The Van Leesten Group

Michael S. Van Leesten

President & CEO

Michael S. Van Leesten has over 40 years of community and business development experience including: Executive Director of the Providence Planning and Development Department; Director of Fleet National Bank; Chairman of the RI Home Mortgage & Finance Corporation; Executive Director of the OIC of Rhode Island; Public Affairs management with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation; and currently Chairman of the Providence Black Repertory Company. He has directly managed and developed various types of commercial and residential real estate projects in Rhode Island and Connecticut. He is a member of the RI Heritage Hall of Fame and has received honorary doctorate degrees from the University of Rhode Island, Roger Williams University and RI College.

Michael Van Leesten Jr.

Vice President - Finance

Michael J. Van Leesten has over 16 years of investment banking and capital markets experience. From 1989-1996, Michael served in several capacities in the Fixed Income Division of Goldman, Sachs & Co. as a Vice President. He structured, marketed and sold a variety of financial instruments, including asset backed securities, interest rate swaps, bond warrants, auction-rate preferred equities, long-term bonds and commercial paper programs. From 1998-2005, he served as a Vice President at Travelers Property Casualty Corp. He was responsible for new product development and underwriting and ultimately served as the Chief Financial Officer of the Construction Division. Mr. Van Leesten graduated from Dartmouth College in 1989 where he majored in English and Economics. He received his M.B.A. with Honors from Columbia University Graduate School of Business in 1997.

Hendrik M.K. Van Leesten IV

Vice President - Acquisitions & Development

Hendrik M.K. Van Leesten has more than 10 years of professional experience as a real estate development and acquisitions analyst in both the public and private sectors. His areas of expertise include market and financial analysis, tax increment financing (TIF), and analyzing projects for redevelopment and repositioning. Hendrik identified and analyzed over $15 billion worth of property for South Florida’s first smart growth equity fund of $100 million. Hendrik obtained his bachelor’s degree from Boston University in Urban Planning/Affairs with a concentration in Finance and Real Estate Development. He is also a licensed Realtor for the States of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.