Industry
Richard Baker
President and CEO
National Realty & Development Corp.
Richard Baker is the President and CEO of NRDC Equity Partners. NRDC Equity Partners acquires operating companies both domestically and internationally. Mr. Baker is also President and CEO of Hudson’s Bay Trading Company (HBTC) and in July 2008, Mr. Baker also became the 39th Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company. HBTC is the owner of Lord & Taylor and the Hudson’s Bay Company. The Hudson’s Bay Company was established in 1670 and is the oldest continuously operating retailer in the world. Lord & Taylor was established in 1826 and is the oldest department store chain in the United States.
Mr. Baker along with his father, Robert Baker, is one of the largest private owners of shopping centers in the United States with over 20 million square feet consisting primarily of Wal-Mart, Target and Kohl’s anchored property. Additionally, Mr. Baker is the executive chairman of Retail Opportunity Investments Corporation, a REIT listed on the Nasdaq Exchange. Its focus is to acquire retail properties on the east and west coasts of the United States.
Mr. Baker is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration where he also sits on the school’s Dean’s Advisory Board and Cornell’s Program in Real Estate. Mr. Baker enjoys working with Cornell students in the real estate program where he is a frequent guest lecturer on various real estate topics.
During leisure times, Richard and his wife Lisa are known to be one of the most innovative collectors in the town of Greenwich. Lisa, an avid collector of photography, has focused lately on commissioned artworks. Recent commissioned pieces have been produced in collaboration with Anakin Koenig and Leo Villareal. The Bakers’ latest project with Mr. Villareal was contributed to the Museum of Modern Art and will be installed in the museum in the near future.