A resident of Chicago, David Trandel received a bachelor of science in finance from the University of Iowa in 1986. Before his career brought him to Chicago, David Trandel completed the executive education program at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business and accumulated experience as a vice president with New York-based investment banking companies Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns & Company.

A cofounder of Madison Securities, Inc., Mr. Trandel later turned his attention to real estate. In 2003, he was appointed vice chairman and chief operating officer for the Prime Group Inc. and focused on business development, capital markets, and acquisitions. During his eight years with Prime, the company developed and owned over $1.2 billion in high-quality real estate.

From 2011 to 2014, Mr. Trandel owned the real estate investment fund Trilogy Capital Income Fund and worked for Stonestreet Partners. During that time, he acquired and developed over $200 million worth of real estate assets, including the $65 million One Arlington Apartment Tower. He now serves as chairman and CEO of Springbank Capital Advisors, which focuses on the development of transit-oriented developments.