New York
Virginia M. Pittarelli
Chief Operating Officer, Principal
New York, NY
As a principal of Madison Retail Group, Virginia M. Pittarelli is also Chief Operating Officer of the company; she has over twenty-five years experience in the real estate industry specializing in tenant and landlord representation and advisory services.
Ms. Pittarelli specializes in the development of strategic store expansion programs on a local, regional and national basis. She has represented a number of national and international retailers including Sephora, Jil Sander, Borders Books, The Body Shop and the retail brands of Liz Claiborne, which include such great brands as Juicy Couture, Kate Spade and Lucky Brand Jeans.
Most recently, she was responsible for the first three prominent Juicy Couture locations in Manhattan, Kate Spade’s New York flagship on Fifth Avenue and a just signed transaction for its new boutique on Bleecker Street, Borders Books entry into Manhattan with its most recent store opening at 2 Penn Plaza and a soon to be announced new location on the Upper Westside. She is currently working with Borders on an outer borough store strategy. In addition, Ms. Pittarelli is also one of the senior team members designated by Nordstrom in their search for a Flagship location in Manhattan. An early advocate for the rebuilding of Lower Manhattan, she worked to relocate several retailers to new locations following the World Trade Center, most notably are Borders Books at 100 Broadway and Sephora at 150 Broadway. In addition, Ms. Pittarelli consulted to the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation to develop a strategy for the future of downtown retail.
Ms. Pittarelli also has extensive agency experience. She has represented such prominent New York landlords as Silverstein Properties, Brookfield Properties, Jones Lang LaSalle, Kensico Properties as well as specialty retail spaces under private ownership. In addition, she has been successful in the re-leasing of store locations on behalf of her clients such as Sephora, Borders Books, Sigrid Olsen and Mexx.
Prior to joining Madison Retail Group, she served as Senior Vice President of Trammell Crow Company and Director of its Retail Group in New York City. In addition to providing strategic retail real estate consulting services in New York, Ms. Pittarelli spearheaded multi-market strategic planning for several high-profile national and international companies.
Before Trammell Crow, Ms. Pittarelli was an executive with Jones Lang Wootton, where she founded and directed its National Retail Services Group.
Ms. Pittarelli began her career at Citibank, N.A. where she last served as Vice President/Real Estate Director. She is a graduate of Brooklyn College and is a licensed Real Estate Broker in New York and Connecticut. She is a member of the Stores Committee Real Estate Board of New York, The Association of Real Estate Women (AREW), and The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).
Stephen J. Stephanou
Principal
New York, NY
As a founding principal of Madison Retail Group, Stephen J. Stephanou has had extensive experience in tenant and landlord representation, along with varied background in retail real estate development and contract negotiations for owners, developers and retailers across the country.
Since the formation of Madison Retail Group, Mr. Stephanou has represented international retailers in the U.S., including Jean Paul Gaultier, Façonnable, Jil Sander, Jack Wills, Sabo, Comptoir des Cotonniers and Breuer. Originally designated by Nordstrom to explore flagship opportunities in Manhattan, he is now developing a Nordstrom Rack program for New York City. He represented Nordstrom Rack for its first Manhattan store on Union Square, which will open in Spring 2010.
Additionally, since the formation of Madison Retail Group, his clients have also included Cole Haan, Coach, Tiffany & Co., Eileen Fisher, Wilson’s Leather, and Hastens, to name a few. Along with Virginia Pittarelli, he has represented the retail brands of retail brands of Liz Claiborne, including Kate Spade, Lucky Brand Jeans, and Juicy Couture.
On the agency side, Stephen has represented and leased retail properties on behalf of Lend Lease Real Estate Investments in Texas and California; Equitable Life Insurance in San Diego: Brookfield Properties, Jones Lang LaSalle, and Walton Street Capital in New York; as well as DRA Advisors in addition to individual landlords in New York, Pennsylvania and Florida. He also represented Morgan Stanley with several retail properties in New York and San Francisco, including bringing Barneys to 48 Stockton Street, its second West Coast flagship. He is also the exclusive representative for retail space being developed at the New York Marriott Hotel on Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.
Prior to Madison Retail Group, Mr. Stephanou was Senior Vice President of retail development in the New York office of Lend Lease Real Estate Investments, Inc., previously The Yarmouth Group.
Mr. Stephanou began his career as a real estate attorney in Los Angeles, later joining Federated Department Stores as in-house counsel. After eight years with Federated, he joined Macy’s as Group Vice President of Real Estate.
He is a licensed Real Estate Broker in New York, an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, and the Retail Stores Committee of the Real Estate Board of New York.
Mr. Stephanou graduated with honors from the University of California at Los Angeles and received his Juris Doctor from Loyola University of Los Angeles, where he was a member of the Law Review.
