Bio
After developing high-end mixed-use projects in Washington, DC in the 1980s and ‘90s, Byrne co-founded BAA-McArthurGlen, the company that imported the designer outlet concept to the UK and Europe. After opening the company’s Paris office in 1992, he led its expansion across Europe, resulting in more than $1 billion in annual sales. His story is told in his book, Le Deal.
He then developed private residence clubs, starting with restoring Palazzo Tornabuoni, a 15th century Medici palazzo in Florence, Italy. The Palazzo underwent a $250 million re-development and is now managed by The Four Seasons. In 2010, the project won Urban Land Institute’s prestigious Award of Excellence for EMEA.
Byrne also founded DigiPlex, the world leader in sustainable data centers, located in the Nordic countries, with Bill Conway, the Co-founder of The Carlyle Group. Byrne also owns and manages Kitebrook Partners, a real estate development and investment company.
A Cum Laude graduate of Harvard College, Byrne received his MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.
After living in Europe for thirteen years, Byrne now resides in the Washington, DC area with his wife Pamela. They have raised four daughters.
Show Notes
- Current focus on carbon sequestration including "natural climate solutions" (5:45)
- In the learning phase to understand the built space issues and the atmospheric solutions (6:15)
- Climate solutions in open spaces
- Reference to Brad Dockser's interview (7:20)
Origins & Education
- He was in a family of 5 children...4 boys and a girl. (8:45)
- Dad was an attorney in DC in labor and property law..."6 minutes at a time" (9:20)
- Paper routes at 4am (9:45)
- Grew up in Alexandria, VA (10:00)
- Spent time sailing in the Chesapeake- Summers near Annapolis, MD (11:00)
- Gibson Island, MD
- Delivering boats up the coast (12:20)
- Story about "blue water sailing" when interviewing at Solomon Brothers for a job (12:30)
- Spoke about his voyage eventually to New Zealand on 5 boats to travel 16,000 miles (13:30)
- From Antigua he went through the Panama Canal then to the French Polynesia
- Man overboard story- saw hammerhead sharks over his head (15:45)
- Family was quite an influence- Nobody could get a "big head"- work ethic and teamwork family wide (16:30)
- Family dinners
- Dad told them he would finance all their schooling through college and all would need to finance (17:30)
- St. Stephens for high school
- Attended Harvard University
- Rather be lucky than smart (19:00)
- On Sailing team there, but was not a star (19:15)
- He realized that everyone he met was not only smart, but driven (20:15)
- He wanted to make his own path
- Sense of learning was to stimulate curiosity (21:45)
- Went on his sailing trip to New Zealand (25:00)
- Met his wife in Camden, ME (25:45)
- Decided to to apply to Darden Business School at UVA and went there due to his familiarity with Charlottesville and he applied only there and got in (26:50)
- Was deemed a "poet" instead of a "quant" (30:00)
- Asked himself why he was going to business school and decided to del...
