Team
Managing Director, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer for Europe
Starwood Capital Group
Starwood Capital Funds Luxembourg
Sarah Broughton is a Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer for Europe. Ms. Broughton is head of our Luxembourg office and oversees the day to day management and operations of the firm in Europe. Ms. Broughton also coordinates Starwood Capital Group’s internal financial functions in Europe, including tax, reporting and accounting and is an observer on the International Investment Committee in her capacity as a board member of the Luxembourg General Partner and associated Luxembourg entities.
Prior to taking up her current responsibilities, Ms. Broughton played a key role in the asset management of a diverse portfolio of assets throughout Europe—including spending two years in Paris as a member of Groupe du Louvre’s management team. Prior to joining Starwood in 2007, Ms. Broughton spent five years as a Financial Reporting Manager for Whitbread Plc. Ms. Broughton began her career at Andersen and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2001.
Ms. Broughton received a first-class honors degree in economics from Brunel University. She is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales, as well as the Securities Institute.
Director of Financial Control
Starwood Capital Funds Luxembourg
Olivier Marbaise is the Director of Financial Control for Starwood Capital Funds Luxembourg. In this role, Mr. Marbaise heads up the Luxembourg-based team responsible for financial operations and the accounting and reporting of Luxembourg entities, and also manages the implementation and performance of consistent controls and procedures for these entities. In addition, he serves as a board member for a number of Luxembourg entities of Starwood Capital’s funds.
Prior to joining Starwood Capital in June 2014, Olivier Marbaise served as European Finance Director with Panattoni Europe. He previously served as Vice President Finance–Consolidation Controller at ProLogis, where he began his career in 2004.
Mr. Marbaise received a degree economics from College Royal Marie-Therese and a master’s degree in accountancy from Institute Sainte Marie.
Tax Manager
Starwood Capital Funds Luxembourg
Joanna Galeza is the Tax Manager in the Luxembourg office. In this role, Ms. Galeza advises on tax aspects of transactions involving Luxembourg funds and subsidiaries and oversees compliance tax matters related to the functioning of the Luxembourg entities.
Ms. Galeza has 14 years of experience in providing international tax services for the alternative investments industry with a special focus on real estate. Prior to joining Starwood, Ms. Galeza worked as a Senior Tax Manager at PwC in both Luxembourg and the United States.
Ms. Galeza holds a master’s degree in law from the University of Warsaw and a master’s degree in finance and banking from the Warsaw School of Economics, Poland.
Senior Legal Counsel
Starwood Capital Funds Luxembourg
Rachelle Clitesse is the senior legal counsel of the Luxembourg office and is responsible for the day-to-day legal matters of the Luxembourg funds and underneath subsidiaries. She supervises the implementation of the corporate structures, the acquisitions of assets as well as their financing and exit. In addition, she handles all internal legal aspects of the Luxembourg office and its employees.
Mrs. Clitesse started her career as a litigation lawyer in Belgium prior to joining a top ten Luxembourg business law firm as a senior associate in corporate and M&A for eight years. She also worked as a senior manager in the legal team of Ernst & Young Luxembourg before joining Starwood in 2018.
Mrs.Clitesse holds a degree in law from the University of Liège, Belgium, as well as master degree in tax law from HEC Liège Management School. She was previously a member of the Luxembourg bar.