Stephen Couig

Chief Executive Officer

Prior to founding the Center Street Companies, Mr. Couig was President of Capital Pacific Holdings’ residential development business with annual revenues of $500MM+. In his 10-year tenure at CPH, Mr. Couig oversaw the acquisition and financing of billions of dollars in residential property.

Under his leadership, CPH increased revenues more than 150 percent and profits in excess of 300 percent. CPH was recognized in the industry as a leader in adopting new technologies to improve processes and was voted “One of the 50 Best Companies to Work For” by Professional Builder magazine. Prior to joining CPH, Mr. Couig was Executive Vice President for Scottsdale, AZ – based Troon Golf, a private company majority-owned by Starwood Capital Group and Goldman Sachs. Mr. Couig successfully acquired Troon’s first six courses, transforming the company into an owner/management organization.

Prior to Troon, Mr. Couig worked in Morgan Stanley’s Equity Capital Markets Division, where he focused on business development and syndicate management for real estate companies including REITs and hospitality companies.  Mr. Couig is a graduate of the MBA program at The Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College and received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.  He is a member of the Southern California Chapter of Young Presidents Organization (YPO)

Michael Marshall

Chief Financial Officer

Michael Marshall is the Chief Financial & Operating Officer of Center Street Lending. He is responsible for overseeing finance, accounting, operations and secondary markets for the business that has originated over $1.5 billion in loans with over 500 loans outstanding representing over $300MM in UPB. 

Mr. Marshall brings over 20 years of experience in the real estate, mortgage, lending and the financial services sectors. Prior to Center Street Lending, he was the Chief Financial Officer at FPH Capital Partners, one of Southern California’s fastest-growing private equity firms, and was the Chief Financial & Administrative Officer at First Team Real Estate, the largest independent real estate brokerage in California.  Mr. Marshall has also worked in the land development and construction industries in Arizona where he helped to launch several prominent housing and mixed-use communities.  

He earned his MBA from the University of Southern California and is a CPA and licensed real estate broker. Mr. Marshall serves as a board member and treasurer for United Cerebral Palsy of Orange County which provides therapy and a variety of services for children with disabilities and developmental delays.

Ece Bennett

Director of Finance and Investor Relations

As  Director of Finance and Investor Relations at Center Street Lending, Ece plays a key role in the organization’s financial strategy, performing a variety of advanced financial analyses in collaboration with the Executive Team. Ece also works with investors and shareholders communicating financial results, strategy, and business initiatives. Ece has over 15 years experience in investment banking and corporate finance. Her previous transaction experience includes arranging over $5 billion of debt and equity capital markets transactions, corporate credit facilities, bridge loans, structured financings, non-recourse project financings, and sell-side and buy-side advisory transactions for Fortune 500 companies. 

Ece earned her MBA from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, and held Series 7 and 63 securities licenses. She is a Board Member of the Institute of Management  Accountants, Orange County Chapter, and volunteers as a senior consultant for the Taproot Foundation.