Institutional Investor determined that chief financial officers have the toughest job in corporate America, what with managing the necessary minutiae of Sarbanes Oxley while still keeping a pulse on the big picture. As a result, the magazine polled portfolio managers and analysts from more than 400 firms to recognize companies with outstanding CFOs. Those respondents selected Stephen Sterrett of Simon Property Group (NYSE: SPG) for the REIT category. Sterrett, who has been with Simon for 19 years, was especially lauded for his level of disclosure of company direction.

Good Fortune ProLogis (NYSE: PLD), Simon Property Group (NYSE: SPG), Boston Properties (NYSE: BXP) and Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE: VNO) were listed in Fortune magazine’s list of the country’s most admired companies in the real estate industry. Fortune surveys executives, directors and analysts from a variety of industries to compile a list based on innovation, people management, use of corporate assets, quality management, financial soundness and long-term investment.