Poplar Homes, a California property management firm, has hired an industry veteran to lead its multifamily management and leasing portfolio.

Sean Story filled the newly created role as an executive vice president based in Chicago, Cupertino, California-based Poplar said. He will grow the multifamily division nationwide and also oversee leasing, property management, marketing and business development, the company said.

“He will play a crucial role in building and developing our team while also cultivating new relationships and managing key institutional relationships as we look to expand nationally,” Poplar CEO Greg Toschi said in a statement.

Story previously was chief operating officer at 3L Real Estate in Chicago, where he led operations for a multi-state portfolio of more than 2,000 units and 50 employees. Story also has worked at United Scrap Metal, CBC Specialty Beverage, Northern Trust and JP Morgan.

“In our customer service-oriented business, it's the connection between people that matters most,” Story said in the statement. “I aim to prioritize this human element, preserving the strong culture and relationships of our legacy companies to help drive growth.”

Story holds a master’s in business administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University.