Fortland - The Team

The Team.

Our
Vision.

Our aim and strategy is to enhance the value of land assets within the town planning, regulatory and legislative frameworks, with a view to protecting the integrity of the environment, community, and local eco-systems.

Considered
Custodianship.

With custodianship of large tracts of land set for urbanisation, comes great responsibility. Through thoughtful master-planning, we can create much needed new residential land without sacrificing our environment, or compromising the interests of local communities.

We care about the environment.

That's why we give back to the like minded organisations that share our vision for the future. Our community partnerships:

The Native Forest Restoration Trust

The Native Forest Restoration Trust buys land to help restore, regenerate and protect New Zealand’s native forests and wetlands.

These new nature reserves help preserve New Zealand’s biodiversity, absorb carbon and provide enjoyment to all. They also provide a home for much of New Zealand’s unique and endangered wildlife.

The Trust now owns over 8,000 hectares of native forest and wetlands throughout New Zealand and continues to seek more suitable land for restoration. As a registered charity the Trust relies on the support of the public. We have created the Fortland Fund with the Trust as its beneficiary. We make significant financial contributions to help with the purchase and restoration of New Zealand’s native forests.

The Fortland Scholarship

Together with the School of Environment, University of Auckland, we have endowed The Fortland Scholarship for postgraduate students completing a Master’s in Environmental Science. It will give students the opportunity to carry out a project investigating the linkages between land use and ecosystem processes (e.g. GHG emissions, carbon and nutrient storage, water fluxes), climate change risks and urban development in south Auckland (Karaka) and track the changes over the course of a year.

Recipients of the Fortland Scholarship will communicate environmental management methods to the wider community to assist with implementing real-world solutions. This will contribute over time to a valuable sequential view of the impact of land use, climate change and pollution on the environment.

Executive
Directors

Fortland's leadership brings experience, vision and innovation to all aspects of the business.

Farhad Moinfar
Executive Director
Farhad Moinfar is the Managing Director of the Citadel Capital group of companies. With a track record in delivering innovative and successful property development projects throughout New Zealand, he has overseen Citadel’s growth to become one of New Zealand’s premier property development and investment firms. With over NZ$450m in gross developed projects, spanning a range of residential, commercial, industrial and land development, his expertise spans across site acquisition, distribution, capital and debt markets, development management and delivery. Farhad’s deep networks throughout the property and capital markets sectors enable Fortland to be a leader in its field.
Elle Foenander
Executive Director
Elle Foenander as Executive Director of Fortland oversees all origination, distribution, marketing, investor relations and operational aspects of the business. She has a diverse and esteemed background in the property sector, including positions with some of the largest international commercial property firms, and property fund managers. Elle is the Chief Operating Officer of the Citadel Capital group of companies and manages a team of high-performance experts across the town-planning, urban design, project, and development management disciplines of the group.

Senior
Management

Our in-house team has decades of combined experience operating at the highest level across the Financial, Investment, Development and Urban Planning disciplines.

Jessie Xie
Planning & Acquisitions Manager
Jessie holds a Bachelor of Planning and a Master of Urban Design from the University of Auckland. With a depth of experience in multi-disciplinary land development consultancies, she has been leading consenting and design strategies for large-scale residential developments across the country for high-profile clients. Jessie manages the planning and urban design strategies behind Fortland's activities.
John Schollum
Chief Financial Officer
John has extensive experience in both accounting and finance in the real estate industry in New Zealand. As a chartered accountant he has worked for some of the world's largest professional accounting services firms as well as major private development and investment firm. As CFO, John has primary responsibility for the planning, implementation, managing and overseeing all of the finance activities of the group, including business planning, budgeting, forecasting and negotiations.
Brandon Morley
Head of Property
Brandon is a seasoned professional with a wealth of experience in the real estate industry. As the Head of Property at Citadel Capital and Fortland Capital, he oversees all aspects of property acquisition, transactions, and divestment. Brandon has successfully managed large-scale construction projects worth a total of $500 million across New Zealand, as well as in Europe and the USA. As director of a specialised property investment and development firm, he has led the development and plan change across multiple projects. Brandon holds a Bachelor of Business - Property from Massey University and a Masters in Construction Management (First Class Honours) from AUT.
Jennifer Lorenzana
Group Financial Controller
Jennifer is responsible for Fortland’s financial reporting and management accounting functions. She has significant experience across accounting and finance management disciplines, including over 10 years with a major Property Development and Construction firm listed on the main board of the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX).
Lion Yang
Legal & Compliance
Lion oversees the legal and compliance aspects of Fortland’s operations. Lion’s extensive experience in regulatory law has given him a deep understanding of fulfilling legal and compliance obligations. In conjunction with Fortland’s external counsels, Lion prioritises the provision of valuable insights and guidance to Fortland in fulfilling its regulatory obligations. Lion holds both a Bachelor of Commerce (First Class Honours in Economics) and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Auckland. He was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court in 2017 and currently practices as a barrister.

Partners

Fortland has a deep network of trusted relationships with best in class advisors and consultants, who are aligned with us to deliver our goals for growth.