Gila Cohen

Partner & Chief Investment Officer

Gila is a Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Vanbarton Group. She is involved in all functions of the Firm, including developing, implementing, and overseeing the equity and credit investing platforms. Gila is integral in managing the Firm’s strategies across office-to-residential conversions, multifamily, office, medical office, hospitality, and retail. She also plays a key role in enhancing and growing the Firm’s strategic partnerships.

Prior to joining the Vanbarton Group, Gila was Managing Director and Head of Global Institutional Partnerships at Monroe Capital. Before that, Gila was the Chief Investment Strategy Officer of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (USA) (“MUFG”) and was responsible for advising, directing, and governing the strategic alternatives investment portfolio, as well as playing a strategic role in the Firm’s ESG and DEI initiatives. Over the course of her career, she has been involved in building multiple businesses and executed a broad range of transactions throughout real estate, private credit, and private equity. Gila held senior investment banking and trusted advisor roles at J.P. Morgan, UBS Investment Bank, and Credit Suisse First Boston.

Gila is a member of Vanbarton Group’s Management Committee, Investment Committee, Portfolio Strategy and Valuations Committee, Investment Strategy Committee, and ESG Committee. Gila is also an active member of numerous boards, both public and private, including the Women’s Investor Steering Committee for AIF Global, a Founding Investor Board Member of RELPI, an Advisory Board Member of Faropoint, an Advisory Board Member of CenterCap Group, an all-women boutique investment bank, and a U.S. Board Director for Luekos Real Estate.

She earned her B.A. in Art History with a concentration in Mathematics from Columbia University.