Officers & Directors

Mr. Kaplan was named Chairman of our Board in 2025 and has served as our Chief Executive Officer and a member of our Board since our inception. Mr. Kaplan joined our predecessor operating companies in 1986, co-founded our immediate predecessor in 1991 and served as the Chief Financial Officer for our predecessor operating companies from 1991 to 2006. Mr. Kaplan received his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1983 and his M.B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1986.

Mr. Panzer is our President and Chief Operating Officer and has served as a member of our Board since 2006. Mr. Panzer joined our predecessor operating companies in 1984, co-founded our immediate predecessor in 1991 and served as the Chief Operating Officer of our predecessor operating companies from 1991 to 2006. Mr. Panzer received his bachelor’s degree from Penn State University in 1982.

Kevin A. Crummy is our Chief Investment Officer. Prior to joining us in 2014, Mr. Crummy spent 20 years at Eastdil Secured, a real estate investment banking company, where he was a Managing Director responsible for sales and recapitalizations in Los Angeles, Hawaii and other major West Coast markets. Mr. Crummy also led the Eastdil Secured team that sourced Asian based capital for real estate transactions in the United States and Europe. Mr. Crummy holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Science in Real Estate and Urban Land Economics from the University of Wisconsin School of Business.

Mr. Seymour, joined Douglas Emmett in 2017 as its Chief Strategic Officer. Before joining Douglas Emmett, Mr. Seymour spent 20 years at The Walt Disney Company, where he had served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Disney-ABC Television Group. Mr. Seymour holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Ms. Aronson is our Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary. Prior to rejoining Douglas Emmett in 2014, Ms. Aronson spent 13 years at Morgan Stanley where she was a Managing Director in Morgan Stanley’s global real estate investing business, overseeing the investor relations group and the structuring and financing of MSREF investments in Asia and Europe. Prior to Morgan Stanley, Ms. Aronson was an attorney in the Tokyo and Los Angeles offices of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker and served as Vice President & Legal Counsel for Douglas Emmett from 1997-1999. Ms. Aronson holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Southern California.