About Us > Biographies

D. Behar - President & CEO

Jeremy joined Cirrus as a lease consultant in January of 2000. In 2002, he was promoted to Vice-President, Business Development, with an expanded responsibility of overseeing the company's overall growth throughout North America. In 2004 Jeremy became Chief Executive Officer of Cirrus.

Jeremy has an extensive background in commercial real estate and has negotiated over a 1000 leases since the start of his career. He travels extensively throughout North America lecturing and educating corporations and various tenant groups on best practice tenant lease and portfolio management. Jeremy is also a Director of the Entrepreneurs Organization.

Robert Dick - Managing Director, Europe, Middle East & Asia

Based out of Cirrus' office in the United Kingdom, Robert is Managing Director of Cirrus's UK operations. He brings with him over 20 years of senior management experience from all parts of the world in operations, corporate development and strategic real estate advisory. Robert's experience in expanding into new geographic markets as well as growth development in existing ones, uniquely places him to spearhead the growth and introduction of Cirrus in new geographic areas.

Prior to joining Cirrus, he was Senior Vice President for a global oil and gas services company and has lived, worked and managed the growth of various business divisions in Europe, N. America the Middle East and Asia.

Brian Ross Smith, M.B.A, C.L.S. – Vice President, Healthcare Services

Brian heads up Cirrus's health services lease consultancy business.

Brian has worked at Reitmans and Le Chateau as Vice-President of Store Operations and at CB Richard Ellis as a Retail/Office Broker. For the last sixteen years, Brian has been the Senior Consultant and Vice-President at Oberfeld Snowcap (formerly Snowcap Investments). In this role he has negotiated new leases, renegotiated old leases, rent abatements, acquisitions and renewals of all kinds.

Rick Hudakoc - Vice President, Retail Tenant Solutions

Richard is responsible for overseeing the company's rapidly growing portfolio of retail tenant clients. Richard's professional career has been spent working with some of the top national retail chains in Canada and the United States. He brings with him 30 years of diverse executive responsibilities, covering all dimensions of retail brand management. His previous experiences include senior management roles in real estate and asset management, store design, construction and store operations.

Richard has been an active member of the National Retail Federation of America, Retail Council of Canada as well as Provincial Retail Chairman for the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Barry McKay - Vice President, Corporate Services

Barry is responsible for developing strategic and tactical asset management solutions for Cirrus' growing portfolio of clients across various industries and sectors. Barry manages a highly skilled team of people whose core experience and skills enable clients to grow faster, more profitably, and with less risk to the overall business.
Prior to joining Cirrus, Barry ran a real estate consulting practice, servicing institutional and private investors, as well as independent and national retail chains. Prior to that, Barry was the Vice President of Retail and Office Leasing for a major North American institutional landlord with a portfolio in excess of 32 million square feet..

Leon Damonze – Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs

Leon brings 10 years of diverse corporate/commercial law experience having worked both as in house counsel and in private practice. His previous experience includes roles as General Counsel for World of Vacations Ltd., and Counsel at American Express Canada Inc. Leon was also a sole practitioner servicing the legal and business needs of small and medium sized businesses and entrepreneurs.
Leon has extensive knowledge and background in contractual law, having negotiated and drafted numerous complex commercial agreements over the years. Leon's legal experience supports Cirrus's position as a company uniquely capable of servicing a myriad of client's ranging from health care professionals to multi-unit franchise companies and other various business entities looking for assistance and support in managing unique real estate needs.

Lewis Gelmon B.A., M.B.A. - Founder

Lewis Gelmon began his career as a lease negotiator for a leading shopping center development and management company. He then moved over to the tenant's side as Vice President of Real Estate for one of the world's largest multi-unit chains prior to founding Cirrus Tenant Lease Services in 1994 where he and Cirrus have negotiated thousands of tenant leases.

Today, Lewis Gelmon carries on with his founding principles and commits the majority of his time to researching, educating and raising awareness on tenant real estate issues, which multi-unit, franchise companies and health care practitioners face when dealing with their landlords and/or tenant lease portfolio's. Lewis sits on the faculty of the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship's International Institute for Franchise Education to develop and present franchise related real estate training and education on behalf of the University. Lewis is also considered to be the most published author on the subject of franchising and real estate in the United States, with his articles regularly appearing in Franchise Update, Area Developer Magazine, Franchise Times and other industry publications.