Century City Chamber Citizens of the Year Honored at Gala

Nadine Watt from the Watt Companies and Global investment bank Houlihan Lokey were feted at the ceremony at the Beverly Hilton on June 8.

In a change of venue this year, the Century City Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Citizens of the Year Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on June 8.

Local Fox 11 News Anchor Christine Devine emceed the event, and was on hand to give the awards to both the individual recipient – Nadine Watt from the Watt Companies – and global investment bank Houlihan Lokey. That award was accepted by CEO Scott Beiser.

The Chamber has been holding this event for the past 35 years. The Citizen of the Year Award is the organization’s highest civic recognition award, given to both an individual and a company that exemplify excellence in corporate and community relations.

Houlihan Lokey was founded in 1972 and serves corporations, institutions and governments worldwide, with offices in the United States, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. It is ranked as the No. 1 M&A advisor for all U.S. transactions, the No. 1 global restructuring advisor and the No. 1 global M&A fairness opinion advisor over the past 20 years, according to Thomson Reuters.

Nadine Watt oversees all commercial investment activities including acquisitions, development and asset management for the Watt company’s 6 million square-foot portfolio of multifamily, industrial, office and retail properties.

Watt has been at the company for 17 years and has developed hundreds of apartment units and multiple shopping centers. She was responsible for a multi-million dollar renovation program at Watt Plaza that was instrumental in securing the building’s Platinum LEED certification in 2013 and a TOBY award in 2011.

She is the first female Chair for the Los Angeles Business Council and also serves on the executive committee for the Los Angeles Real Estate and Construction Council for the City of Hope.

Chamber President and CEO Nancy Wood said following the ceremony, “We were thrilled to see so many of our community’s business leaders in the room to support the Century City Chamber of Commerce and to honor our two Citizens, Houlihan Lokey and Nadine Watt from the Watt Companies.