SRS Real Estate Partners is pleased to welcome Ben Hester as vice president in the Chicago office as part of SRS’ Walgreens team, which is responsible for new store locations, portfolio management, and dispositions. In addition to portfolio management, Ben will focus on the expansion of Walgreens' new small format locations. SRS has had an agreement to assist Walgreen Co. with their new store expansion, portfolio management, and relocation strategies since 2014.
Ben joins SRS after having spent more than 12 years with Walgreens in a variety of roles. Most recently, Ben was a senior retail portfolio manager responsible for more than 1,000 drugstore assets on the West Coast. During his time in that role, he secured Walgreens considerable occupancy savings through lease amendments and negotiating rent reductions, and oversaw lease execution, construction, and deployment of more than 100 specialty and drugstore openings. Ben spent the first six years of his time with Walgreens focused on design and project management, leading the development and deployment teams for their high-profile store program, as well as prepared preliminary planning studies for over 200 retail projects for the real estate department in preparation for executive committee.
Ben is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, where he studied architecture. He is a member of ICSC, a Certified Commercial Investment Member, and a member of the American Institute of Architects. In his free time he gives back to the community as a volunteer at Center for Halsted - the Midwest's most comprehensive community center dedicated to advancing community and securing the health and well-being of the people of Chicagoland.
About SRS Real Estate Partners
SRS Real Estate Partners is the largest real estate company in North America exclusively dedicated to retail services. Headquartered in Dallas with more than 25 offices worldwide, SRS’ strong reach and international presence provide the company with unparalleled knowledge both globally and domestically. As a result, clients of SRS have a competitive edge through a full range of offerings including brokerage services, corporate services, development services, and investment services. Since its inception in 1986, SRS has built a strong foundation in the retail real estate world and grown into one of the industry’s most influential and respected leaders. Our success is measured in the achievement of our clients’ objectives, satisfaction and trust. For more information, please visit www.srsre.com.
