LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Brian Saenger, the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Ratkovich Company, a Los Angeles-based real estate development company specializing in urban infill and historic rehabilitation of landmark properties, has been named a founding member of the UCLA Anderson Forecast Board of Advisors.
Saenger is a veteran real estate executive who played a leading role in The Ratkovich Company’s acquisition and development of The Bloc in downtown Los Angeles and West Harbor in San Pedro, among other major projects. He is a member of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce’s “The CEO Council,” an advisory group of top business leaders focused on ensuring affordable housing for middle-income families and building a workforce that is prepared for the good-paying jobs of the future. He is also a member of the BizFed PAC, a project of Los Angeles County Business Federation, the only business political action committee focused on local elections in all 88 cities in L.A. County. In 2021, Saenger was named to the Los Angeles Business Journal’s list of 500 Most Influential People in Los Angeles.
“It is an honor to be a founding member of the UCLA Anderson Forecast Board of Advisors, which has been invaluable in providing insights about California for nearly 70 years,” Saenger said. “As a UCLA alumnus and proud Bruin, it is even more special, and I look forward to working with my esteemed colleagues on the Board and the impressive team of economists and researchers who are the backbone of the Anderson Forecast.”
The UCLA Anderson Forecast, founded by Professor Robert M. Williams in 1952, is one of the most widely watched and frequently cited economic outlooks for California and the nation with a long reputation for being unbiased. It was the first major U.S. economic forecasting group to declare the 2001 recession, as well as identify when the most recent one caused by the COVID-19 pandemic had already begun. In addition, it was uniquely able to foresee the strength of California’s post-1993 rebound and sustained strength. The Forecast holds quarterly conferences that are attended by a cross-section of respected academics, businesspeople, and other influential figures from across California and the United States.
“We are very pleased to welcome Brian to our Advisory Board,” said Jerry Nickelsburg, Director of the UCLA Anderson Forecast. “His expertise working on some of the most significant real estate deals in our state will add a tremendous amount of value to the Forecast’s work. His hands-on insights about the micro and macro impacts of real estate development in California complements our focus on development as a critical economic driver.”
Before becoming President and CEO earlier this year, Saenger served as the Company’s Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, where he was responsible for overseeing the Company’s operations, including development management, property management, and legal and administrative functions.
Prior to that, Saenger was the Company’s Vice President of Acquisitions, playing a leading role in the Company’s acquisition of The Bloc, a 1.8 million square foot, mixed-use property in downtown Los Angeles consisting of retail, office and hospitality uses. He also represented the Company in the successful negotiation of a 66-year ground lease for the development of West Harbor (formerly known as the San Pedro Public Market), a $150-million transformation of a 42-acre site along the Los Angeles waterfront in San Pedro. In August 2021, West Harbor was featured in the Los Angeles Times for landing seven high-profile restaurant and entertainment leases during the pandemic.
About The Ratkovich Company
The Ratkovich Company (TRC) is a Los Angeles-based development company that engages in both new projects and the imaginative reuse of existing buildings. TRC has completed, or has under development, over 18 million square feet of commercial space in Los Angeles County, including West Harbor; The Bloc, a 1.8 million square foot, mixed-use property at the heart of downtown Los Angeles; The Alhambra, a 40-acre mixed-use urban community in the city of Alhambra; and The Hercules Campus at Playa Vista, a landmark property including the hangar where Howard Hughes’ legendary Spruce Goose was built, and now home to Google/YouTube and 72andSunny. TRC has won numerous awards for its restoration of Los Angeles landmarks including the Art Deco Wiltern Theatre and adjacent Pellissier building; the iconic 31-story 5900 Wilshire on Miracle Mile; and the Chapman Market. The James Oviatt and Fine Arts buildings were both awarded national landmark status after successful renovations by TRC. For more information, visit www.ratkovich.com.
