AFIRE is pleased to announce that Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief Ben van Loon has been named a 2026 Notable Leader in Communications by Crain’s Chicago Business.
Published annually, the list highlights dozens of notable professionals and leaders in communications, celebrating executives who shape organizational reputation, steer crisis and change communications, and elevate communications as a core strategic business function.
Ben is responsible for all association communications, creative direction, research efforts, technical operations, and thought leadership strategy for AFIRE.
Ben joined AFIRE in 2019 following his role as regional communications leader for SOM, a global architecture and urban planning firm. Before that, he oversaw communications for the City of Chicago’s public-private economic development agency, building on his past leadership in public affairs for various private equity firms, marketing operations for professional services consulting firms, and journalism for trade publications focused on architecture, sustainability, and global business leadership.
From 2018 to 2024, he also served as an Adjunct Professor of Public Relations for Northeastern Illinois University.
As an accomplished writer, lecturer, editor, and researcher, Ben has received multiple awards and recognition for his thought leadership focused on urban, technological, and social issues.
He holds multiple bachelor’s degrees in English, philosophy, and accounting, and a master’s degree in communications and media. In 2023, he was named one of Association Forum’s “Forty Under 40.” He was a member of the Emerging Leaders program with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in 2024 and is a Certified Association Executive (CAE).
View the full list of 2026 Notable Leaders in Communications at chicagobusiness.com.
+ ISSUE 22
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: ISSUE #22
AFIRE 2026 Mid-Year Pulse Survey Report (P. 6)
Market Mitigation: American Economic Power Translates into CRE Opportunity (P. 18)
Real Estate in the Next Cycle: A New Generation of Investment Ideas for the Built Environment (P. 26)
The Narrow Gate: Who Actually Raises Foreign Capital for US Real Estate (P. 36)
Middle East Institutional Capital and US Real Estate: Are They Still Friends?(P. 42)
Arbitrage in Plain Sight: How “Bucketized” Capital and Lost Skills Leave Billions on the Table (P. 52)
Real Estate Credit Reimagined: Private Credit and Debt Capital Markets (P. 60)
(Re-)Industrial Demand Drivers: From Efficiency to Resiliency (P. 66)
Zombie Funds or Patient Capital: Age Alone Cannot Distinguish a Stagnant Fund from a Disciplined Vehicle (P. 72)
Upending Underwriting: Fat Tail Risks in North American Office Investments (P. 76)
The Economics of Place: Quantifying the Mixed-Use Premium (P. 82)
The Overlooked Gateway: Opportunity Zones and Cross-Border Capital (P. 88)
Opportunities in Pro-Housing Policy Shifts: Investing in Markets with Public Policy Support (P. 94)
Rethinking Luxury Hospitality: Transforming Complexity into Long-Term Value (P. 100)
Before the Next Decision: Field Work to Organizational Capability (P. 108)
The Maturity Wall Is Already Here: Why the Headline CMBS Delinquency Rate Understates Distress (P. 114)
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