About
Professional Summary
Saira works with a variety of lifestyle, hospitality, and digitally native retail brands transitioning from eCommerce to physical locations. Saira has introduced local and global concepts looking to establish retail, office, and warehouse distribution centers; providing her clients with line production services.
Clients range from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies.
Saira’s knowledge and network gained from a prolific career in global fashion and media informs a truly unique perspective allowing her to bring first-class knowledge and experience to her clients.
Accomplishments
Saira has been featured on the covers of Newsweek, India Today, Cosmopolitan, Elle, GQ, Marie Claire, L'Officiel, Glamour, and in Vogue among others. Saira has worked with designers & brands such as Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, Calvin Klein, Versace, Valentino, Emanuel Ungaro, Mercedes Benz, L'Oreal, Oil of Olay, Bloomingdale’s, Macy's, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Kohl's, Target, Saks Fifth Avenue, GAP, Kohler, Anne Klein, Wonderbra, and Victoria's Secret.
Saira had hosted specials for the Fine Living Network, Fashion Television, Entertainment Tonight, and VH-1; and was featured Esquire Magazine’s “Women We Love” issue.
Saira has been the subject of mainstream news stories in publications such as India Today, The Telegraph (UK), The Sunday Times(UK), The Evening Standard(UK), Newsweek, Indian Express(USA), the Hindustan Times(India), and The Daily Mail(UK).
Saira made her Bollywood film debut in Karan Johar's "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna". Next was "Teen Patti" (2010) with Sir Ben Kingsley and Amitabh Bachchan. Saira has been a speaker at World Economic Forum events and The India Today Conclave.
Education
Saira began studies at Queens College in New York and completed studies in business and entrepreneurship at the Graham School, University of Chicago.
Memberships & Involvements
Saira is a member of ICSC.
Saira enjoys tennis, boot camp, and being a member of The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, an independent, nonpartisan organization.
Testimonials
Saira enabled the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce to help our Small Business members pivot as the pandemic hit Chicago. Saira initiated the conversation with and introduced Shopify to Chicagoland's Chamber of Commerce. Saira showed genuine ambition and dedication in helping to keep commerce going for small local retail businesses by using Shopify e-commerce platform. Since then, The Chicagoland Chamber's Illinois SBDC has developed an in-house program to educate our small business members on how to get online, drive traffic, and turn browsers into buyers. We appreciate Saira putting the Chicagoland Chamber Of Commerce in contact with Shopify. Jan V. Kostner - Sr. Vice President of Membership & Corporate Relations, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce: connecting you for growth. March 11, 2021, Jan V. worked with Saira but at different companies
Saira did an outstanding job working with our company. She was tasked with finding a location in Chicago for a "pop-up" store for one of our clients. Her attention to detail and hard-working attitude proved to be a success. She went beyond our expectations with not only locating potential sites but in finding a local contractor to build the store. She also served as our local contact to ensure the successful build and operation of the store. I would highly recommend and endorse Saira. Todd Wilkerson - CEO BREWCO Marketing Group
I was introduced to Saira in early 2018 by a mutual colleague. Immediately, I knew that she was a) friendly and willing to listen to how I could bring value to mutual relationships, b) very knowledgeable about real estate and general construction, and c) interested in how our organizations could work together for the benefit of our clients. It is typical for Saira to be available as needed and involved in any way that solves problems and exceeds clients' expectations. It has been a pleasure working with Saira and I look forward to many more opportunities to serve our mutual clients' needs. I will refer her to anyone that is interested in working with the best! Jim Boswell - President & CEO Integrity LLC.
Services
Skills
Service Lines
Property Type
My Team
My Team
AREA OF EXPERTISE
In Anjee’s current role, as National Retail Director for the USA, she has developed strong relationships and strategic leadership to over 500 + retail professional nationally across 140 markets within Colliers for Investment Sales, Agency, Retailer Rep, and Retail Asset & Property Management.
Anjee Solanki brings 30 years of focused retail real estate experience to Colliers International. She provides strategic retail advisory services to enhance value for her clients with her expertise in lifestyle, community, power center, neighborhood, mixed-use retail/residential, and resort retail.
She has developed and manages strong working relationships with institutional and private clients such as State of Florida, State of Michigan, Heitman, Invesco, Grosvenor Americas, American Realty Advisors, TH Realty, PNC, and Zurich to name a few.
Her strategy identifies current market and property inefficiencies to capture untapped value through asset repositioning, releasing, redevelopment, rehabilitation, proactive management, and enhanced marketing.
Creative problem-solving is her specialty, and she becomes a key stakeholder with national and international retailers, such as JPMC, Opry City Stage/Ole Red and Tim Hortons, and many others. Her highly focused approach reduces the risk profile and provides clients with a thoughtful approach executing strategic multi-year planning initiatives.
BUSINESS BACKGROUND
Previously, Anjee served as Executive Vice President, Retail Services for Madison Marquette. She successfully assisted with repositioning community centers to lifestyle projects and identified opportunities to create value, resulting in higher returns for her clients. She also provided strategic analysis on complex redevelopment projects to address both the asset’s financial stabilization and/or the client’s exit strategy
BLOG
Anjee continues to be an insatiable collector of all things retail. She’s a student of culture living next door to future shoppers, whose fleeting trends constantly change the retail landscape … driving retailers, landlords and developers crazy! Read her Blog at: https://knowledge-leader.colliers.com/author/anjee-solanki
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Anjee is originally from Southern California and currently resides in San Francisco. She is active in the Rincon Hill neighborhood residential improvement group, which participates in the public review of the highly anticipated Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco.
A resourceful, innovative and passionate marketing professional with a proven successful track record who has more than 16 years of experience in commerical real estate. As an accomplished marketing leader, I am highly regarded for accomplishments in planning and leading comprehensive marketing strategies, managing complex projects, and delivering superior client service. I am currently the marketing and operatoins manager for retail services at Colliers, servicing more than 550 retail professionals.
Prior to Colliers, I was the senior communications point person for CBRE San Diego where I develop and execute superior marketing strategies that aligned with business goals across traditional and non‐traditional media; create/distribute press releases with a record average coverage rate of 98 percent. Before accepting the CBRE role, I was at ICSC for seven years as their research services manager where I over saw global and national events. I also managed managed all creative aspects of the department’s products, services, and programs as well as providing strategic marketing direction for the products through social media, electronic newsletters, e‐mail blasts and other services.
Since 2002 Chris has completed more than 500+ Retail Lease & Sale transactions throughout Chicago.
Prior to joining Colliers, Chris served as an SVP with Jameson Commercial and Managing Director for SVN Chicago. Chris was instrumental in forming SVN Chicago with former Sussex & Reilly agents.
I was most recently a Senior Vice President of Retail Sales & Leasing with Jameson Commercial Real Estate. In my nearly 10 years with the company, I was a consistent top producer and ranked number one in “Most Transactions” in 2014 and top five in “Total Volume” in 2015. In 2016, I was the firm’s top producer. Voted Crain’s Most Influential Commercial Real Estate Brokers in Chicago in 2017. Notable deals include the $10.1 million sale of 8-12 W. Division Street in Chicago.
Chris is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), Chicago Association of Realtors Commercial Forum Committee, Lakeview Chamber of Commerce Planning and Development Committee.
Chris earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University. Chris resides in Glencoe with his wife and three children.