Minnesota

Mankato, Minn. — Tailwind Group has hired Casey Petersen as chief operating officer. In his new position, Petersen will lead and manage the Mankato, Minnesota-based firm’s core operational teams, driving performance and maximizing value across Tailwind’s portfolio. He most recently served as chief operating officer with PeakMade Real Estate and brings extensive experience across all facets of leadership, operations and business development to the role. “I could not be more excited to bring Casey in as our COO,” says President and CEO Brandon Smith. “His track record of leadership and operational …

Mankato, Minn. —Tailwind Group has appointed Brandon Smith to the roles of president and CEO and Lane Gravley to the role of chief people officer. Smith’s duties as CEO will begin immediately. Gravley, who currently acts as president within the organization, will continue in his role over the next few months and will transition presidential responsibilities over to Smith during that period. Upon the transition’s completion, Gravley will move into the newly created role of chief people officer. In his new role, Gravley will focus on working with company leaders to …

Minnetonka, Minn. — The Opus Group has promoted Ben Angelo to senior vice president of real estate development. In his new role, Angelo will lead the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based firm’s student living division. His responsibilities will include sourcing and pursuing new markets and opportunities; overseeing new development projects; and feasibility and financial analysis. Angelo joined Opus in 2016 and has over 20 years of experience in commercial real estate. “Since joining Opus, Ben has been instrumental in the growth of our student living portfolio,” says Executive Vice President Matt Rauenhorst. “We …