Michael Reese

About Michael Reese

I am a senior corporate real estate executive overseeing a multi-state real estate portfolio spanning retail, corporate office, and operational sites within a regulated banking environment. As SVP, Head of Corporate Real Estate & Facilities, I am responsible for an enterprise portfolio featuring locations coast to coast, supporting thousands of team members, with multi-million annual operating and capital oversight. I lead portfolio strategy, facilities operations, physical security, capital projects, and enterprise lease governance. I report directly to C-level leadership and am responsible for real estate commitments, capital allocation, facility operations, and occupancy strategy. My mandate is to deliver measurable impact: reduce cost, improve utilization, strengthen operational resilience, and align the physical footprint with workplace strategy in support of growth and risk objectives. Since assuming this role, I have delivered measurable cost compression, reduced operating spend and executed capital projects on time and under budget while supporting enterprise-wide expansion and transformation initiatives. My background combines operator execution, institutional advisory experience, and legal training—allowing me to lead complex, regulated portfolios with financial rigor and governance discipline.

Experience

1. SVP, Head of Corporate Real Estate & Facilities Management

   Customers Bank

   Mar 2024 — Present

   Executive owner of the bank’s enterprise real estate, facilities, and physical security platform across fourteen (14) states.Oversee a multi-state real estate portfolio spanning retail branches, corporate offices, and operational facilities across dozens of locations Direct annual occupancy and operating budgets, with full accountability for financial performance and cost disciplineReduced operational budget through vendor renegotiation, footprint optimization, and performance management Delivered measurable cost compression and improved space utilization across the portfolio, aligning occupancy cost with enterprise growth strategy Lead capital program, overseeing design, construction, and delivery of up to nine concurrent projects across multiple markets on time and under budget, maintaining disciplined ROI governance and executive visibility Serve as executive responsible for all leases, renewals, relocations, acquisitions, and dispositions Develop and present portfolio strategy, capital plans, and risk assessments to C-suite leadership; report directly to executive management Lead and manage internal facilities and physical security teams, establishing performance standards and operational controls Oversee national vendor network and build and manage external professional teams including brokers, attorneys, architects, engineers, project managers, and contractors Drive cross-functional collaboration across finance, risk, HR, operations, technology, and business line leadership to align workplace strategy with enterprise priorities Strengthened governance framework for physical security, vendor oversight, and enterprise facilities operations to enhance regulatory alignment and operational resilience

Education

• Temple University - James E. Beasley School of Law

  Juris Doctor

  2009 — 2012

• West Chester University of Pennsylvania

  B.A, American History

  1998 — 2002

• The Haverford School

  High School

  1994 — 1998

• Cabrini University

  Masters of Education

  2004 — 2005

Skills

• Civil Litigation
• Legal Writing
• Litigation
• Westlaw
• Courts
• Legal Research
• Dispute Resolution
• Corporate Law
• Research
• Appeals
• Insurance Law