropic investments and strategic initiatives focused on making an impact in the South Florida community. Her varied career includes retail, banking, training, marketing, operations and event management.

Lois is passionate about giving back to the community and currently serves on the board of Junior Achievement of South Florida, Pace Center for Girls, and ChildNet. She previously served on the board of the Boys and Girls Club of Broward County. Lois has been recognized as one of 100 Outstanding Women of Broward County by the Boys and Girls Club of Broward County and has been awarded the Prestigious Women Award by South Florida Business and Wealth. Lois is a graduate of Leadership Broward Class XXXII.

The BBX Capital Foundation is a 501(c)(3) corporate foundation. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded more than $20 million in contributions and in-kind services to charitable organizations throughout Florida.

Andy Meran

Managing Director

BBX Capital Real Estate

Andy Meran

Managing Director
BBX Capital Real Estate

Andrew Meran is the Managing Director of Investments for BBX Capital Real Estate and oversees its real estate portfolio’s underwriting and asset management. He is responsible for debt and equity relationships, joint venture equity and loan closings. Andy also serves as Senior Vice President of Capital Markets for The Altman Companies and BBX Logistics Properties.

Andy has more than 20 years of real estate finance experience in direct equity investing, loan origination, syndication, joint venture equity, and debt restructuring. He has extensive experience financing multifamily communities, industrial facilities, retail centers, self-storage, offices, and housing communities. Prior to joining BBX Capital, Andy served in various roles with BankAtlantic, Levitt Realty, Rendina Companies, and Staubach Retail Services.

Andy is actively involved with the Mathew Forbes Romer Foundation, a South Florida not-for-profit organization dedicated to educating and researching children’s genetic diseases of the brain. He is a Leadership Broward Class XXV graduate and holds a Florida Real Estate License. Andy graduated cum laude from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Anna Tovbin

Senior Director Of Human Resources

BBX Capital

Altman

Anna Tovbin

Senior Director Of Human Resources
BBX Capital
The Altman Companies

Anna Tovbin serves as Senior Director of Human Resources for BBX Capital and The Altman Companies. In her role, Anna oversees all aspects of human resources including strategy, leadership development, recruitment and succession planning, training, employee engagement and the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Prior to joining Altman, Anna was a Director, Head of HR & ESG at Palistar Capital and Palistar’s portfolio of companies in New York City. Anna was involved in the strategic growth of Human Capital at Palistar including three merger & acquisition deals. Additionally, Anna was responsible for spearheading all ESG initiatives including ESG program development, investor due diligence, and analytics. Prior to joining Palistar, Anna worked in Human Capital roles at Morgan Stanley, Neuberger Berman, Goldman Sachs, and DE Shaw Companies.

Anna brings a wealth of knowledge in Human Capital Management spanning across talent management and recruitment, performance management, compensation and benefits, metrics & analytics, employee engagement, organizational design & development, merger & acquisition integration, and leadership development.

Anna graduated from Pace University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Psychology and Human Resources.

Randall Vitale

President

BBX Capital Partners

Randall Vitale

President
BBX Capital Partners

Randall Vitale is the President of BBX Capital Partners, a division of BBX Capital, supporting the companies within the BBX Capital portfolio in acquisitions, business development, capital raising, strategic partnerships, and other strategic initiatives. He previously served as President of Hoffman’s Chocolates, a BBX Capital company. Prior to this role, he spent 17 years in the banking industry, leading teams that focused on private banking and wealth management in South Florida.

Randall’s current community involvement includes serving on the board of directors and executive committee of the Broward Workshop and the Florida College System Foundation, where he is the chair. He is also on the Board of Governors for the FSU College of Business, chair of the Broward County Transportation Surtax Appointing Authority, and is a member of the Sun-Sentinel’s South Florida 100.

His past community involvement efforts include serving as the Chair of the City of Fort Lauderdale’s Visioning Committee, caucus member for the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Six Pillars Caucus System, Chair of the Broward Housing Council and as the founding co-chair of both Emerge Broward and the Ghost Light Society. He has served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for Leadership Florida, Leadership Broward Foundation, Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale, and Business for the Arts Broward.

He is a graduate of Florida State University where he received dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Business Management and Multi-National Business Operations. Randall is a Certified Financial Planner professional.

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