Brian Harris is the CEO of Ladder Capital, a position he has held since 2017. He has over 30 years of experience in the real estate and finance sectors, which is pretty impressive. Before joining Ladder, he worked at UBS...
Brian Harris is the CEO of Ladder Capital, a position he has held since 2017. He has over 30 years of experience in the real estate and finance sectors, which is pretty impressive. Before joining Ladder, he worked at UBS where he managed significant equity for commercial real estate globally. Harris also has an interesting pay structure; his salary started at $1,000,000 but he has enjoyed substantial bonuses tied to the company's earnings. For example, in 2023, he received a total of nearly $15 million, including an incredible cash bonus of $8.2 million, which is 4.05% of Ladder Capital's distributable earnings. His stock awards are fully vested upon grant, which means he has immediate ownership of the shares he earns from his performance. That said, he's got some heavy commitments too—should he leave without cause, his severance package can be as high as $10 million, incentivizing stability. Harris’s journey at Ladder capital is a mix of skillful management and a structured incentive system that aligns with the interests of shareholders, making him a key figure in the company's strategy.