Christen E.J. Lee is the CEO of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Inc. (KREF), a major player in commercial real estate financing. He has been in the role since March 2020 after previously serving as Co-CEO and Co-President. Lee joined...

Christen E.J. Lee is the CEO of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Inc. (KREF), a major player in commercial real estate financing. He has been in the role since March 2020 after previously serving as Co-CEO and Co-President. Lee joined KKR in 2012 and is responsible for real estate investments across North America. His career path includes significant roles at Apollo Global Management and Goldman Sachs, where he focused on real estate acquisitions and investments. Lee's expertise and experience put him at the forefront of the real estate finance sector, overseeing both equity and credit platforms. His compensation package in 2020 included a total value of over $2.5 million in stock awards alongside a focus on aligning executive interests with shareholder performance. He holds a Bachelor's in Economics from Emory University and an MBA from Harvard Business School, showing a strong educational background to support his work in finance.

Quick Links

1. Rivals

2. Holdings

3. Insider Trading

4. Compensation History

K

Christen E.J. Lee

Ex-CEO of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust

Education

B.A. in Economics from Emory University, M.B.A. from Harvard Business School

Field of Expertise

Finance & Banking - Finance

Sector of Economy

Real Estate

Born

December 1, 1978 - 46 years ago

CEO of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust for

4 years 5 months (Oct 2015 - Mar 2020)

Previous Experience

Principal at Apollo Global Management, Vice President at Goldman Sachs

Rivals

Competitors/colleagues of Christen E.J. Lee

B

Katharine A. Keenan

CEO of Blackstone Mortgage Trust

2023 Compensation

Stock

$1.17M

Salary

$0.00

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$0.00

Total Holdings

$5.18M

S

Andrew J. Sossen

CEO of Starwood Property Trust

2023 Compensation

Stock

$608.18K

Salary

$425.00K

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$0.00

Total Holdings

$3.65M

R

Michael Nierenberg

CEO of Rithm Capital

2023 Compensation

Stock

$1.79M

Salary

$1.25M

Bonus

$10.00M

Other

$160.04K

Total Holdings

$27.00M

A

Anastasia Mironova

CEO of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance

2023 Compensation

Stock

$149.99K

Salary

$329.84K

Bonus

$470.01K

Other

$50.42K

Total Holdings

$289.41K

Holdings

See how much did Christen E.J. Lee make over time.

Christen E.J. Lee's holdings show the evolution of his financial stake at KKR Real Estate. In 2019, his insider trading transactions peaked at $4.76 million in January before experiencing fluctuations, later stabilizing around $4 to $6 million monthly through early...

Christen E.J. Lee's holdings show the evolution of his financial stake at KKR Real Estate. In 2019, his insider trading transactions peaked at $4.76 million in January before experiencing fluctuations, later stabilizing around $4 to $6 million monthly through early 2022. His financial engagement illustrates a broad and active involvement, with transactions often exceeding $4 million per month during that period. Over time, the value of his holdings has consistently been in the millions, indicating a sustainable wealth accumulation strategy within the real estate finance landscape.

Mar 18, 2025

K

shares

KREF @ $11.14

Total Stock Sold

$603.24K

KREF

$603.24K

28,454 KREF shares

What if they kept their stock?

If Christen E.J. Lee didn't sell their stock, today they would have:
Extra KREF28,454 shares worth $457.82K.
This is -24.11% and $145.41K less than what they got when they sold the stock.

Charitable Transactions

KREF

6,310 shares

KREF

Recent Charitable Transactions

KREF

6,310 shares

KREF

Feb 8, 2024

Charity

Insider Trading

See recent insider trades of Christen E.J. Lee.

KREF

6,310 shares

KREF

Feb 8, 2024

Charity

KREF

25,000 shares

KREF

Dec 18, 2023

Received

KREF

$101.66K

KREF at $10.17/share

May 12, 2023

Purchase

KREF

50,000 shares

KREF

Dec 19, 2022

Received

KREF

44,950 shares

KREF

Dec 20, 2021

Received

KREF

$607.59K

KREF at $21.35/share

Jul 30, 2021

Sale

KREF

71,357 shares

KREF

Dec 21, 2020

Received

KREF

$133.07K

KREF at $15.38/share

May 1, 2020

Purchase

KREF

75,000 shares

KREF

Dec 20, 2019

Received

KREF

$95.75K

KREF at $19.15/share

Aug 14, 2019

Purchase

Compensation History

See how much did Christen E.J. Lee make over time.

In 2020, Christen E.J. Lee's total compensation listed at over $2.5 million primarily derived from vested stocks, reflecting KREF's emphasis on performance-based incentives. His salary reported as zero suggests a heavy reliance on stock options, aligning his financial success with the company’s growth and profitability. The company’s compensation philosophy aims to connect executive rewards with stockholder interests, which is evident in Lee's performance metrics. This compensation structure is designed to encourage retention and performance alignment for executive officers. Lee did not receive bonuses in 2020, reinforcing the focus on long-term performance over short-term rewards, which is a strategy common in executive compensation frameworks. Overall, his pay package indicates an understanding of how to motivate key executives by tying their income to the company's market success.

Year

2020

Total Compensation

$2.57M

Salary

$0.00

Board Justification

The compensation philosophy is designed to align the interests of the executive officers with those of the stockholders, focusing on performance and retention.

Bonus

$0.00

Board Justification

No bonus was awarded for the year 2020.

Other

$0.00

Board Justification

No other compensation was reported for 2020.

Restricted Stock

$2.57M(143.44K RSUs)

Board Justification

143,441 RSUs that were granted prior to 2020 and vested in 2020.

Performance Metrics

The performance metrics are based on the financial performance of the Company during the prior fiscal year.