Not applicable.
(a) The registrant maintains a system of disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in the registrant’s reports under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to management, including the registrant’s Principal Executive Officer (“PEO”) and the Principal Financial Officer (“PFO”), as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Under the supervision and participation of the registrant’s management, including the registrant’s PEO and PFO, the registrant conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act as of December 31, 2014. Based upon management’s review, the PEO and the PFO concluded that the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2014.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
This annual report does not include an attestation report of the registrant’s independent registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management’s report was not subject to attestation by the Registrant’s independent registered public accounting firm pursuant to the rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that permit the company to provide only management’s report in this annual report.
Not applicable.
PART III
ITEMS 10 AND 11. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE OF THE REGISTRANT; EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION.
The TIAA Real Estate Account has no officers or directors and no TIAA trustee or executive officer receives compensation from the Account. The Trustees and certain principal executive officers of TIAA as of March 1, 2015, their dates of birth, and their principal occupations during at least the last five years, are as follows:
Trustees
Ronald L. Thompson (Chairman), 6/17/49
Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Midwest Stamping and Manufacturing Company from 1993 through 2005. Director, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Medical University of South Carolina Foundation, and Trustee, Washington University in St. Louis. Member, Plymouth Ventures Partnership II Advisory Board.
Jeffrey R. Brown, 2/16/68
William G. Karnes Professor of Finance and Director of the Center for Business and Public Policy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and Associate Director of the NBER Retirement Research Center. Manager, LLB Ventures, LLC. Former member of the Social Security Advisory Board from 2006 to 2008.
Robert C. Clark, 2/26/44
Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor and Austin Wakeman Scott Professor of Law, Harvard Law School, Harvard University. Formerly Dean and Royall Professor of Law, Harvard Law School from 1989 to 2003. Director of the Hodson Trust, Time Warner, Inc. and Omnicom Group, Inc.
Lisa W. Hess, 8/8/55
President and Managing Partner, SkyTop Capital. Former Chief Investment Officer of Loews Corporation from 2002 to 2008. Founding partner of Zesiger Capital Group. Director of Radian Group, Inc., Covariance Capital Management, Inc. (“Covariance”), and TIAA-CREF Trust Company, FSB. Trustee of the Pomfret School and the Richard W. Wolfson Family Foundation.
Edward M. Hundert, M.D., 10/1/56
Harvard University Medical School, Dean for Medical Education and Daniel D. Federman, M.D. Professor in Residence of Global Health and Social Medicine and Medical Education. Formerly senior lecturer in Medical Ethics, 2007-2014, and Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, Harvard Medical School, 2011 to 2014. Formerly, independent consultant, Huron Consulting Group, 2011 to 2014. President, Case Western Reserve University from 2002 to 2006. Dean, 2000 to 2002, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Professor of Medical Humanities and Psychiatry, 1997 to 2002. Faculty, Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Law, Brain and Behavior.
Lawrence H. Linden, 2/19/47
Retired Managing Director and former General Partner at Goldman Sachs, Inc., retiring in 2008. After joining Goldman Sachs in 1992, served at various times the Head of Technology, Head of Operations, and Co-Chairman of the Global Control and Compliance Committee. Founding Trustee of the Linden Trust for Conservation, Member of the Board of Directors of the World Wildlife Fund and co-founder of, and senior advisor to, the Redstone Strategy Group. Strategic Advisory Board Member, New World Capital Group.
Maureen O’Hara, 6/13/53
R.W. Purcell Professor of Finance at Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University, where she has taught since 1979. Chair of the board of Investment Technology Group, Inc. since 2007, and member of the board since 2003. Director of New Star Financial, Inc.
Donald K. Peterson, 8/13/49
Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Avaya Inc. from 2002 to 2006 and President and Chief Executive Officer from 2000 to 2001. Formerly, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Lucent Technologies from 1996 to 2000. Member and former chairman of the board of Worcester Polytechnic
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Institute and trustee of the Committee for Economic Development. Director, Sanford C. Bernstein Fund Inc., and TIAA-CREF Trust Company, FSB.
Sidney A. Ribeau, 12/3/47
Professor of Communications and President Emeritus, Howard University since 2014. President, Howard University, 2008 to 2013. President, Bowling Green State University, 1995 to 2008. Director, Worthington Industries and board member, World Affairs Council-Washington, DC.
Dorothy K. Robinson, 2/18/51
Senior Counselor to the President of Yale University since 2014. Formerly, Vice President and General Counsel, Yale University, 1995-2014. General Counsel, Yale University, 1986 to 1995. Trustee, Yale University Press London and Newark Public Radio Inc., Director, TIAA-CREF Trust Company, FSB, Yale Southern Observatory, Inc., Youth Rights Media, Inc. and Friends of New Haven Legal Assistance.
David L. Shedlarz, 4/17/48
Former Vice Chairman of Pfizer Inc. from 2006 to 2007, Executive Vice President from 1999 to 2005 and Chief Financial Officer of Pfizer from 1995 to 2005. Director, Pitney Bowes Inc., The Hershey Company, and TIAA-CREF Trust Company, FSB.
Marta Tienda, 8/10/50
Maurice P. During ’22 Professor in Demographic Studies and Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs, Princeton University, since 1997. Visiting Research Scholar at the New York University Center for Advanced Research in Social Sciences, 2010 to 2011. Director, Office of Population Research, Princeton University, 1998 to 2002. Commissioner, President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. Trustee, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Jacobs Foundation. Member of Advisory Committee, American Education Research Association, OCI Advisory Committee, the Mellon Foundation, and the National Research Council’s Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education and its Panel on the Economic and Fiscal Consequences of Immigration.
Officer—Trustees
Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., 10/28/51
President and Chief Executive Officer of TIAA and CREF since April 2008. Formerly, Chairman of Swiss Re America Holding Corporation and Head of Financial Services and member of the Executive Committee, Swiss Re from 2006 to 2008; Vice Chairman and member of the Board of the U.S. Federal Reserve from 1999 to 2006 and a member of its Board of Governors from 1997 to 1999; and Partner and Associate, McKinsey & Company from 1984 to 1997. Currently a member of the advisory board of Brevan Howard Asset Management LLP and a director of International Flavors and Fragrances, Inc. Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and member of its Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences. Chairman of the Business—Higher Education Forum. Board member at The Conference Board, the Institute for Advanced Study, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and the American Council of Life Insurers,. Member of the Harvard University Visiting Committee for the Memorial Church, the Economic Club of New York, the Council on Foreign Relations, Math for America, Partnership for NYC and the Group of Thirty.
Other TIAA Executive Officers
Robert G. Leary, 3/20/61
Executive Vice President and President of Asset Management (since 2013) of TIAA, and Manager (since 2013) and President and Chief Executive Officer (2013 to 2014) of TIAA-CREF Asset Management, LLC (“TCAM”). Principal Executive Officer and Executive Vice President of CREF and VA-1 (since 2013). Principal Executive Officer and President of TIAA-CREF Funds and TIAA-CREF Life Funds (since 2013). Chairman, Director, President and Chief Executive Officer of Advisors (since 2013). Chairman, Manager, President and Chief Executive Officer of Investment Management (since 2013). Chairman (since 2013), President and Chief Executive Officer (2013 to 2014) of TPIS. Director of TIAA Henderson Real Estate Ltd (since 2013). Director of TIAA International Holdings 1 Ltd, TIAA International Holdings 2 Ltd, and TIAA International Holdings 3 Ltd (since 2013). Director, TCAM Global UK Limited (since 2014). President and Chief Executive Officer, TIAA Asset Management Finance Company, LLC (since 2014). Manager, President and Chairman, TCAM (since 2014). Formerly, President and Chief Operating Officer of ING U.S. starting in
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April 2011, where he led all aspects of ING’s investment management, retirement, insurance and annuity businesses, as well as operations, information technology and marketing. Also served as chief executive officer of ING Insurance U.S. from January 2010 to April 2011 after joining ING in 2007 as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ING Investment Management, Americas. Previously was an Executive Vice President at AIG, helping to build investment solutions for the institutional investor community. Prior thereto was Vice President at J.P. Morgan & Co., where he specialized in fixed income applications. Currently serves on the board of AmeriCares, a nonprofit, global health and disaster-relief organization.
Virginia M. Wilson, 7/22/54
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer of TIAA and Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer of CREF (since 2010). Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, TIAA Global Equity Income, LLC (since 2013). Manager, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Redwood (since 2010). Manager, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of TCT Holdings, Inc. (since 2010), Director of TCAM (2010 to 2011) Executive Vice President of TCAM (since 2010). Served from 2006 to 2009 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation, one of the world’s largest hospitality firms, following its 2006 spin-off from Cendant Corporation, a multinational holding company with operations in the real estate, travel, car rental, hospitality, mortgage banking and other service sectors. Served from 2003 to 2006 as Cendant’s Executive Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer. Corporate Controller of MetLife, Inc. from 1999 to 2003 and was Senior Vice President and Controller for the life insurance operations of Transamerica Corporation (which was acquired by AEGON NV in 1999) from 1995 to 1999. Prior to 1995, was an Audit Partner at Deloitte & Touche LLP. Currently a director of the Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic and a Trustee and Vice Chair for Catholic Charities in New York.
Ronald Pressman, 4/11/58
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (since 2012) of TIAA, and Executive Vice President of the TIAA-CREF Fund Complex (since 2012). Director, Covariance (since 2012). Director, TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company (“TC Life”) (since 2012). Manager, Kaspick & Company, LLC (“Kaspick”) (since 2012). Manager, TIAA-CREF Redwood, LLC (since 2013). From 2007 to 2011, served as President and Chief Executive Officer of General Electric Capital Real Estate. Prior to 2007, served as President and CEO of General Electric Asset Management and Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of General Electric Employers Reinsurance Group. Currently a Charter Trustee of Hamilton College. Also serves as the Chairman of the National Board of A Better Chance and a director of Pathways to College. Currently serves as a Director of Aspen Insurance Holdings Limited.
Edward D. Van Dolsen, 4/21/58
Executive Vice President, President of Retirement and Individual Financial Services (since 2011) of TIAA, and Executive Vice President (since 2008) of the TIAA-CREF Fund Complex. Chief Operating Officer (2010 to 2011), Executive Vice President, Product Development and Management (2009 to 2010), Executive Vice President, Institutional Client Services (2006 to 2009), Executive Vice President, Product Management (2005 to 2006), and Senior Vice President, Pension Products (2003 to 2005) of TIAA. Director of Covariance (since 2010). Director (since 2007), Chairman and President (2009 to 2010, since 2012) of TCT Holdings, Inc. Director (2007 to 2011) and Executive Vice President (2008 to 2010) of TCAM. Manager (since 2006), President and CEO (2006 to 2010) of Redwood. Director of Tuition Financing (2008 to 2009) and Executive Vice President of TC Life (2009 to 2010).
Portfolio Management Team
Margaret A. Brandwein, 11/26/46
Managing Director and Portfolio Manager, TIAA Real Estate Account since 2004.
Thomas C. Garbutt, 10/12/58
Senior Managing Director, Global Real Estate, TIAA.
Philip J. McAndrews, 12/13/58
Senior Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer Real Estate, Americas, TIAA.
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Audit Committee Financial Expert
On February 11, 2015, the Board of Trustees of TIAA determined that each of Lisa W. Hess, Lawrence H. Linden, and Donald K. Peterson qualify as Audit Committee Financial Experts. Each such Trustee is independent (as that term is used in Item 7(d)(3)(iv) of Schedule 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) and has not accepted, directly or indirectly, any consulting, advisory or other compensatory fee from TIAA, other than in his or her capacity as Trustee.
Code of Ethics
The Board of Trustees of TIAA has adopted a code of ethics for senior financial officers, including its principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, or controller, and persons performing similar functions, in conformity with rules promulgated under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
The code of ethics is filed as an exhibit to this annual report.
During the reporting period, there were no implicit or explicit waivers granted by the Registrant from any provision of the code of ethics.
ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS.
Not applicable.
ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE.
The TIAA general account plays a significant role in operating the Real Estate Account, including providing a liquidity guarantee, and investment advisory, administrative, and other services. In addition, Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of TIAA, provides distribution services for the Account.
Liquidity Guarantee. If the Account’s liquid assets and its cash flow from operating activities and participant transactions are insufficient to fund redemption requests, the TIAA general account has agreed to purchase liquidity units. TIAA thereby guarantees that a participant can redeem accumulation units at their net asset value next determined. For the year ended December 31, 2014, the Account expensed $29.2 million for this liquidity guarantee from TIAA through a daily deduction from the net assets of the Account. During 2012 and through the date of this annual report, the TIAA general account has not purchased any liquidity units. During the months of June, September, December 2012, and March 2013, the Account redeemed all outstanding liquidity units representing a total of $940.3 million and $325.4 million redeemed during 2012 and 2013, respectively.
Investment Advisory and Administration Services/Mortality and Expense Risks Borne by TIAA. Deductions are made each valuation day from the net assets of the Account for various services required to manage investments, administer the Account and distribute the contracts. These services are performed at cost by TIAA and Services. Deductions are also made each valuation day to cover mortality and expense risks borne by TIAA.
For the year ended December 31, 2014, the Account expensed $70.7 million for investment advisory services and $0.9 million for mortality and expense risks provided/borne by TIAA. For the same period, the Account expensed $62.2 million for administrative and distribution services provided by TIAA and Services.
ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”) performs independent audits of the registrant’s consolidated financial statements. To maintain auditor independence and avoid even the appearance of conflicts of interest, the registrant, as a policy, does not engage PwC for management advisory or consulting services.
Audit Fees. PwC’s fees for professional services rendered for the audits of the registrant’s annual consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 and review of
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consolidated financial statements included in the registrant’s quarterly reports were $1,169,000 and $1,081,000 respectively.
Audit-Related Fees. The registrant had no audit-related services for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013.
Tax Fees. PwC had no tax fees with respect to registrant for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013.
All Other Fees. Other than as set forth above, there were no additional fees with respect to registrant.
Preapproval Policy. In June of 2003, the audit committee of TIAA’s Board of Trustees (“Audit Committee”) adopted a Preapproval Policy for External Audit Firm Services (the “Policy”), which applies to the registrant. The Policy describes the types of services that may be provided by the independent auditor to the registrant without impairing the auditor’s independence. Under the Policy, the Audit Committee is required to preapprove services to be performed by the registrant’s independent auditor in order to ensure that such services do not impair the auditor’s independence.
The Policy requires the Audit Committee to: (i) appoint the independent auditor to perform the financial statement audit for the registrant and certain of its affiliates, including approving the terms of the engagement and (ii) preapprove the audit, audit-related and tax services to be provided by the independent auditor and the fees to be charged for provision of such services from year to year.
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PART IV
ITEM 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
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(1) | | (A) | | Distribution Agreement for the Contracts Funded by the TIAA Real Estate Account, dated as of January 1, 2008, by and among Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America, for itself and on behalf of the Account, and TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC.4 |
(3) | | (A) | | Charter of TIAA.5 |
| | (B) | | Restated Bylaws of TIAA (as amended).6 |
(4) | | (A) | | Forms of RA, GRA, GSRA, SRA, IRA Real Estate Account Endorsements2, Keogh Contract,3 Retirement Select and Retirement Select Plus Contracts and Endorsements1 and Retirement Choice and Retirement Choice Plus Contracts.3 |
| | (B) | | Forms of Income-Paying Contracts2 |
| | (C) | | Form of Contract Endorsement for Internal Transfer Limitation7 |
| | (D) | | Form of Accumulation Contract8 |
(10) | | (A) | | Amended and Restated Independent Fiduciary Letter Agreement, dated as of February 2, 2015, between TIAA, on behalf of the Registrant, and RERC, LLC.11 |
| | (B) | | Custodian Agreement, dated as of March 3, 2008, by and between TIAA, on behalf of the Registrant, and State Street Bank and Trust Company, N.A.10 |
*(14) | | | | Code of Ethics of TIAA |
*(31) | | | | Rule 13(a)-15(e)/ Rule 13a-15(e)/15d-15(e) Certifications |
*(32) | | | | Section 1350 Certifications |
**(101) | | | | The following financial information from the annual report on Form 10-K for the periods ended December 31, 2014, formatted in XBRL (Extensible Business Reporting Language): (i) the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, (ii) the Statements of Operations, (iii) the Statements of Changes in Net Assets, (iv) the Statements of Cash Flows, and (v) the Notes to the Financial Statements |
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| * | | Filed herewith. |
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| ** | | Furnished electronically herewith. |
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| (1) | | Previously filed and incorporated herein by reference to the Account’s Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed April 29, 2004 (File No. 333-113602). |
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| (2) | | Previously filed and incorporated herein by reference to the Account’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed April 30, 1996 (File No. 33-92990). |
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| (3) | | Previously filed and incorporated herein by reference to the Account’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed May 2, 2005 (File No. 333-121493). |
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| (4) | | Previously filed and incorporated herein by reference to the Account’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on January 7, 2008 (File No. 33-92990). |
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| (5) | | Previously filed and incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3(A) to the Account’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2009 and filed with the Commission on August 13, 2009 (File No. 33-92990). |
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| (6) | | Previously filed and incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3(B) to the Account’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2009 and filed with the Commission on August 13, 2009 (File No. 33-92990). |
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| (7) | | Previously filed and incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4(C) to the Account’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2010 and filed with the Commission on November 12, 2010 (File No. 33-92990). |
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| (8) | | Previously filed and incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4(D) to the Account’s Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed April 27, 2011 (File No. 333-172900). |
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| (9) | | Previously filed and incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Account’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on November 29, 2011 (File No. 33-92990). |
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| (10) | | Previously filed and incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.(b) to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Account for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012 and filed with the Commission on March 14, 2013 (File No. 33-92990). |
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| (11) | | Previously filed and incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Account’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on February 6, 2015 (File No. 33-92990). |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant, TIAA Real Estate Account, has duly caused this annual report on Form 10-K to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in New York, New York, on the 6th day of March, 2015.
| | | | |
| | TIAA REAL ESTATE ACCOUNT |
| | By: | | TEACHERS INSURANCE AND ANNUITY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA |
March 6, 2015 | | | | /s/ Robert G. Leary |
| | |
| | | | Robert G. Leary |
| | | | Executive Vice President and |
| | | | President, Asset Management |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, this Report has been signed by the following trustees and officers of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America, in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature | | Title | | Date |
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/s/ ROGER W. FERGUSON, JR. | | President and Chief Executive Officer and Trustee | | March 6, 2015 |
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/s/ ROBERT G. LEARY | | Executive Vice President and President, Asset Management (Principal Executive Officer) | | March 6, 2015 |
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/s/ VIRGINIA M. WILSON | | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | | March 6, 2015 |
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/s/ RONALD L. THOMPSON | | Chairman of the Board of Trustees | | March 6, 2015 |
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/s/ JEFFREY R. BROWN | | Trustee | | March 6, 2015 |
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/s/ ROBERT C. CLARK | | Trustee | | March 6, 2015 |
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/s/ LISA W. HESS | | Trustee | | March 6, 2015 |
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/s/ EDWARD M. HUNDERT, M.D. | | Trustee | | March 6, 2015 |
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/s/ LAWRENCE H. LINDEN | | Trustee | | March 6, 2015 |
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/s/ MAUREEN O’HARA | | Trustee | | March 6, 2015 |
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/s/ DONALD K. PETERSON | | Trustee | | March 6, 2015 |
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/s/ SIDNEY A. RIBEAU | | Trustee | | March 6, 2015 |
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/s/ DOROTHY K. ROBINSON | | Trustee | | March 6, 2015 |
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/s/ DAVID L. SHEDLARZ | | Trustee | | March 6, 2015 |
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/s/ MARTA TIENDA | | Trustee | | March 6, 2015 |
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SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION TO BE FURNISHED WITH REPORTS FILED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 15(D) OF THE ACT BY REGISTRANTS WHICH HAVE NOT REGISTERED
SECURITIES PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE ACT
Because the Registrant has no voting securities, nor its own management or board of directors, no annual report or proxy materials will be sent to contract owners holding interests in the Account.
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