The Wisconsin Real Estate Program is delighted to announce that Paul Melkus has joined our team as the new Director of the Real Estate Private Equity Graduate Track.
Paul brings an impressive track record and deep industry expertise to this role. A real estate investment veteran, Paul’s career spans investment analysis, deal structuring, capital raising, syndications, financial reporting, and asset management. His global experience includes senior leadership positions at Ernst & Young Consulting, GE Capital, Deutsche Bank Asset Management, and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) where he served as Global Head of Capital Markets and a member of ADIA’s Executive Committee, overseeing real estate investments across the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Since returning to the U.S., Paul has held CFO roles for both public and private real estate sponsors and, most recently, led his own advisory firm, One North Equities, consulting on deal structures, capital markets, and acquisitions.
A proud Badger alumnus, Paul earned his Master of Science in Real Estate Investment and Urban Economics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, after completing his undergraduate degree at DePauw University.
In his new role, Paul will lead, coach, and mentor graduate students participating in the Wisconsin Real Estate Program’s distinctive Private Equity Track — a hands-on, student/alumni investment board that manages outside capital in an educational setting. Students will gain real-world private equity experience by sourcing, evaluating, and recommending private fund investments, building an investment pipeline, presenting to an alumni investment committee, and producing annual investor reports and presentations.
Jacques Gordon, Director of the Graaskmap Center, expressed his enthusiasm for Paul’s appointment, stating, “We are thrilled to welcome Paul Melkus back to Wisconsin. His global investment experience, leadership across capital markets, and deep ties to both the industry and this program make him a fantastic addition to our team. Paul embodies the spirit of the Wisconsin Idea — bringing industry expertise into the classroom and creating meaningful connections for our students, alumni, and board members. As the program continues to grow and evolve, Paul’s leadership will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our Real Estate Private Equity Track.”
Please join us in welcoming Paul to the Wisconsin Real Estate community. We look forward to the energy, expertise, and leadership he will bring to our students and program.
Learn more about Paul and what he’s most excited about as he returns to his Wisconsin roots.
What excites you most about stepping into the Director of the Real Estate Private Equity Program role at this moment in the program’s history?
I’ve met the current team and their accomplishments to date are incredible. The program has a solid base for further development. I’m also excited about working with the students to guide their future success in the industry. That success may look different for each student but preparing them to significantly contribute on day one in their new jobs does both them and their employer a great service. I also want to ensure overall exposure to and understanding of the various functions within the PERE industry so that our students can grow within their careers and prepare for their advancement to senior roles within their companies.
How do you see the Wisconsin Real Estate Program continuing to differentiate itself in an increasingly competitive academic landscape?
Our primary responsibility will be to develop and enrich our students’ skill sets. That has been the recipe to the program’s success to date. I believe that if we continue to grow the program into a resource for investors and sponsors, we will set the UW program further ahead of our academic rivals.
The Wisconsin Real Estate Program has a proud tradition of strong alumni involvement. How do you see the role of alumni and industry leaders evolving in shaping curriculum, mentorship, and placement opportunities for students?
The alumni engagement fostered by the entire UW Real Estate team is one of the program’s greatest strengths. Much of what we offer our students is informed by the insights, expertise, and support of industry leaders within the UW alumni network and beyond. Continued collaboration with our alumni community is essential to keeping our program aligned with industry trends and emerging opportunities.
Personally, I look forward to contributing my own network of relationships to this already impressive platform. I believe our role as a resource for the industry — whether through curriculum development, applied research, or talent pipelines — creates meaningful opportunities for alumni and industry professionals to stay involved and make a lasting impact on the next generation of real estate leaders.
What makes UW-Madison’s real estate community so unique, in your opinion?
I have always been so impressed by the maturity level of our student body. My roles at various companies have put me in contact with the students at UW-sponsored events and industry-sponsored events. Every time I connect with Wisconsin Real Estate students, they convey a strong sense of professionalism, a willingness to ask questions, and a well-earned level of confidence that is admirable. I’ve also consistently seen a strong sense of pride and a genuine willingness to engage with the students and the program from our alumni and Graaskamp Center board members. It is no surprise that those observations are very much connected.
As you look forward to connecting with our graduate students, what’s one piece of career or industry advice you might share with them?
Certainly start off by mastering the job description. The more your job is under your control, the more you will have time for exploring what other functions around you are doing and why it matters. Become familiar with your colleagues’ challenges and, of course, with those of senior management. Work hard to get into “the room” where decisions are made. Once there, use your voice to stay in the room and contribute.
And finally — what are you most looking forward to doing when you move to Madison?
I’m looking forward to once again experiencing the energy that comes from a college town and especially Madison’s. Although I like Big Ten sports very much, you can get that energy doing most activities in Madison. As a graduate of the Wisconsin Real Estate Program from a few decades ago, I can’t wait to return to campus and travel many of the same paths with a new perspective.