Driftwood Capital, a vertically integrated commercial real estate investment, development and lending platform specializing in hospitality, has expanded its executive team with the appointment of two new managing directors. Caroline Gould Lewittes has joined the firm as managing director, investor & public relations. George Rupp has joined the firm as managing director, business development & consultant relations. Both professionals work out of the firm’s Miami headquarters.
“We are delighted to welcome such seasoned and accomplished executives to Driftwood Capital’s leadership team,” said Carlos Rodriguez Sr., Driftwood Capital’s chairman and CEO. “With their deep knowledge of the private equity landscape, Caroline and George will bolster our relationships with new and existing investors and make valuable contributions to Driftwood Capital’s long-term growth.”
Lewittes has worked in communications and marketing for her entire career, with a specific focus on investor and public relations in private equity over the past seven years. She most recently spearheaded investor and public relations at Kayne Anderson Real Estate in Boca Raton, Fla., and has consulted with several other private equity firms. At Driftwood Capital, she will oversee all channels of communications with investors and other key stakeholders. Before moving into private equity, Lewittes worked at public relations agencies in her native New York, where she created visibility programs for hotels, restaurants, government agencies, hospitals, colleges, real estate developers and more. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from Boston University.
Rupp has more than 20 years of professional experience in the financial markets, investment management and financial advisory fields, and will lead Driftwood Capital’s business development initiatives, including institutional capital raising and consultant relations. Before joining Driftwood, he served as managing director and head of capital formation and institutional distribution at Walker & Dunlop Investment Partners in Denver. Before that, he was VP of institutional business development at Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors in Los Angeles, where he oversaw marketing the firm’s energy, real estate and credit funds. Rupp was also a managing partner at a high-net-worth family office based in Los Angeles that was affiliated with a commercial real estate fund. Earlier in his career, he served two stints with investment bank Merrill Lynch & Co.