Rafael Carreira '94 MBA

Senior Vice President, The John Buck Company

Rafael Carreira received his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management in 1994, and a bachelor’s in architecture from the University of Notre Dame in 1989. Carreira chose Kellogg to augment his architecture experience with a business education as part of a career change from architecture into real estate.

After an initial summer internship with The John Buck Company in Chicago, Carreira returned to The John Buck Company in 1994. Since 1994, his responsibilities have evolved in the development and finance of complex real estate developments. Carreira has played critical roles in the development of over $1 billion worth of real estate developments during his career. His roles in development management include managing and integrating site acquisition, financial analysis, entitlements, design, leasing, construction and project financing. Notable projects he has completed include the development of North Bridge, a nine-block development along Chicago’s North Michigan Avenue, which included several hotels, parking and a Nordstrom anchored retail development. In 2005, he also completed a development of 111 South Wacker Drive in Chicago, a one million-square foot, 50-story office development. This highly successful project has led to further roles and the development of additional office buildings in Chicago slated for 2010.

Carreira is also actively assisting in the planning, design and construction of a number of not-for-profit inner city educational schools. These pro bono efforts have enabled him to give back some of the management and financial skills learned at Kellogg and throughout his career.

Prior to attending Kellogg, Carreira worked for the Chicago architectural firm of Solomon Cordwell Buenz working on a number of mixed-use opportunities including a large convention hotel, condominium and retail projects primarily in the Chicago area.