John Hand
Founder and Managing Partner
John Hand co-founded Iron Bridge Capital in 2001 in Atlanta, GA, focusing on real estate investments in the Southeast. In 2014, he moved the corporate office to Charleston, SC.
Prior to starting Iron Bridge, John held various positions with companies in the technology/real estate arena in Atlanta and San Francisco. Earlier, he served as an associate in acquisitions for Westbrook Partners in New York, a multi-billion dollar real estate opportunity fund.
John began his career in Atlanta with the commercial real estate group King & Spalding. He holds a JD/MBA from Vanderbilt University and a B.S. in Business Administration from U.N.C. Chapel Hill where he graduated with distinction.
Committed to community service, John has served on the Vanderbilt Law School Board of Advisors, the U.N.C. Chapel Hill Board of Visitors, as SC State Chair, as a Member of the YPO Southern 7 Gold Chapter Board, and the Executive Committee of the Charleston Day School Board.
When not working, John enjoys tennis, biking, kiteboarding, golf, playing guitar, and flying.
Patrick McCraney
Managing Director
Patrick currently serves as Managing Director of Iron Bridge, overseeing all new transactions. Prior to joining Iron Bridge, Patrick served for six (6) years as Vice President and General Counsel of Cardinal Ventures, Inc., a private equity-backed real estate development firm which developed fourteen (14) multifamily and seniors housing projects throughout the Southeast.
Patrick launched his career in the legal field, founding/managing his own law firm and working for international law and advisory firm, Butler Snow.
Over the course of almost two decades in the legal profession, Patrick developed a roster of real estate clients throughout the United States, including owners, syndicators, and developers in the areas of affordable housing, market rate multifamily, seniors housing, single family residential development, office, and retail.
Patrick graduated magna cum laude from the University of Mississippi (1997) where he received numerous academic distinctions including Phi Kappa Phi and Omicron Delta Kappa. He received his Juris Doctor from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia (2000).
Sean Easter
VP of Construction
Sean Easter is the Vice President of Construction at Iron Bridge Capital and responsible for project management and construction oversight for all Iron Bridge investments. He has worked with Iron Bridge for over 10 years, and relocated to Guam for 8 years to oversee projects there.
After moving back stateside, Sean continued advancing his own company, Easter Project Management (EPM), which provides owner’s construction representative services to clients such as Goldman Sachs and other tier-one clients nationwide and abroad. Goldman experienced his expertise first hand while working together on our Ironwood Saipan housing project.
Prior to founding EPM, Sean served as Vice President of Development and Construction at Bass Pro Shops, developing 28+ stores nationally, Assistant Vice President of Construction at Circuit City Stores, leading the development of 467 stores, and Senior Project Manager with Simon Development.
Sean holds a BS of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Arkansas. He is a Professional Engineer and LEED Green Associate.
Martin Willoughby
Partner
Martin Willoughby has spent 25+ years in the Southeast in various leadership and advisory roles with real estate, technology, and financial services companies.
Martin has launched and operated several successful businesses over the years including a law firm, title company, and a real estate leasing company. In addition, he served as General Counsel for a global technology firm and as an attorney with Butler Snow, LLP.
An accomplished public speaker and author, Martin frequently shares his expertise on a variety of topics including entrepreneurial leadership.
Martin is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Millsaps College and a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Mississippi College School of Law.
Sherry Costo
Chief Controller
Sherry has worked for Iron Bridge and its affiliates since 2009. She oversees a number of key functions including budgeting, bookkeeping, payroll, construction draws, and audit and tax preparation for the various subsidiary companies.
Prior to joining Ironwood, Sherry served as Controller for John W. Rooker and Associates in Atlanta. She has a Bachelor of Business Administration from University of North Florida.
Bettina Wilson
Assistant to John Hand
Bettina Wilson joined Iron Bridge Capital Partners in April 2015. Prior to that, she worked as a Registered Assistant at Merrill Lynch for fifteen years.
After leaving the corporate world to raise children, Bettina raised funds remotely for Dr. Denise Faustman, at Massachusetts General, whose research is in Phase II of clinical trials using BCG as a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. She also initiated and executed fundraising events and support groups for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Upon moving to Charleston, Bettina formed Your Right Hand where she is a personal assistant and advocate predominantly to elderly clients.
Bettina has a Bachelor of Arts from Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College).
