Camden Property Trust CEO: Alex Jessett Takes Over Houston REIT
Date Published
Camden Property Trust has a new CEO. Alexander J. Jessett officially took over as chief executive of the Houston-based apartment REIT on March 24, 2026, ending Ric Campo's 33-year run at the top. Camden, headquartered on Post Oak Boulevard in Uptown Houston, completed one of the most coordinated C-suite handovers in the city's public-company history that same day.
Campo, who co-founded Camden and led it through its 1993 IPO, becomes executive chairman of the board of trust managers. Laurie A. Baker steps up to president and chief operating officer, and Benjamin D. Fraker is the new executive vice president and chief financial officer. The simultaneous shifts mark a generational reset at one of Houston's most prominent NYSE-listed companies.
Who is Camden CEO Alex Jessett
Jessett joined Camden in 1999 and most recently served as president and chief financial officer. In that combined role, he oversaw finance, capital markets, real estate investments, construction, accounting, and operations teams. The 27-year Camden veteran is now also a member of the board of trust managers, a signal the board wanted an internal candidate steeped in the company's apartment-focused playbook.
The succession plan had been telegraphed for years. Campo expanded Jessett's responsibilities steadily through the mid-2020s, building him as the heir apparent. For more on Houston's corporate landscape and other major leadership moves, see our Houston business news section.
Camden Q1 2026 results and the new CEO's opening act
Camden's first earnings report with Jessett at the helm beat Wall Street expectations. The Q1 2026 outperformance was largely timing-related, but it gave the new CEO a clean first quarter and reassured investors that the leadership transition would not disrupt operations. Camden owns roughly 173 multifamily properties and 58,300 apartment units across the United States, with major holdings in Houston, Austin, Dallas, Phoenix, and Charlotte.
Jessett has been laying out his strategy publicly since taking over, with a focus on capital discipline, development pipeline pacing, and continued Sun Belt concentration. The Houston connection still matters: Camden remains one of the city's marquee headquarters and one of its largest publicly traded real estate companies. Read about the broader Houston real estate development climate on our Houston real estate and development hub.
Why this Camden CEO change matters for Houston
Camden's headquarters has been a Houston anchor since the company's founding, and the new leadership team has signaled it will stay that way. Jessett, Baker, and Fraker all live and work in Houston. The company's tower at 11 Greenway Plaza remains its operational base, and Camden's corporate philanthropy across the Houston region, including Houston Food Bank and Houston Habitat for Humanity, continues under the new team.
Investors will watch the rest of 2026 for signs of Jessett's strategic stamp, especially around Sun Belt development starts and how the company adapts to softening rent growth in some Texas markets. Follow our Houston breaking news page for ongoing CEO and corporate updates.
Leadership and Q1 2026 details verified via SEC Form 8-K filings, Multifamily Dive, and Bisnow.