About
Camphor Partners invests in commercial real estate
in the United States and China.
Camphor Partners is a privately held real estate investment and management company with over $1 billion in assets under management in the US and China. Founded in 1992, the company has acquired, planned, developed, and managed real estate in the residential, retail, office, industrial, and hospitality sectors.
Our projects have ranged from ground up construction to the renovation and leasing of existing structures. We invest in properties that offer opportunities to add value through entitlement, development, renovation, and proactive management. Institutional capital firms and private investors take part in our projects by co-investing with our company’s owners for the acquisition and operation of our assets.
The company’s leaders have invested through multiple real estate cycles providing the experience to identify opportunities with attractive, risk-adjusted returns in growth markets. This experience, coupled with comprehensive research on market factors, provides predictable investment opportunities for our client base, and our track record for closing is exceptional – Camphor Partners has closed nearly 100% of its escrows.
The impressive performance of the principals of the company are the direct result of our commitment to the fundamentals of real estate investing: inherent value, location, and proactive management.
Total Acquisitions &
Development
28 million square feet
Assets Under
Management
5 million square feet
Projects in Planning &
Development
1 million square feet
Leadership Team
Peter Cao
Founder and Chairman
Sean Shuo Cao
Chief Investment Officer
Peter Donald Cao is the Chairman and Founder of Camphor Partners and has been deeply involved in real estate investment in both the United States and China since 1992. Born in Hebei, China, Cao joined the workforce at 16 to financially help his family. Cao started his first 10 years in the aerospace industry where he quickly rose through the ranks and was twice recognized as a Top 10 Employee in the Province of 73 million people.
In 1992, Cao founded Camphor Partners and began developing residential, office, industrial, retail, and hospitality projects. He has planned, developed, and operated more than 28 million square feet of real estate in his career. Today, Camphor Partners oversees $1 billion of investments and hires more than 2,000 employees.
Cao believes strongly in giving back to the community and has made significant contributions with both his time and money, exceeding $10 million in donations to educational and disaster-assistance programs.
As Chief Investment Officer, Sean Cao guides the company’s overall investment strategy and oversees the development, marketing, and management of the company. With extensive experience in strategic planning, Cao currently oversees over $1 billion in assets under management and over 2,000 employees in Camphor’s global portfolio.
With a focus on developing long-term relationships, Cao joins with strategic partners in their areas of expertise to maximize the knowledge base for the company’s investments. Closely following macro trends and cycles, he carefully directs the company’s investment policies.
As an active humanitarian, Cao provides guidance and raises funds and awareness for numerous causes. He has been honored to serve as President and Chairman of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Orange County, CA and has sat on the Executive Board of the World Affairs Council. Mr. Cao holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from University of California, Riverside.
949.988.0755
sean.cao@camphorpartners.com
John Cao
Chief Operating Officer
Henry Chen
Partner
Henry Chen is a Partner and the founder of Crestfield Homes, an affiliate company with Camphor Partners.
At Crestfield Homes, Chen oversees acquisition, project management, and operations. He has over 12 years of experience in real estate and has developed a proven track record of delivering quality homes throughout Southern California.
Chen holds a bachelor’s degree in Physiology and Neuroscience from University of California, San Diego.
626.864.7919
henry.chen@crestfieldhomes.com
www.crestfieldhomes.com
John Cao is the Chief Operating Officer at Camphor partners. He is responsible for the company’s China holdings, including acquisitions, marketing, asset management, and operations. He also is in charge of the company’s public affairs, business development, and capital market relationships.
Since joining the company in 1995, Cao has overseen and developed over 20 million square feet of real estate in China. Through his knowledge in public affairs, he has assisted the company in maintaining a healthy relationship between the community leaders.
Ben Liu is Chief Financial Officer at Camphor Partners. He is responsible for corporate finance and accounting of the company’s China holdings. Liu joined the company in 2003 and has helped alleviate the company’s relationship with commercial banks and institutions. He has also improved the internal control of the company’s accounting procedures.
Liu manages a staff responsible for the accounting, reporting, tax, and compliance requirements for more than 5 million square feet of real estate and over 2,000 employees.
Liu holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Auditing from Beijing Institute of Technology.
Diana Guo
Chief Marketing Officer
Ben Liu
Chief Financial Officer
Diana Guo is the Chief Marketing Officer for Camphor Partners. She is responsible for the planning and execution of the marketing and branding of the real estate projects in China.
Through coordinated efforts in market research, pricing, advertising, and sales training, Guo has generated over $1 billion of revenue and has always achieved above pro-forma performances. She has leased and sold over 25 million square feet of real estate and helped the company consistently achieve a portfolio-wide occupancy above 90%. Guo has been with the company since 2000.
Jason Qi
Chief Design Officer
Charlie Ma
Chief Construction Officer
Jason Qi is Chief Design Officer for Camphor Partners. He serves as the main adviser for the design of real estate projects for the company.
Since joining the company in 1997, Qi has been responsible for more than 18 million square feet of real estate projects.
Qi holds a bachelor’s degree in Architectural Design from Tianjin University School of Civil Engineering.
Patrick Rios
VP Asset Management
Charlie Ma is the Chief Construction Officer for Camphor Partners. He is responsible for the construction management of the company’s projects.
Ma joined the company in 1997 and has overseen over 18 million square feet of real estate development projects. Ma has managed construction crews exceeding 6,000 people on site at the same time. He has consistently stayed on schedule and on budget while holding the highest standard of quality control of workers’ well-being, construction procedures, and finished materials.
Ma has built an extensive knowledge base of national contractors and material sources. His attention to detail has identified critical issues for various projects and played a key part to the success of Camphor’s investments.
Patrick Rios is Vice President of Asset Management for Camphor Partners. He oversees the financial performance of the company’s U.S. portfolio. Since joining the company in 2010, Rios’s core responsibilities have included leasing and marketing, supervising third party brokers, managing the legal team, conducting due diligence, and coordinating underwriting for acquisitions and dispositions.
Rios works directly with investors, lenders, and the brokerage community to track industry trends and maximize the performance of each asset. With his previous experience at Merrill Lynch, Rios maintains the company’s focus on preserving and growing its asset values through proactive leasing and management.
He holds the responsibility for building and maintaining income streams from the company’s assets to accomplish the goals of the company’s investment partners.
Rios holds a master’s degree from California State University, Fullerton and a bachelor’s degree from University of California, Irvine.
949.988.0759
patrick.rios@camphorpartners.com
Rita Chong
Director of Finance
Rita Chong is the Director of Finance for Camphor Partners. Chong is responsible for all financial activities relating to accounting, property operations, reporting, forecasting, along with debt and equity account management.
Chong works closely with asset managers, property managers, investors, and lending institutions to ensure the accurate completion of the company’s accounting, budgeting, and financial reporting, as well as the satisfaction of lenders and governmental compliance regulations.
Chong brings the company years of financial management experience in the public and private sectors, with a focus in residential and commercial real estate industry including office buildings, Senior Living communities, national franchise fast food restaurants, event venues, and hospitality groups in varies states.
Chong holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from California State University, Fullerton.
949.988.0761