Suzanne Abair

Co-Owner & Chief Executive Officer, Atlanta Dream

Suzanne Abair is a co-owner and CEO of the Atlanta Dream (WNBA), where she oversees the day-to-day operations for the organization. Since Suzanne has become co-owner, The Dream has undergone a remarkable transformation, reigniting the city’s passion and building deep and authentic connections across Atlanta. In just four years, the franchise has become a national model for women’s professional sports, anchored in purpose, powered by performance, and driven by a relentless focus on the creation of long-term value. Suzanne is also the team’s representative on the WNBA Board of Governors.

 

Suzanne also serves as President and Chief Operating Officer for Northland, a real estate private equity firm with $8 billion of assets under management, including more than 26,000 residential units. Northland’s core competency is the acquisition, development, long-term ownership, and management of multifamily and mixed-use assets. The firm currently owns and manages properties across sixteen states. During her tenure, Suzanne has focused on best practices, diversity and inclusion, technology initiatives, operating efficiencies, and creating a more employee-focused company culture.  Suzanne joined the company in 2004 and served as Northland's General Counsel for twelve years before becoming COO in 2016, and President in 2021.

 

Before joining Northland in 2004, Suzanne was a partner at the law firm of Mintz Levin, in Boston, MA. Previously, she was an associate at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP in New York City.

 

Suzanne holds a BS from Ithaca College, magna cum laude, and a Juris Doctor from SUNY Buffalo School of Law, summa cum laude.  She serves on the National Advisory Board of Dream Big!, a non-profit that empowers girls and young women through sports, and also serves on the Syracuse University David B. Falk College of Sport Advisory Board. From 2017 through 2024, Suzanne served on the Board and as a member of the Finance Committee and Executive Committee of YW Boston, a non-profit organization whose mission is eliminating racism and empowering women. In 2020, Suzanne was named a “Women Who Mean Business” honoree by the Boston Business Journal, and in 2024 she was named the “Multifamily Executive of the Year” by Multifamily Executive Magazine.