Charles Gallagher has more than 20 years of entrepreneurial, corporate strategy, operations and senior level management experience primarily focused in the area of global real estate finance & development. He is a thought leader on ESG (Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance) principles and known as a hands-on leader and clear thinker.
A global citizen with dual US and EU citizenship, he was the former Head of Global Real Estate for Cubic Corporation (NYSE:CUB) where he managed a two million SF portfolio, approximately Ninety (90) office and industrial buildings in twenty-five (25) countries including UK, Singapore, Italy, Australia, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and India. He spearheaded the $125 million financing and development of the Company’s new 246,000 SF Corporate HQ Campus. A skilled negotiator, he has been responsible for real estate on joint projects with foreign governments and transportation agencies worldwide. He has performed due diligence on numerous technology acquisitions with a market value of approximately $500 million.
An early ESG proponent of investment in sustainable technology and environmental action, he partnered with Ed Guiles, former Chairman & CEO San Diego Gas & Electric & The Gas Company (the regulated utilities of Sempra Energy NYSE:SRE) and co-founded California Solar Ranch, LLC with two prominent partners. Charles served as CEO and successfully negotiated one of the largest leases in California for 14,000 acres of land owned by a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell to transform from fossil fuels to solar. Mr. Gallagher managed the Company, including permitting and strategic planning, as well as serving on its Board of Directors. He raised $10 million of venture capital for this Company from investors in the United States and Austria.
He is the former Managing Partner of Urban Renewal Investors, LLC, (“URI”), UR Realty Partners, LLC, and Meridian Development LLC. He and partners raised $12.5 Million and acquired one city block in Sacramento, California and developed 64 Residential Row Homes. In addition, he designed an affordable residential community acquiring parcels from six different landowners totaling Twenty (20) acres adjacent to a Southern California golf course and entitled 120 Attached Condos and 80 Detached Residential Units to be acquired by a major US homebuilder. Mr. Gallagher is the former Vice President of The Allen Group, a privately held real estate company. He joined The Allen Group in 1999, after the merger of its office portfolio with Kilroy Realty (NYSE: KRC) and then served for 5 years as Vice President, participating in the development of three million square feet of office, residential and industrial product with a market value of $400 million. Notably leading the Marketing effort to attract Target Stores largest 1.7 Million SF West Coast Distribution Center and negotiating Foreign Trade Zone tax status with Port of Los Angeles and new infrastructure from State of California accessing the industrial park thereby creating 950 new jobs in an area with historically high unemployment.
Born in Silicon Valley, he has invested in start-ups in healthcare and education. He is a graduate of Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose, California. He served on the Board of Directors of Sister Cities, San Jose during which time Pune, India became a Sister City of San Jose which led to an opportunity to personally meet Mother Teresa. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of San Francisco, graduating in 1996. He served on the USF Board of Trustees Development Committee that raised $100 Million for new construction. In 2002, Mr. Gallagher was named the youngest executive to San Diego Metropolitan magazine’s “40 People Under 40”. Charles has an appreciation for work-life integration which he enjoys with golf while networking and enjoying the outdoors. As a new proud father of a baby boy, Charles has an enhanced focus and passion for ESG as he considers the impact of corporate actions on future generations.