IIJournals JPM-Special Real Estate Article Collection | Page 13

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Remembering Susan
Hudson-Wilson

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wenty years ago I was attempting
to figure out “What to do about
Susan?” Susan Hudson-Wilson
was her own little universe within
AEW, a veritable galaxy of insight and energy
with tremendous charismatic attraction. Like
all great forces, her gravity had the capacity
to create great works, but also to pull some
things apart.
Susan’s brilliance and ambition thrust
her into a leadership role in remaking the
standards and practices of our firm, and of the
entire real estate investment industry. She was
a visionary on the go, and could neither be
contained nor constrained. She drove forcefully and inexorably in whatever direction she
felt was the one right way.
Thankfully, Susan, who was always
straightforward, agreed with the principals

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—Editorial Board,
2013 Special Real Estate Issue

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In honor of the lasting legacy of Susan Hudson-Wilson, leading figures in the institutional real estate
community were asked to share their thoughts on Susan and her influence. We apologize that there are
certainly many who knew Susan well or were influenced by her that are not represented below; Susan cast
a long shadow over the industry, and to hear from all who felt her impact would easily fill the full issue.
What follows are the thoughts of colleagues and competitors, clients and researchers, those who were there
when she started and those whom she helped get started, and many close friends as well as some who felt
her influence from afar. Susan did much to change how commercial real estate is viewed by institutional
investors, but readers of the following will note the tremendous impact Susan had not only on the industry
but also on the individuals within it.

of AEW to evaluate her role and decide on
the optimum route forward for herself and
the firm. With reluctance and admiration,
after a yearlong review, we all accepted her
final decision to launch Property & Portfolio
Research (PPR). I can remember her great
pride when her former colleagues awarded
her the exclusive use of part of the original
AEW logo (the red ampersand) as a takeoff
gift. We were all proud of birthing an independent research boutique led by a very
bright star. We very much miss her.
—Peter Aldrich
The f irst time I met Susan was at
AEW, circa 1990. We had belatedly gotten
religion about the importance of research in
investment decision making, and rescued
Susan from a sleepy insurance company—in

24      R emembering Susan Hudson-Wilson
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Special R eal Estate Issue 2013