James Sawyer
Senior Capital Markets Analyst
James Sawyer is a Senior Capital Markets Analyst at Maslow’s Campus Communities, where he plays a cross-functional role on both the capital markets and investments teams. He supports transaction execution, capital raising, and underwriting initiatives that shape the firm’s strategic approach to student housing investment and development.
Prior to joining Maslow’s, he held a hybrid role in Finance and Portfolio Management at American Campus Communities, a Blackstone portfolio company. There, he supported over $2 billion in debt transactions—including CMBS refinancings and construction loans—and developed financial models and presentations for balance sheet, Agency, and project finance debt, collaborating closely with credit rating agencies and other external stakeholders. His work helped improve liquidity, reduce interest costs, and enhance overall portfolio performance.
He also played a key role in coordinating ACC’s quarterly company performance updates for Blackstone and ACC executives—bringing together insights across functions and helping translate financial performance into strategic insights. Earlier, as an Analyst in Investor Relations at ACC, he enhanced internal cash flow forecasting, redesigned the firm’s cash distribution model to increase accuracy and automation, and supported the Debt team in lender reporting.
In 2024, he was selected for the Blackstone Analyst Accelerator program, a competitive, year-long program focused on building technical, strategic, and leadership skills among high-potential professionals across Blackstone portfolio companies.
Prior to entering commercial real estate, he advised a portfolio of over 300 small business clients at JP Morgan Chase, focusing on liquidity solutions, credit strategies, and cash flow optimization to support business growth.
He graduated magna cum laude from The University of Texas at Tyler with a BBA in Finance, where he was recognized as a Finance Signature Student. He also graduated as Valedictorian of his high school class. He has passed Level I of the CFA exam and has experience with Python, Power BI, and VBA—applying data-driven tools to enhance financial modeling, scenario analysis, and operational efficiency.
