Hoony Shin, 39

Hoony Shin likes momentum. When the Houston native felt the urge to expand his skill set, or simply sensed it was time for a new challenge, he never hesitated to pivot. But eight years into his tenure at Los Angeles-based lender Mesa West Capital, where he now serves as vice president of originations covering West Coast markets, Shin has found his stride.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in economics from Rice University, where he played Division I tennis, Shin joined Wells Fargo Securities’ oil and gas group. After four years at Wells Fargo, Shin found himself increasingly curious about the principal side of the business and joined Houston-based developer Hines, focusing on office acquisitions for its real estate investment trust platform.

“I really enjoyed the experience. It’s a great company, and I can’t say enough about Hines as an organization,” Shin said.

Still, soon he was ready for something new. Having long wanted to move to California, Shin enrolled in the UCLA Anderson School of Management’s MBA program, specializing in real estate. After graduating, he learned through a friend that Mesa West Capital was hiring. The rest, as they say, is history.

Most recently, Shin played a key role in a $201.5 million loan package for a joint venture between Interstate Equities and PGIM to acquire a four-property multifamily portfolio stretching from Seattle to the San Francisco Peninsula.

“We felt like it was one of those marquee transactions out here on the West Coast, and so that was very competitive,” he said.

As for what comes next, Shin’s focus is straightforward: keep originating deals.

“We’ve put out close to $1 billion of loan volume as a firm just this year,” he said. “The goal for us is to continue deploying that capital, which will ultimately help us raise a bigger fund for our next fund. We are satisfied with the way this year has gone, so we want to keep that momentum going.”