Robert Karner is a Managing Director at Kuvare Insurance Services (KIS). KIS is a boutique asset manager overseeing $19 billion is assets for Kuvare’s insurance operating companies and a recently launched third-party asset management business. Bob manages KIS’s CMBS portfolio and heads up commercial mortgage originations with a direct focus on subordinate debt and fund investments.
Prior to joining KIS is 2021, Bob was directly involved in the IPO of CreXus, a publicly traded commercial mortgage REIT that listed on the NYSE in 2009 and where he served as head of investments. CreXus was acquired by Annaly Capital Management where he continued to serve as a Managing Director before joining KIS.
Previously Bob spent over 10 years at Morgan Stanley as Executive Director and co-head of the CMBS and CRE CLO syndication desk. Bob began his career originating commercial mortgages at the Principal Financial Group, worked for GE Capital in asset management, and managed a CMBS portfolio at Allstate Investments.
Bob has a BBA in Finance and an MS in Real Estate from the University of Wisconsin, currently serves on the Board of the James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate at the University of Wisconsin and is an active member of the Commercial Real Estate Finance Council (CREFC), where he previously served on the board.