ABOUT US
PRESIDENT
Salim Manji is the President of Barney River. Salim has over 30 years of experience as a real estate investor and asset manager for various assets such as hospitality, multi-family and senior housing. Salim has led the acquisition, management, re-development, and repositioning of numerous real estate investments, creating significant value enhancement for Barney River and its partners.
Salim received his Bachelor of Commerce Degree from McGill University and his Law Degree from the University of British Columbia. Salim gained admission to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1994.
Salim is an active member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) and a supporter of various non-profit organizations such as the Aga Khan Foundation Canada, Aga Khan Museum, Mount Sinai Hospital, the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, and the Royal Ontario Museum. Salim currently sits on the ROM Board of Governors.
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
Shaila Shivji is the Executive Vice President of Barney River. She has over 29 years of experience in management, finance, operations and new developments. Shaila joined Barney River in 2011. Since then, she has provided leadership, direction and strategic planning to the Executives and Senior Management Team.
Before joining Barney River, Shaila and her brother founded Amica Mature Lifestyles. She was Senior Vice President of New Developments and Operations for Amica and was part of the Senior Management Team. In her role as SVP, she provided direction in the day-to-day operations of luxury retirement properties and worked side by side with their development partners in the design and construction of new developments.
Shaila received her Bachelor of Science Degree (Major in Mathematics and Finance) from McGill University and thereafter, her post-Honours Degree in Actuarial Science is from the University of Western Ontario. Shaila currently sits on the Owners Advisory Board for Marriott Canada and the Advisory Board for Westin Hotels. She also sat on the St. Regis Board for the Residences from 2019-2022.
Shaila enjoys basketball and playing tennis with her two sons.
VICE PRESIDENT – ASSET MANAGEMENT AND INVESTMENTS
Matt is Vice President – Asset Management and Investments at Barney River. He provides leadership and direction over the multi-residential and hotel asset management teams and is involved in long-term strategy for the company.
Matthew previously held the roles of Vice President of Investments and Vice President of Asset Management and Strategy for InnVest Hotels. He completed transactions of over $850 million as he led the portfolio recalibration initiatives. As Vice President of Asset Management and Strategy, Matt led the development of InnVest Hotels’ strategic direction regarding portfolio composition across luxury, full-service, mid-scale and limited-service properties while leading the team responsible for mid-scale and limited-service assets.
Before InnVest, Matt worked with GE Capital Real Estate. He oversaw a lending book of $800M of commercial real estate, including hotels and storage facilities. Before GE Capital Real Estate, Matt was a Director of Asset Management for Delta Hotels and a Consultant with the hotel consultancy and advisory firm PKF.
Matt graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Commerce specializing in Hospitality and has a Certificate in Real Property Valuation from UBC’s Sauder School of Business.
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Amit is the Director of Operations at Barney River. He is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in property management and strategic planning. Amit is essential in providing leadership and strategic direction over the multi-residential and hotel asset management teams.
Amit oversees and manages various functions and responsibilities critical to the Barney River’s success. He leads and mentors a dedicated team, manages budgets and financial forecasting, optimizes operational processes, ensures quality standards, mitigates risks, maintains vendor relationships, and ensures compliance with relevant regulations. Amit is dedicated to continuous improvement, overseeing projects and driving operational efficiency to contribute to the overall success of Barney River.
Before Barney River, Amit held positions in the real estate industry, demonstrating his expertise and leadership skills. Previously, he served as the District Manager at Morguard Corporation in Toronto, Ontario, managing multiple residential portfolios, ensuring operational excellence, budget adherence, and positive resident relations. His leadership abilities were evident in recruiting, training, coaching, and motivating team members to create highly effective teams and enhance employee engagement.
Amit graduated from York University with a bachelor’s Degree in Economics and has a Project Management Certificate from Ryerson University.
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE
Phillip oversees and provides leadership to his team of analysts and accountants at Barney River. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) with over ten years of experience in finance and accounting, focusing on real estate, asset management and public accounting. Phillip graduated from Laurier University through the Business Administration (BBA) program in 2014 and obtained his CPA, CA designation in 2015.
Phillip leads the financial reporting, variance analysis, and cash management processes for the multi-residential portfolio and the corporate entities. Additionally, he works directly with the asset and property management teams to provide financial insight for operational and strategic decision-making.
Before joining Barney River, Phillip held various managerial roles in companies specializing in financial services and asset management. His previous responsibilities have included managing RESP portfolios of over $6.5B in value and being an integral part of acquiring $300M in residential and commercial real estate acquisitions.
DIRECTOR OF ASSET MANAGEMENT
Elizabeth is the Director – Asset Management at Barney River. She is responsible for the performance and long-term growth plans of the multi-residential and hotel portfolios.
Elizabeth has a finance background and was previously the head of finance for Seven Tides International, a Dubai-based developer with a portfolio of mixed-use (hotels, residential and commercial) luxury real estate developments in Dubai and the UK, leading the finance function of the company including financing for all projects under development, day to day financial management, long and short-term financial planning and asset management.
Elizabeth was also a founding member of the Board of Governors of Dubai Heights Academy, a British curriculum school established in Dubai in 2017. Before moving to Dubai, Elizabeth worked in mortgage lending and management consulting in Canada and India.
Elizabeth has an MBA (Finance) from the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India (ICFAI) and a Bachelor of Commerce from Bangalore University, India.
