Steve Fried

Head of Originations
Mesa West Capital
Private Equity

Steve Fried, principal at Mesa West Capital, assumed the role of head of originations in 2023, overseeing national loan teams in major cities and facilitating an annual $3-billion mortgage origination. With 18 years of investment experience, he navigated challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and high-interest rate environments. Fried started as an intern at Mesa West during his studies at UCLA’s Anderson School of Business, later becoming a principal in 2005. Instrumental in Mesa West’s growth, he expanded its originations platform, which has closed over $27 billion in transactions since 2004. Focusing on commercial real estate debt, Mesa West ranked 42nd among global real estate debt fund managers in 2023. Fried’s leadership emphasizes moderate leverage, strong property markets and top sponsors, extending lending to institutional borrowers amid reduced bank lending. Previously he worked at Deloitte & Touche’s Private Equity Group.