2021 Distinguished Alumni Awards Honoree
Erik Horvat
Managing Director & Head of Real Estate, Americas
Olayan America
When Erik Horvat attended Harper College, the tallest building in the world was just
a stone’s throw away. Little did he know that the career journey he began at Harper
would lead him to develop, lease and market the future tallest skyscraper in the Western
Hemisphere: One World Trade Center.
From 1991-93, Horvat studied accounting at Harper. He transferred to Purdue University
and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in the same field.
“My time at Harper was special – it allowed me to save money while getting a strong
education, and that made it feasible for me to afford Purdue,” Horvat said. “Juggling
school, a job and personal life at that age was hard work, but it crafted me into
the person I am today and am so grateful for the experience. For those of you in
the thick of it – keep going!”
After earning his bachelor’s, he passed the CPA exam and honed his financial skills
at Abbott Laboratories. When his father-in-law introduced him to the construction
world, Horvat became vice president and co-owner of Triad Electric. In 2002, he and
his wife Karen moved from the northwest suburbs to New York City for Horvat to attend
Columbia Business School. He earned his MBA from the Ivy League university in 2004.
Horvat stayed on the East Coast, taking roles at a pair of real estate firms to manage
the development and financial activities for new, mixed-use projects in Manhattan,
Northern New Jersey and the Boston metropolitan area. He co-founded Acre Properties
in 2008 and remained a partner with the real estate developer until a historic project
came calling.
In 2011, Horvat signed on with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to be
the director of World Trade Center Redevelopment. He oversaw all finance, development,
leasing and operational activities for the $15 billion, 14 million-square-foot site
– bringing new life to a location once marred by one of the most tragic events in
American history.
In recent years, Horvat has led the redevelopment of other landmark Manhattan properties
such as One Chase Manhattan Plaza (now 28 Liberty Street) and 550 Madison Avenue.
He currently serves as managing director, head of real estate for the Americas with
The Olayan Group.
Throughout Horvat’s career, he has also focused on giving back. He is a member of
Columbia’s MBA Real Estate Program Advisory Board and a council member with the Urban
Land Institute. He has served on the boards of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Counsel
and the Downtown Alliance, nonprofits that support the arts, economic development
and public services. In honor of his late father’s heritage, Horvat served as the
Slovenian Honorary Consul to New York and New Jersey to cultivate cultural and economic
connections between Slovenia and the U.S.
