Time and time again, Luke Pope encounters lessons on leadership. It’s not just one ‘aha’ moment that he recalls, it’s about experiencing lessons regularly. “Many leaders think making absolute decisions is leadership; however, that has not been my experience through the years,” said Pope. “Involving your team in making decisions that will impact them is essential. While not always easy, this gives everyone ownership in the process.”
Pope embraces this practice as the chief financial officer of Green Street Real Estate Ventures, an entrepreneurial, full-service real estate solutions provider. Although the company was founded in 2008, Pope took the lead as CFO in 2020 following 15+ years at Clifton Larson Allen where he led the St. Louis Real Estate practice as a principal.
Pope spent more than 15 years in public accounting at a top 10 national firm with a heavy emphasis on assisting real estate developers, operators and investors. This experience has helped him to ease into the role as CFO at Green Street where he has assisted in securing $15 million of investment for projects and introduced principals to new development opportunities.
“Recognizing great talent when they see it, Green Street created the CFO role specifically for Luke,” said his staff. “With his experience in structuring complex real estate transactions, tax credit consulting and supporting capital markets transactions, Luke is leading Green Street’s strategic plan into the next decade.”
Under Pope’s direction, Green Street has created a Workforce Housing fund to build amenity-rich attainable housing in urban growth markets throughout the Midwest and founded a capital strategies affiliate to offer creative financial solutions to low-income communities.
“Luke is always focused on new opportunities within the real estate and real estate financial services business sectors,” said his staff. “He has been key in launching an entertainment business as well as an additional business that looks to solve a growing problem with a sector of senior living.”
It’s Pope’s mission to fuel the entrepreneurial environment while focusing on passing on knowledge and skills to the next generation of developers through mentorship and internships. Pope credits the company’s success with the ability to involve the entire team collectively. “Nothing is more detrimental than trying to make all major decisions on your own,” said Pope. “Putting your trust in your team and giving them the resources to succeed are key to successful leadership.”
For his continued guidance and leadership, Pope has been named a Titan.
