PulteGroup Inc. (NYSE: PHM) announced the nomination of Benjamin Schall for election as an independent director to its board of directors. Schall serves as chief executive officer and president of AvalonBay Communities Inc. (NYSE: AVB), a multifamily real estate investment trust.

The appointment would take effect immediately if elected by PulteGroup shareholders at the company's annual meeting scheduled for April 29, 2026, according to the press release statement.

Schall brings more than 20 years of senior executive experience in real estate. Before joining AvalonBay, he served as chief executive officer, president and trustee of Seritage Growth Properties, leading a mixed-use and retail redevelopment platform. He previously held positions as chief operating officer of Rouse Properties, overseeing regional malls across 21 states, and as senior vice president at Vornado Realty Trust.

"His expertise in capital allocation, operational oversight, corporate strategy, and stakeholder engagement, built through leadership roles across multiple publicly traded real estate companies, will bring tremendous value to the company and the Board," said Thomas J. Folliard, chairman of PulteGroup's board.

Schall graduated from Swarthmore College and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. He serves in leadership roles with national real estate organizations including Nareit, NMHC and The Real Estate Roundtable, and is co-chair of the board of University Settlement in New York.

PulteGroup operates in more than 45 markets and describes itself as one of America's largest homebuilding companies. The Atlanta-based company operates through brands including Pulte Homes, Centex, Del Webb, DiVosta Homes and John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods.