Leadership Team

Current Responsibilities

Chris Pohlad serves as Chief of Staff, a key member of the Strategic Leadership Team and Executive Leadership Council. He is also responsible for oversight of the Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis asset and all hotel operations. He is Chief of Staff at United Properties and Northmarq, both owned by Pohlad Companies.

Past Experience

Chris joined United Properties in 2017 and since has worked as an Asset Manager, led marketing and rebranding efforts for Amira, the company’s senior living brand, and played a role in the establishment of the Four Seasons Hotel in Minneapolis, the first five-star luxury hotel in the state. Prior to that, he was at Northmarq for 6 years as an analyst and loan originator in Boston and Seattle.

Professional and Community Involvement

He serves as a trustee on the board of the University of Puget Sound, his alma mater.

Education

Chris earned a Bachelor of Science in Politics & Government with a concentration in International Relations from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington.

Current Responsibilities

As Executive Vice President of Amira Senior Living, Karla is responsible for United Properties’ senior living business line. She oversees both new development, acquisitions, management of the company’s portfolio of senior living investment assets, and the Amira brand. She drives the overall strategy for the business line and facilitates securing capital to execute the same, with the fundamental goal of creating and investing in high-quality senior living communities. She leads a team of eight with members in Minneapolis and Denver who implement and support the company’s senior living strategic initiatives.

Karla is also a member of United Properties’ Strategic Leadership Team which establishes the company’s overall strategic plan and oversees the organization’s broader operational initiatives.

Past Experience

Karla held the position of partner and vice president at Capital Real Estate Inc. for more than 10 years, during which she gained a deep understanding of the development process and built strong relationships with lenders and equity partners. In 2022, she joined United Properties as vice president of capital markets, where she was responsible for securing equity for speculative and build-to-suit developments for the company’s commercial and senior development pipeline, structuring joint ventures, and managing the due diligence process for equity partners to ensure timely closings.

Professional and Community Involvement

Karla is an active member of American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA) and National Investment Center (NIC).

Education

Karla earned her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business.

Current Responsibilities

As Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Laura provides strategic advice to management and transactional support and guidance to the Company. She also manages the company’s insurance portfolio and claims, as well as the organization’s dispute resolution needs.

Laura is also a member of United Properties’ Strategic Leadership Team which establishes the company’s overall strategic plan and oversees the organization’s broader operational initiatives.

Past Experience

Laura joined United Properties in 2019 as United Properties’ first in-house legal counsel and has since established a strong legal team and implemented strategies to effectively manage risk. Before joining United Properties, Laura served as Senior Counsel at Empire State Development where she worked on complex multi-party real estate development projects in the New York Metro Area, including the $1 billion redevelopment of Belmont Park into a 435,000 square foot retail complex and hotel. She has also worked for the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and Empire State Development.

Education

Laura received her Bachelor of Arts and her Juris Doctor degrees from Indiana University Bloomington.

Matt Van Slooten is the chief executive officer of United Properties.

Current Responsibilities

As chief executive officer, Van Slooten oversees all aspects of the business.

Past Experience

Matt joined United Properties in 2018 as President and Portfolio CIO and was promoted to CEO in 2022. Matt has been a long-time real estate industry leader, with 25 years at Carlson Real Estate Company, advancing through all critical company roles leading ultimately to becoming president of the organization, a post he held for 13 years. Matt also served as the president of commercial properties for CSM Corporation for 4 years, overseeing a 10 million sq. ft. portfolio of industrial, office, and retail properties.

Professional and Community Involvement

Matt is an active member of the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP) and a past Chapter President of NAIOP Minnesota. He is also a recipient of the NAIOP President’s Award (2009). He is an active member of the Young President’s Organization (YPO) and served on the Minnesota Chapter board as the membership chair. Matt is a member of the Children’s Minnesota Board of Directors and serves on its Finance Committee. While at Carlson Companies, he was the recipient of the Carlson Fellow Award for Leadership Achievement, the company’s highest honor.

Education

Matt earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from St. Cloud State University.