People
Chris Merrill
As of October 6, 2026, Christopher Merrill is co-founder and global CEO of Harrison Street Asset Management. The June 30, 2026 biography describes more than $110 billion across real estate, infrastructure and credit, and identifies him as the largest individual shareholder and chairman of the executive and investment committees. The platform total is broader than real estate assets and does not disclose his ownership percentage. Public evidence 1 Reviewed public evidence.
Updated
Merrill spent roughly 15 years at Heitman before launching his own platform. He rose from an intern to a managing director and helped establish Heitman’s European business, including investment funds focused on Central and Eastern Europe. The experience of building an investment operation in an emerging market preceded Harrison Street’s focus on specialized real estate sectors. Contemporary reporting on the launch described the new firm’s thesis as investing in property types whose demand was less directly tied to employment and broad economic growth. Commercial Property Executive profile · Commercial Observer interview
Harrison Street began with backing from Christopher and Michael Galvin, members of the Motorola founding family. In 2018, Colliers acquired the Galvin family’s interests and became the firm’s strategic partner. Merrill remains responsible for firm strategy, culture and growth, chairs its Executive and Investment Committees, and is identified by the company as its largest individual shareholder. These roles place him at the intersection of investment strategy and platform leadership, while the firm’s sector-specific strategies and global scale have grown well beyond its original real estate business. Harrison Street leadership biography · Harrison Street firm history
Related Pages
- Investor People Hub
- Harrison Street Real Estate Capital
- Chicago Geography Hub
- Source: Top CRE Leaders Major US Cities
Sources
- Source: Top CRE Leaders Major US Cities
- Official company page: Harrison Street Real Estate Capital
- Harrison Street, Christopher Merrill leadership biography and firm history (accessed 2026-09-29).
Reviewed Profile Update — 2026-10-06
Related research
- Harrison Street Real Estate Capital