Meet Our Leadership

FOunder and CEO

Sunil Puri

Mr. Sunil Puri was born in Bombay [Mumbai], India and emigrated to the United States in 1979. Mr. Puri’s entrepreneurial, volunteer, and charitable work has been a driving force in the Midwest, and specifically the Northern Illinois region.

In 1984, Mr. Puri founded First Rockford [now Midwest] Group – a vertically integrated real estate developer, investor, property manager, and holding company for a diverse array of investments including:

· MedMar: one of the first Cannabis dispensaries in Illinois, now part of Cresco Labs Inc., one of the largest vertically integrated cannabis companies in the world
· Road Ranger: one of the largest networks of Truck Stops in the Midwest, with a now nationwide footprint, since sold
· Over 3.2 million square feet of retail, office, and industrial space
· 11 high-end multi-family residential properties
· Over 10,000 single-family lots across the Midwest
· Over 100 outside investments across private equity, venture capital, and more across geographies including China, Mexico, Pan-Africa, SE Asia, and the United States

Mr. Puri has long valued education and received his bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Rockford College in 1982. Throughout his career as CEO and President of First Midwest Group, Mr. Puri attended several prestigious executive education programs, including: London Business School (2000), Harvard Business School (2002-2012), and the University of Chicago. He was also the recipient of an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Rockford University (2013).

Mr. Puri’s previous local board affiliations include RAVE, RAEDC, the Operating and Finance Committee of RPS205, and Rockford University.

Nationally, Mr. Puri is part of YPO/WPO, ICSC, and was appointed by President Obama in 2010 to be part of the White House Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Mr. Puri’s philanthropic activities include: the Perryville Path, the Puri School of Business, the Keeling-Puri Peace Plaza, and many more.

Director of Commercial Development

Bharat Puri

Mr. Bharat Puri has been with First Midwest Group since 1998.  His responsibilities include marketing and leasing First Midwest Group’s office and industrial properties, and evaluating the acquisition and disposition of income-producing assets.  He holds a B.S. in Finance and Economics from Rockford University and served as a senior commercial credit analyst with First of America Bank in Chicago prior to joining First Midwest Group.

Mr. Puri is a member of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR) and the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), and is currently a board member of Rockford Area Economic Development Council.

In October 2007, Mr. Puri completed Harvard Business School’s Executive Real Estate program and during that same time began serving a two-year term on the Financial Advisory Committee of the Rockford Park District.

Commercial Leasing Manager

Mike Capriola

Mr. Mike Capriola has more than 20 years experience in real estate development. He has been heavily involved in the successful marketing, leasing and sale of many major retail projects. Mr. Capriola represents dozens of regional and national tenants in site selection, property evaluation, and acquisition. Mr. Capriola provides consulting services including tenant mix strategies, target marketing, tenant analysis, architectural review, and construction phase supervision.

Chief Operating Officer

Mark Robinson

Mr. Mark Robinson came to First Midwest Group in 2020, bringing more than 30 years of experience in real estate, aviation, government contracting, and more. Mr. Robinson graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Madison with a bachelors in Risk Management and received his JD/MBA at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Senior Asset manager

Mark Stefanic

Mark Stefanic has over 40 years of experience in finance, marketing, real estate, sales, systems development and system integration. His background includes work on international joint ventures, streamlining business processes, re-engineering sales processes and developing marketing channels. He has managed multiplatform systems integration and development including redesign of data structures. A portion of his career was spent in financial analysis and operating multiple businesses in the hospitality and leisure industries.

Mark has continued to serve on The Workforce Connection Board since 2004.

He served on the Board of the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau from 2008 - 2014, serving 2 years as Chairman in 2010.

Mark has a BA from Benedictine University with Majors in Accounting and Economics. He has an MBA from the University of Chicago with a Specialization in Finance and a Concentration in Marketing.

Corporate COunsel

Marvin Keys

Mr. Keys has been with First Midwest Group since 2004 and provides counsel on the full range of legal matters stemming from First Midwest Group’s real estate development and leasing activities.  Prior to joining First Midwest Group, Mr. Keys was an attorney with Diamond & LeSueur, P.C. in McHenry, Illinois, where he specialized in land use and zoning, municipal, commercial and residential real estate development and contract negotiations.  Mr. Keys also was City Attorney for the Villages of Prairie Grove and Port Barrington.

A graduate of Northern Illinois University College of Law, where he obtained a J.D., and from Florida Southern College, where he earned a B.A., Mr. Keys was admitted to practice in the State of Illinois in November, 1998.

Mr. Keys currently serves on the Golden Apple Foundation’s Puri Family Outstanding Principal Award and Investing In Excellence: Assistant Principal Development Program selection committee.

CHief Financial Officer

Doug Beale

Mr. Beale first joined First Midwest Group in 1998 and since that time has been involved with establishing and overseeing the accounting and financial operations of all of the company’s projects.  Previously, he spent several years as a senior accountant with Wilcop, Shelton & Strakeljahn, CPAs.

A graduate of Augustana College, Mr. Beale is a certified public accountant.  He has served on the Board of Directors of RAMP (Regional Access and Mobilization Project) and is currently Treasurer of the Rockford Chariots Wheelchair Athletic Association.  He is also the Midwest Representative of the Championship Division Committee of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association.

Assistant CHief Financial Officer

Kyle Schilling

Mr. Kyle Schilling works on all things 'Numbers' for First Midwest Group. He is also part of the investment committee for 'FMG Capital' - First Midwest Group's arm for investments in Venture Capital, Private Equity, Private RE Funds, and other opportunistic investments. He is proud to call the Midwest home.

Mr. Schilling received his B.S. and M.A. in Accounting from Northern Illinois University, and he started his career at Deloitte before joining First Midwest Group