DONDERO JAMES D

About DONDERO JAMES D

James D. Dondero is a prominent U.S. alternative-investment executive with a long track record in credit, structured finance, and listed real estate platforms. Based on NexPoint governance disclosures, he serves as President and Chairman of the Board of NexPoint Residential Trust, Inc. (NYSE: NXRT), NexPoint Diversified Real Estate Trust (NYSE: NXDT), and NexPoint Real Estate Finance, Inc. (NYSE: NREF). He also leads NexPoint Real Estate Advisors, L.P., the Dallas-based affiliate connected to NexPoint’s externally managed investment vehicles, and is associated with NexPoint Strategic Opportunities Fund in the firm’s broader opportunistic and multi-asset investment platform. ([nxdt.nexpoint.com](https://nxdt.nexpoint.com/governance/board-of-directors/person-details/default.aspx?ItemId=4d825439-c4ec-4b50-81e0-b341e3d2a61c&utm_source=openai)) Dondero has more than three decades of experience across credit and equity markets. NexPoint materials describe him as someone who has helped build multiple integrated businesses within a wider investment network. Earlier in his career, before founding Highland Capital Management, he served as Chief Investment Officer of a Protective Life GIC subsidiary, where he helped grow the business from concept to more than $2 billion between 1989 and 1993. That early role is often presented as an important foundation for his later work in portfolio management and capital allocation. ([nref.nexpoint.com](https://nref.nexpoint.com/governance/board-of-directors/person-details/default.aspx?ItemId=90f75bc1-6671-464e-a18b-b5bdfda3c1a8&utm_source=openai)) A central milestone in his career was co-founding Highland Capital Management in 1993 with Mark Okada. Public biographical references and NexPoint disclosures connect him to deep expertise in leveraged loans, high-yield credit, mortgage-backed securities, derivatives, preferred stock, common stock, and emerging markets. Over time, he became known for helping pioneer new credit asset classes and for applying a multi-strategy approach to investing. ([sec.gov](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1668234/000119312519128184/d737682d486bpos.htm?utm_source=openai)) At NexPoint, Dondero has played a visible role in expanding the platform beyond an initial multifamily focus toward a broader mix of real estate asset types and opportunistic strategies. His leadership profile combines board oversight, strategic capital deployment, and sponsor-level stewardship across public REITs and closed-end funds. He is also described by NexPoint as active in philanthropy and community development in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with emphasis on education, conservation, and veterans’ causes, as well as service on civic and university advisory boards. Overall, his career is best characterized as that of a founder-executive who has built and overseen investment platforms across real estate and credit. ([dmagazine.com](https://www.dmagazine.com/business-economy/2024/01/james-dondero-named-as-one-of-dallas-500-most-influential-business-leaders/?utm_source=openai))