Name/Title/Company: Mike Riopel / Assistant General Counsel / Northwestern Mutual

Briefly tell us what you do, and length of time in the CRE industry: As Assistant General Counsel at Northwestern Mutual I help with the documentation and legal considerations of our $60 billion commercial real estate development and investment portfolio across the country. My dad was a real estate developer and investor in a small town in northern Wisconsin, which means I’ve been in commercial real estate my whole life (early jobs included pulling carpets and replacing laundry machines). My early exposure and experience has instilled a true passion for this work and I hope to carry that forward to our future leaders. 

How do you hope to contribute to the NAIOP Wisconsin Board and what do you hope to get in return?: I hope to bring my passion for the industry to promote engagement from our members, grow membership and draw others to the amazing opportunities within the CRE industry while also eliminating hurdles that might prevent others from taking full advantage of those opportunities. 

Which project or professional accomplishment are you most proud of?: There’s really two that come to mind, (1) first is playing a role in launching the NAIOP/Marquette MKE CRE Summer Immersion Program for high performing but underrepresented high school students and (2) is the opportunity to become Vice Chair of the Advisory Board for the Marquette Center for Real Estate. I firmly believe education is the key to opportunity and I would not have the opportunities I have today without the exposure I had at Marquette and early in my life. 

How else are you involved or how would you like to be more involved in NAIOP Wisconsin?: Currently, I’m on the Board of Directors and help organize and lead the MKE CRE program. In the future I’d like to become more involved with the Executive Committee. The Milwaukee development community is in the midst of an incredible period of innovation and change and NAIOP Wisconsin can help continue to be a resource and ally in navigating that transition. I’m also very involved at the corporate level with NAIOP, serving as a NAIOP Research Foundation Governor, a member of Foundation’s Fundraising Committee and as  co-chair of the Foundation’s Visionaries committee. I also serve on the Editorial Board for NAIOP’s Development Magazine. 

Tell us about your family: My wife Jennifer and I reside in Menomonee Falls with our four children, Tenleigh (10), Tyler (6), Thomas (3) and Theo (2). They keep us pretty busy between activities and other adventures but I would be nothing without Jen’s commitment and aptitude in being a great mom. 

What is your favorite quote?: Failure is only the opportunity more intelligently to begin again - Henry Ford.

What is the last or favorite book you read?: I read “The Startup of You” by Reid Hoffman just after law school and believe it’s a very underrated book.  

What's the best Halloween costume you ever wore?: Doug Funny or Forest Gump. 

What is your favorite vacation destination?: Florida.

How do you find a moment of peace to calm or center yourself?: Recently I’ve been more mindful and thoughtful about topics in business that I find interesting, by being more reflective I’ve avoided just constantly “scrolling” and it’s really been impactful to take that approach.