Leadership
Sapphire Capital Group (SCG) is led by a seasoned team of commercial real estate finance experts who bring an average of 25 years’ experience creating successful financing solutions for commercial real estate owners. Our executives have successfully navigated all positions of the real estate investment capital stack: owner, lender and equity investor. The team’s selective approach allows them to deliver personalized, creative and flexible financing solutions to every client. Please learn more about our leadership team below.
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Andrew Weiss
President/CEO
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Walter Whitt
Managing Director
Andrew Weiss
President/CEO
Andrew “Andy” Weiss, President/CEO
Andrew Weiss is the President/CEO of Sapphire Capital Group. Andy has been working in the real estate finance business for over 30 years. He has worked in a variety of roles, including commercial lending, private equity, acquisitions and as a capital advisor.
Prior Experience
- Cantor Fitzgerald – Andy worked as a Managing Director for Cantor Fitzgerald’s CCRE lending platform from 2010 until 2015 where he ran a team which originated CMBS loans. His team closed $1B of loan production in 2015.
- CIM Group – Andy worked for CIM Group from 2007 until 2010, where he originated equity investments, including the acquisition of several distressed debt deals.
- Capital Advisor – Andy has had his own Capital Advisory firm since 1998. Andy ran a mid-Atlantic office for a national mortgage brokerage firm from 2000 until 2007, where he originated a variety of first mortgage loans and joint venture equity investments.
- First Washington Realty – Andy worked as a member of the senior management team for a private retail shopping center company, First Washington Realty, that went public in 1994. He led the acquisitions and finance team when they went public and closed on a floating rate loan with Nomura. This deal financed all of their acquisitions that were contributed to the REIT upon its formation.
- Prudential Mortgage Capital Company – Andy began his career working for Prudential Mortgage Capital Company in Washington, DC, where he originated both permanent and construction loans on all property types.
Education and Licenses
- MBA, Concentrations in Finance and Real Estate, MIT Sloan School of Management
- B.A., Applied Mathematics Major, Hobart & William Smith Colleges
- Licensed Series 22 and 63 registered securities representative
- Licensed real estate salesperson in the District of Columbia and Maryland
Industry Involvement
- Mortgage Bankers Association, ICSC, and CFBN
Walter Whitt
Managing Director
Mr. Whitt is a Managing Director for Sapphire Capital Group and is responsible for business development and transaction management. Walter has been involved in commercial real estate since 1991, focusing on capital markets and balance-sheet debt. He has originated over $2 billion in construction loans, bridge loans, and corporate lines of credit.
Professional Experience
Since 1991, Mr. Whitt focused on capital markets and balance sheet debt execution in the commercial real estate industry, holding senior production and management positions within the real estate divisions of major financial institutions that include First Union Capital Markets, Wells Fargo Securities, and US Bank.
Prior to joining SCG, Mr. Whitt managed a team of 16+ real estate professionals, with P+L responsibilities for a $1.6 billion loan portfolio, generating over $38 million of annual revenue.
Education and Licenses
- B.S./B.A. in Business Administration, E. Claiborne Robins School of Business at the University of Richmond
- Executive Leadership Program, Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota
Industry Involvement
- ULI, ICSC, DCBIA
Civic and Community Involvement
- Chairman of the Board of Directors, Washington DC Chapter, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation