Roger “Biff” Ruttenberg has 52 years of retail development, redevelopment, management, and leasing experience.  His real estate background, including mortgage banking and construction experience, has contributed to Mr. Ruttenberg’s years of successful business projects and relationships.

Atlas Partners is an investment firm with three areas of focus:  retail real estate ownership; distressed commercial and industrial loan acquisition; and early stage business investing.

Prior to co-founding Atlas Partners, Mr. Ruttenberg was Senior Vice President and head of the retail group at Frain Camins & Swartchild•ONCOR International.  There he oversaw a leasing and management portfolio of approximately two million square feet and as well as the group’s leasing activities representing numerous national retailers.

Prior to joining FC&S in 1991, Mr. Ruttenberg founded Lakewest Equity, Inc. in 1978, a Chicago-based shopping center development firm.  The firm was responsible for over 2.2 million square feet of retail development projects, 195,000 square feet of industrial space, and 74,000 square feet of office space with a total value in excess of $115 million.  In 1990, Lakewest Equity, Inc. ceased active development.

Mr. Ruttenberg has written numerous articles.  He has also been a panelist/lecturer for Mortgage Bankers Association of America, the American Bar Association, Distressed Debt Panel, The Robert Morris Association of Chicago, and the Innovating Commerce Serving Communities Association (“ICSC”), as well as numerous trade associations and related panels.  Designated CSCM (Certified Shopping Center Manager) by the ICSC in 1983, charter Senior CSCM in 1994, charter CLS (Certified Leasing Specialist) in 1994, and charter Senior CLS in 2007; one of only approximately 100 people holding SCSM and SCLS designations. In 2013 he obtained his charter CRX designation (Certified Retail Property Executive) with ICSC and in 2018 he obtained his charter CRRP designation (Certified Retail Real Estate Professional) with ICSC. In December of 2000, Mr. Ruttenberg obtained the CTP (Certified Turnaround Professional) designation. The 7,700-member Turnaround Management Association (“TMA”) has granted this designation to approximately 400 people nationwide, of which only two are real estate specialists.  Mr. Ruttenberg is a former board member of the Chicagoland Association of Shopping Center Owners.  He is a former board member of the Chicago TMA chapter and a former member of the International TMA Board of Directors and its Executive committee.  Mr. Ruttenberg is a former member of The Economic Club of Chicago, the American Bankruptcy Institute, Secured Finance Network (formerly the Commercial Finance Association), and of The Executives’ Club of Chicago where he was co-chair of its Real Estate Committee.

Atlas Partners Commercial Brokerage, LLC is a real estate brokerage company focusing on tenant representation to retailers worldwide, as well as dispositions, leasing, redevelopment, consulting and general brokerage services to investors, owners and users of retail properties. Ms. Callans has helped retailers roll out new concepts in the Chicagoland market.

Prior to co-founding Atlas Partners in 1997, Ms. Callans was Vice President of the Retail Group at Frain Camins & Swartchild, Inc., a full-service real estate firm. Ms. Callans’ responsibilities included the leasing of prime retail space in Metropolitan Chicago, as well as the representation of various retail tenants throughout the Chicagoland area.

Ms. Callans is an active associate member in the Innovating Commerce Serving Communities Association (“ICSC”), Women in Retail Leasing (WIRL) and the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association.  Ms. Callans is also a mentor for The Harold Eisenberg Foundation which helps students who are interested in pursuing a career in real estate.

Prior to joining FC&S, Ms. Callans had over 20 years retail experience in high-end women’s ready-to-wear, working for such stores as Stanley Korshak, Cactus, and My Sister’s Circus/Isis. As Director of Operations/General Manager of My Sister’s Circus/Isis, for 16 years, she was responsible for putting together and opening two new stores for the company as well as taking care of the buying, sales, and day-to-day operation of the stores. Ms. Callans’ prior retail background has given her a decided edge to help various tenants know the retail market as well as what goes into putting a deal together.