Senior Management

James Dondero, founder and principal of NexPoint, is president and chairman of NexPoint Real Estate Finance’s board of directors. He also serves as president of NexPoint Real Estate Advisors, L.P., the Dallas-based parent company of NexPoint Real Estate Finance’s external manager. With more than three decades of experience and success in alternative investments, Mr. Dondero has built numerous integrated enterprises which make up a global investment network. Mr. Dondero’s expertise has allotted him the opportunity to serve on a number of executive boards in the real estate and financial services industries. He is president and chairman of the board of directors of NexPoint Residential Trust, Inc (NYSE: NXRT), and serves as the Chief Executive Officer of NexPoint Hospitality Trust (TSX-V: NHT.U). James Dondero’s commitment to advancing community and economic development, along with his dedication to philanthropy, have made him an avid supporter of many local organizations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He frequently contributes to initiatives working to improve education, conservation, and veteran affairs. Mr. Dondero is a member of the Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business Executive Board and the George W. Bush Presidential Center Executive Advisory Council.

Matt McGraner has served as our Executive VP and Chief Investment Officer since March 2015. Mr. McGraner has also served as the Executive VP and Chief Investment Officer of NexPoint Residential Trust, Inc. (NYSE: NXRT) since March 2015, as Executive VP, Chief Investment Officer and Secretary of VineBrook Homes Trust, Inc. since February 2019, as Chief Investment Officer of NexPoint Hospitality Trust since December 2018 and as a member of the board of directors and President of NexPoint Storage Partners, Inc. since November 2020. Mr. McGraner has also served as a Managing Director at NexPoint or an affiliate since May 2013. His primary responsibilities are to lead the operations of the real estate platform at NexPoint, as well as source and execute investments, manage risk and develop potential business opportunities, including fundraising, private investments and joint ventures. Mr. McGraner is also a licensed attorney and was formerly an associate at Jones Day from 2011 to 2013, with a practice primarily focused on private equity, real estate and mergers and acquisitions. While at Jones Day, Mr. McGraner led the acquisition and financing of over $200 million of real estate investments and advised on $16.3 billion of M&A and private equity transactions. Since joining NexPoint in 2013, Mr. McGraner has led the acquisition and financing of over $11.8 billion of real estate investments.

Brian Mitts, CPA serves as Chief Financial Officer, Executive VP-Finance, Secretary and Treasurer of NREF; as Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Assistant Secretary and a member of the board of directors of VineBrook Homes Trust, Inc.; Chief Financial Officer, Executive VP- Finance, Secretary and Treasurer of NexPoint Residential Trust, Inc. (NYSE: NXRT); and Chief Financial Officer, Executive VP-Finance, Treasurer and Corporate Secretary of NexPoint Hospitality Trust (TSX.V: NHT.U). Mr. Mitts also serves as a member of the board of directors for NREF and NXRT. Mr. Mitts is also a member of the investment committee of the Company’s external manager. Mr. Mitts co-founded NexPoint Real Estate Advisors, L.P. (“NREA”), as well as NXRT and other real estate businesses with Mr. McGraner and Mr. Dondero. Currently, Mr. Mitts leads NexPoint’s financial reporting and accounting teams and is integral in financing and capital allocation decisions. Prior to co-founding NREA and NXRT, Mr. Mitts was Chief Operations Officer of Highland Funds Asset Management, L.P., the external advisor of open-end and closed-end funds where he managed the operations of these funds and helped develop new products. Mr. Mitts was also a co-founder of NexPoint Advisors, L.P., the parent of NREA. He has worked for NREA or its affiliates since 2007.

Matthew Goetz has served as our Senior VP-Investments and Asset Management since February 2020. Mr. Goetz is also a director at NexPoint and was previously a Senior Financial Analyst at a former NexPoint Affiliate from 2014 to March 2017. His primary responsibilities are to asset manage, source acquisitions, manage risk and develop potential business opportunities for NexPoint, including fundraising, private investments and joint ventures. Prior to June 2014, Mr. Goetz was a Senior Financial Analyst in CBRE’s Debt and Structured Finance group from May 2011 to June 2014 where he underwrote over $7 billion and more than 30 million square feet of multifamily, office, and retail commercial real estate. In his time at CBRE, a commercial real estate services firm, Mr. Goetz and his team closed over $2.5 billion in debt and equity financing. Prior to joining CBRE’s Debt and Structured Finance group, he held roles as an Analyst and Senior Analyst for CBRE’s Recovery and Restructuring Services group from September 2009 to May 2011 where he assisted in the asset management and disposition of over 3,000 real estate owned assets valued at more than $750 million. He also provided commercial real estate consulting services to banks, special servicers, hedge funds, and private equity groups.

Dennis “D.C.” Sauter, Jr. has served as our General Counsel since February 2020. Mr. Sauter has also served as the General Counsel of NexPoint Residential Trust, Inc. (NYSE: NXRT) since February 2020. Previously, Mr. Sauter was a partner in the real estate section of Wick Phillips Gould & Martin, LLP in Dallas, Texas from January 2014 until joining NexPoint in February 2020, where he specialized in acquisitions, construction, financing, joint ventures and complex leasing for REITs, private developers, and institutional investors. Mr. Sauter’s primary responsibility is to manage all of our legal matters, including corporate governance, real estate transactions, and capital markets transactions. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a Juris Doctor from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. He has been a licensed attorney and member of the State Bar of Texas since 2001.

Paul Richards (VP of Originations and Investments) - Mr. Richards is the VP of Originations and Investments of NexPoint Real Estate Finance. Mr. Richards has also served as Vice President of Asset Management of NexPoint Hospitality Trust, or NHT, since March 2019. Mr. Richards has also served as Vice President of Asset Management and Financing of VineBrook Homes Trust since November 2018. His primary responsibilities are to research and conduct due diligence on new investment ideas, perform valuation and benchmark analysis, monitor and manage investments in the existing real estate portfolio, and provide industry support for NexPoint’s real estate team. From January 2014 until March 2017 Mr. Richards served in various roles at NexPoint or its affiliates, including as a Product Strategy Associate, where he was responsible for evaluating and optimizing the registered product lineup, a Senior Fund Analyst and a Financial Analyst. Prior to joining NexPoint in January 2014, Mr. Richards was employed with Deloitte & Touche LLP’s state and local tax practice where he served as a tax consultant specializing in state strategic tax reviews, voluntary disclosure agreements, state tax exposure research, and overall state tax compliance.

David Willmore (VP of Finance) - Mr. Willmore is the VP of Finance for NexPoint Real Estate Finance, Inc. and NexPoint Residential Trust, Inc. Mr. Willmore has also served as Senior Manager at NXRT since March 2019 and was previously a Senior Manager at a former NexPoint affiliate from February 2017 to March 2019. With over ten years of accounting, auditing, and financial reporting experience, his primary responsibilities are to implement the financial and operational strategies of NexPoint’s public and private REITs and registered investment funds as well as ensure timely and accurate accounting and reporting. As a Senior Manager, Mr. Willmore was responsible for the accounting, reporting and operations for hedge funds, separately managed accounts and private equity business lines. Before joining in October 2011, Mr. Willmore began his career at Deloitte & Touche LLP as an auditor in the Audit and Enterprise Risk Services Group.