Our Team

Peninsula’s team is composed of talented and experienced professionals from across the Americas. Currently, the Firm has offices in Miami, Montevideo, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Lima, Panama and Sao Paulo

FOUNDERS & MANAGING DIRECTORS

JOSEF PRESCHEL

Based in: Miami, United States of America
Josef is Managing Director and Founder of Peninsula Investments Group. Mr. Preschel has over 16 years of experience in Real Estate.
He has been both an Investor and Developer of residential and mixed-used projects across Latin America and the South Eastern US. While working in Latin America, Josef identified a significant regional housing deficit, which he saw as a great opportunity to create value by investing in the residential development space; therefore, in 2005 he co-founded Peninsula with Mauricio Levitin. At Peninsula, Josef is responsible for overseeing investments, portfolio allocation in Mexico, Panama and Colombia, and managing investor relations. He is a member of the Investment Committee of the different funds of the firm.
Prior to founding Peninsula, Josef managed the day-to-day operations of Rain Forest Adventures for Boston Capital Ventures (“BCV”). Before joining BCV, Josef worked in Venezuela as Manager of New Business Development for Patagon (acquired by Santander Bank in 2000) and as Assistant Brand Manager for Procter & Gamble. Josef earned his MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and his industrial Engineering degree from the Universidad Catolica Andres Bello of Caracas.



MAURICIO LEVITIN Z"L

​​​​ Mauricio Z"L is Founder of Peninsula Investments Group. Mr. Levitin was actively involved in Real Estate investment since 1996. Following his passion, he co-founded Peninsula in 2005, an asset management firm focused on Real Estate investments across the Americas. Peninsula’s strategy is based on identifying opportunistic investments in markets that have favorable demographic trends, growing economies, availability of financing and where Peninsula has a strong network of relationships to partner with trusted and experienced local developers. Prior to Peninsula, Mauricio was a management consultant with McKinsey & Co. for seven years. At McKinsey, he led a wide range of engagements in corporate strategy, business acceleration, turnaround and M&A across many industries including telecom, media, internet, consumer goods, retail, basic material and mining. With McKinsey, Mauricio worked in various markets, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Spain, the United States, Uruguay and Venezuela. During his MBA, Mauricio worked at Lehman Brothers in London as a Summer Associate in the Real Estate Investment Banking division. At Lehman, he developed M&A strategies for companies across Europe.
Mr. Levitin also served as Director in several company boards and is a Mentor of Endeavor entrepreneurs. Mauricio earned his MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and his BBA from the Goizueta Business School of Emory University.



JUAN FERNANDO VALDIVIESO

Based in: Miami, United States of America Juan Fernando is Managing Director of Peninsula U.S. Mr. Valdivieso has been actively involved in real estate investing since 2004.
Juan Fernando joined Peninsula in 2015 as Managing Director of Alternative Real Estate. At Peninsula, Juan Fernando is responsible for leading the firm’s efforts in the United States and Latin America in student and senior housing, in partnership with specialized developers. Prior to Peninsula, Juan Fernando founded and led various private equity, consulting and real estate companies, including Abu Dhabi Equity Partners, focused on investments in agribusiness and real estate in emerging markets, Gulf Housing Solutions, focused on staff and workforce housing in the UAE, Dubai Equity Partners, a US-based real estate investment company and Park Street Advisors, a boutique strategy consulting and private equity firm. Prior to that, Juan Fernando was a junior partner with McKinsey & Co. where he worked for 7 years. He worked in 14 different offices in 9 countries, primarily in projects in financial services, telecom & oil, with a special focus on strategy, business building, M&A and post-merger management. He earned his MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and his BA degrees in Economics & Business and International Affairs from Lafayette College. Juan Fernando was awarded the Wall Street Journal Achievement Award in Economics, as one of the top Economics undergraduates in the United States



CARLOS MENDIEVE

Based in: Montevideo, Uruguay Carlos is Managing Director of Peninsula Rentals Uruguay Mr. Mendive join Peninsula in 2014 to structure a new line of business in the housing sector focusing in acquiring homes for rent and founding Peninsula Rentals Uruguay. He is the Managing Director of Peninsula Rentals Uruguay. Prior Peninsula, between the years 2007 up to 2012, Carlos was the first President of the Agencia Nacional de Vivienda (ANV), where he designed and executed the administration of a portfolio of almost 70,000 homes with mortgage transferred from the Banco Hipotecario del Uruguay (BHU). While he was in the Administration, was responsible of different legal initiatives related with the development of the financing sector and investments in housing for mid income homes. Some examples are the Program to Promote Private Investments in mid income homes and Notas de Crédito Hipotecarias that is a financial instrument similar to the cover bonds from several European countries. Carlos studied at MSc Urban and Regional Planning Studies, London School of Economics, UK and obtained his Major in Economics in Universidad Torcuato di Tella in Argentina.



INVESTMENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS

PABLO HABERER

Based in: Miami, US - 25-year experience in Management Consulting and Investment practices across Latin America and the US. - Senior Partner in the Americas at Oliver Wyman. - Member of the Global Leadership Council - 18 years with McKinsey & Co. where he led the Corporate Finance and Strategy Practice, the Global Infrastructure Practice and the Global Media and Entertainment Practice. - Board member of Chubb Mexico, SofoPlus Mexico. - MSc from Krannert Management School, Purdue University - CPA from Universidad de Montevideo



ROBERT STERN

Based in: NY, USA

- 30-year experience in Real Estate, across property types throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. - Invested in approximately 18,000 multifamily units across the country since 2010. - Owner and investor in the self-storage sector, having acquired and/or developed over 10,000 self-storage units. - Managing Partner of Perry Capital, a multi-billion-dollar hedge fund. - Managing Director of Blackacre Capital Management, the real estate arm of Cerberus Capital Management. - Mr. Stern holds a BA from Connecticut College and an MBA from Columbia University.



CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

FERNANDA SOLARI

Based in: Montevideo, Uruguay Fernanda is responsible for the Financial Structuring & Controlling of all the holding companies and investments from the moment they are formed and funded until the time all funds have been distributed and the company is liquidated. She also manages the fund accounting and Investor reports. Prior to joining Peninsula, Fernanda was a Senior Corporate Finance Analyst at E-Valora Financial Services (Madrid, Spain), where she headed financial due diligence, business plans and business valuations of companies from several industries, including telecom, renewable energy, consulting, retail and media. Before E-Valora, she worked in PricewaterhouseCoopers as an auditor and at Posadas, Posadas & Vecino as an accountant, where she managed the accounting and tax settlements for a portfolio of major companies across South America. Fernanda earned her Masters in Finance from IDE-Cessem (Madrid), her Masters in General Management in ESERP Business School (Madrid) and her CPA degree from the Universidad de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay (UDELAR).



GENERAL COUNSEL

GASTON TARABAL

Based in: Montevideo, Uruguay Gaston is the General Counsel of Peninsula, being responsible for all legal matters, such as negotiating and drafting agreements and other legal documents, giving legal advice, leading due diligence and compliance processes, as well as hiring, coordinating and supervising external counsel. Prior to joining Peninsula, Gaston was an International Associate for the Projects, Energy and Infrastructure Group at Allen & Overy (Washington, DC), where he was actively involved in advising international companies and multilateral agencies mainly regarding infrastructure deals in Latin America and Africa. During his years at Allen & Overy he participated in deals in Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Paraguay, Gabon, Nigeria, among others. Before Allen & Overy, he worked as an associate at the Corporate & Banking Group for the law firm Guyer & Regules (Montevideo, Uruguay) and as business and legal advisor for a Brazilian international company, providing legal advice on corporate, banking and commercial issues. Gaston earned his L.L.M. from Columbia University (New York) and his J.D. from the Universidad Católica of Uruguay.



SENIOR CONSTRUCTION CONTROLLER

FABIÁN BAYONA

Based in: Bogota, Colombia Fabian is responsible for the projects Technical Controlling, from the initial design & engineering to completion and delivery to the buyers. This includes reviewing designs and the proposed engineering, optimizing the construction process, analyzing key contracts, benchmarking the costs of supplies/materials and any other variable that could have an impact on costs. Additionally, he is responsible for projects to execute the technical due diligence and apply best practices in term sheets for new investments, revise the accomplishment of quality and environmental & safety standards according fund internal policies. Fabian has been involved since 2004 on the construction of real estate projects in different locations and diverse income-target-groups. Prior to joining Peninsula, Fabian was Planning & Control Director at Construmax (Colombia), where he led a team of professionals responsible for Architectural Design, Preview Engineering, Budgeting, Construction Programming and Construction Cash Flows in the development of projects in several locations across the country. Before Construmax, he worked in Constructora Bolivar (one of most important housing-building companies in Colombia) as a Control & Cost Coordinator. Fabian earned his Master in Construction Management from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Bogota), and his Civil Engineering degree from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia.



GENERAL COUNSEL

GASTON TARABAL

Based in: Montevideo, Uruguay Gaston is the General Counsel of Peninsula, being responsible for all legal matters, such as negotiating and drafting agreements and other legal documents, giving legal advice, leading due diligence and compliance processes, as well as hiring, coordinating and supervising external counsel. Prior to joining Peninsula, Gaston was an International Associate for the Projects, Energy and Infrastructure Group at Allen & Overy (Washington, DC), where he was actively involved in advising international companies and multilateral agencies mainly regarding infrastructure deals in Latin America and Africa. During his years at Allen & Overy he participated in deals in Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Paraguay, Gabon, Nigeria, among others. Before Allen & Overy, he worked as an associate at the Corporate & Banking Group for the law firm Guyer & Regules (Montevideo, Uruguay) and as business and legal advisor for a Brazilian international company, providing legal advice on corporate, banking and commercial issues. Gaston earned his L.L.M. from Columbia University (New York) and his J.D. from the Universidad Católica of Uruguay.



CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

FERNANDA SOLARI

Based in: Montevideo, Uruguay Fernanda is responsible for the Financial Structuring & Controlling of all the holding companies and investments from the moment they are formed and funded until the time all funds have been distributed and the company is liquidated. She also manages the fund accounting and Investor reports. Prior to joining Peninsula, Fernanda was a Senior Corporate Finance Analyst at E-Valora Financial Services (Madrid, Spain), where she headed financial due diligence, business plans and business valuations of companies from several industries, including telecom, renewable energy, consulting, retail and media. Before E-Valora, she worked in PricewaterhouseCoopers as an auditor and at Posadas, Posadas & Vecino as an accountant, where she managed the accounting and tax settlements for a portfolio of major companies across South America. Fernanda earned her Masters in Finance from IDE-Cessem (Madrid), her Masters in General Management in ESERP Business School (Madrid) and her CPA degree from the Universidad de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay (UDELAR).



SENIOR FUND ACCOUNTING & IR

JUAN IGNACIO MERA

Based in: Montevideo, Uruguay Juan Ignacio is responsible for the accounting of the Funds, Holding & Management Companies, Investor Reports, Auditing and Back-Office. Prior to joining Peninsula, Juan Ignacio was a Senior Accountant at Posadas & Vecino Consultores Internacionales (specialized unit of Posadas, Posadas & Vecino), where he Headed the BPO Fund Administration Services Department. He was responsible for performing the following activities for third party funds: structuring, accounting, calculating the NAV, acting as the registrar and transfer agent as well as maintaining relationships with the General Partners and/or Shareholders. Before Posadas & Vecino Consultores Internacionales he worked in the Accounting Department of a local maritime containers company. Juan Ignacio earned his CPA degree from the Universidad de la República Oriental del Uruguay (UDELAR).



FOUNDERS & MANAGING DIRECTORS

JOSEF PRESCHEL

Based in: Miami, United States of America
Josef is Managing Director and Founder of Peninsula Investments Group. Mr. Preschel has over 16 years of experience in Real Estate.
He has been both an Investor and Developer of residential and mixed-used projects across Latin America and the South Eastern US. While working in Latin America, Josef identified a significant regional housing deficit, which he saw as a great opportunity to create value by investing in the residential development space; therefore, in 2005 he co-founded Peninsula with Mauricio Levitin. At Peninsula, Josef is responsible for overseeing investments, portfolio allocation in Mexico, Panama and Colombia, and managing investor relations. He is a member of the Investment Committee of the different funds of the firm.
Prior to founding Peninsula, Josef managed the day-to-day operations of Rain Forest Adventures for Boston Capital Ventures (“BCV”). Before joining BCV, Josef worked in Venezuela as Manager of New Business Development for Patagon (acquired by Santander Bank in 2000) and as Assistant Brand Manager for Procter & Gamble. Josef earned his MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and his industrial Engineering degree from the Universidad Catolica Andres Bello of Caracas.



MAURICIO LEVITIN Z"L

​​​​ Mauricio Z"L is Founder of Peninsula Investments Group. Mr. Levitin was actively involved in Real Estate investment since 1996. Following his passion, he co-founded Peninsula in 2005, an asset management firm focused on Real Estate investments across the Americas. Peninsula’s strategy is based on identifying opportunistic investments in markets that have favorable demographic trends, growing economies, availability of financing and where Peninsula has a strong network of relationships to partner with trusted and experienced local developers. Prior to Peninsula, Mauricio was a management consultant with McKinsey & Co. for seven years. At McKinsey, he led a wide range of engagements in corporate strategy, business acceleration, turnaround and M&A across many industries including telecom, media, internet, consumer goods, retail, basic material and mining. With McKinsey, Mauricio worked in various markets, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Spain, the United States, Uruguay and Venezuela. During his MBA, Mauricio worked at Lehman Brothers in London as a Summer Associate in the Real Estate Investment Banking division. At Lehman, he developed M&A strategies for companies across Europe.
Mr. Levitin also served as Director in several company boards and is a Mentor of Endeavor entrepreneurs. Mauricio earned his MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and his BBA from the Goizueta Business School of Emory University.



JUAN FERNANDO VALDIVIESO

Based in: Miami, United States of America Juan Fernando is Managing Director of Peninsula U.S. Mr. Valdivieso has been actively involved in real estate investing since 2004.
Juan Fernando joined Peninsula in 2015 as Managing Director of Alternative Real Estate. At Peninsula, Juan Fernando is responsible for leading the firm’s efforts in the United States and Latin America in student and senior housing, in partnership with specialized developers. Prior to Peninsula, Juan Fernando founded and led various private equity, consulting and real estate companies, including Abu Dhabi Equity Partners, focused on investments in agribusiness and real estate in emerging markets, Gulf Housing Solutions, focused on staff and workforce housing in the UAE, Dubai Equity Partners, a US-based real estate investment company and Park Street Advisors, a boutique strategy consulting and private equity firm. Prior to that, Juan Fernando was a junior partner with McKinsey & Co. where he worked for 7 years. He worked in 14 different offices in 9 countries, primarily in projects in financial services, telecom & oil, with a special focus on strategy, business building, M&A and post-merger management. He earned his MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and his BA degrees in Economics & Business and International Affairs from Lafayette College. Juan Fernando was awarded the Wall Street Journal Achievement Award in Economics, as one of the top Economics undergraduates in the United States



CARLOS MENDIEVE

Based in: Montevideo, Uruguay Carlos is Managing Director of Peninsula Rentals Uruguay Mr. Mendive join Peninsula in 2014 to structure a new line of business in the housing sector focusing in acquiring homes for rent and founding Peninsula Rentals Uruguay. He is the Managing Director of Peninsula Rentals Uruguay. Prior Peninsula, between the years 2007 up to 2012, Carlos was the first President of the Agencia Nacional de Vivienda (ANV), where he designed and executed the administration of a portfolio of almost 70,000 homes with mortgage transferred from the Banco Hipotecario del Uruguay (BHU). While he was in the Administration, was responsible of different legal initiatives related with the development of the financing sector and investments in housing for mid income homes. Some examples are the Program to Promote Private Investments in mid income homes and Notas de Crédito Hipotecarias that is a financial instrument similar to the cover bonds from several European countries. Carlos studied at MSc Urban and Regional Planning Studies, London School of Economics, UK and obtained his Major in Economics in Universidad Torcuato di Tella in Argentina.



SENIOR FUND ACCOUNTING & IR

JUAN IGNACIO MERA

Based in: Montevideo, Uruguay Juan Ignacio is responsible for the accounting of the Funds, Holding & Management Companies, Investor Reports, Auditing and Back-Office. Prior to joining Peninsula, Juan Ignacio was a Senior Accountant at Posadas & Vecino Consultores Internacionales (specialized unit of Posadas, Posadas & Vecino), where he Headed the BPO Fund Administration Services Department. He was responsible for performing the following activities for third party funds: structuring, accounting, calculating the NAV, acting as the registrar and transfer agent as well as maintaining relationships with the General Partners and/or Shareholders. Before Posadas & Vecino Consultores Internacionales he worked in the Accounting Department of a local maritime containers company. Juan Ignacio earned his CPA degree from the Universidad de la República Oriental del Uruguay (UDELAR).



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