Legendary commercial real estate executive Stephen Leopold has returned to his Quebec roots.
Avison Young announced Tuesday that Leopold has been appointed chair of the brokerage firm's Quebec operations.
Leopold, whose career spans four decades, will advise on strategy and growth in the Quebec marketplace.
In the 1970s, he served as an investigator on U.S. Senator Sam Ervin's Watergate Committee, which investigated former president Richard Nixon. In the 1980s, Leopold, a Montreal native, acted as executive assistant to Brian Mulroney during a successful Progressive Conservative Party leadership campaign that helped him become prime minister.
Leopold's many commercial real estate career highlights include serving as vice-president of Canada's largest mortgage bank, now known as RBC Capital; forming his own firm, Montreal-based Leopold Property Consultants, which became the largest North American company to represent corporate users of space; and conceiving and creating Skymarkets in the World Trade Center. In 2002, he was appointed chairman of William B. May International in New York, which was founded in 1866 and ranks as one of North America's oldest brokerages.
Avison Young chair and CEO Mark Rose says Leopold's appointment is part of the company's aggressive expansion plan and demonstrates its increasingly significant presence in North America.
Leopold will be based in Avison Young's Montreal office.
Showing posts with label Mark Rose. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mark Rose. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Monday, November 9, 2009
Avison Young opens new U.S. Capital-regional office
Avison Young took a major step in its U.S. expansion today, opening its new Capital-region office in Washington, D.C.
The office will serve as the headquarters for many new Avison Young locations in the Metro D.C. region, spanning Maryland and Northern Virginia. It becomes Toronto-based Avison Young’s second U.S. office, along with Chicago.
Keith Lipton, who has more than 20 years of commercial real estate industry experience in the D.C. region, has been recruited as regional managing director.
Lipton,also appointed an Avison Young principal, most recently served as executive vice-president and managing director of Washington, D.C., offices for Grubb & Ellis. He has also held executive posts with CB Richard Ellis, Insignia/ESG, and Jones Lang LaSalle.
Meanwhile, Margaret Donkerbrook joins Avison Young’s new D.C. office as vice-president of U.S. research, and Sarah Peyton has signed on as regional operations manager. Like Lipton, both were formerly with Grubb & Ellis in D.C.
Donkerbrook joined Grubb in 2006 as managing director after holding executive posts with CBRE, Jones Lang Wooton and Jones Lang LaSalle. Peyton has held management posts with Grubb and CBRE since 2003.
Over the past three years, says Avison Young chair and CEO Mark Rose, Lipton, Donkerbrook and Peyton led the turnaround of Grubb & Ellis in the DC Metro region, enabling it to become the firm’s top-performing office in 2008 and so far in 2009. During the turnaround, Lipton and his team recruited 60 per cent of the brokerage professionals and 80 per cent of the total staff in the D.C. Metro region, added multiple service lines and expanded into the Baltimore market.
Lipton, Donkerbrook and Peyton will also play a crucial role recruiting brokers and staff for the new D.C. office and the surrounding region. Rose, a former Grubb & Ellis CEO and Jones Lang LaSalle COO and CFO of the Americas who has not hesitated to recruit former colleagues, says Avison Young is already actively recruiting senior brokers and executives to fill its service needs in the D.C. region.
It’s all part of the company’s plans for further acquisitions in the U.S. and globally.
The office will serve as the headquarters for many new Avison Young locations in the Metro D.C. region, spanning Maryland and Northern Virginia. It becomes Toronto-based Avison Young’s second U.S. office, along with Chicago.
Keith Lipton, who has more than 20 years of commercial real estate industry experience in the D.C. region, has been recruited as regional managing director.
Lipton,also appointed an Avison Young principal, most recently served as executive vice-president and managing director of Washington, D.C., offices for Grubb & Ellis. He has also held executive posts with CB Richard Ellis, Insignia/ESG, and Jones Lang LaSalle.
Meanwhile, Margaret Donkerbrook joins Avison Young’s new D.C. office as vice-president of U.S. research, and Sarah Peyton has signed on as regional operations manager. Like Lipton, both were formerly with Grubb & Ellis in D.C.
Donkerbrook joined Grubb in 2006 as managing director after holding executive posts with CBRE, Jones Lang Wooton and Jones Lang LaSalle. Peyton has held management posts with Grubb and CBRE since 2003.
Over the past three years, says Avison Young chair and CEO Mark Rose, Lipton, Donkerbrook and Peyton led the turnaround of Grubb & Ellis in the DC Metro region, enabling it to become the firm’s top-performing office in 2008 and so far in 2009. During the turnaround, Lipton and his team recruited 60 per cent of the brokerage professionals and 80 per cent of the total staff in the D.C. Metro region, added multiple service lines and expanded into the Baltimore market.
Lipton, Donkerbrook and Peyton will also play a crucial role recruiting brokers and staff for the new D.C. office and the surrounding region. Rose, a former Grubb & Ellis CEO and Jones Lang LaSalle COO and CFO of the Americas who has not hesitated to recruit former colleagues, says Avison Young is already actively recruiting senior brokers and executives to fill its service needs in the D.C. region.
It’s all part of the company’s plans for further acquisitions in the U.S. and globally.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Avison Young plans to expand services
Avison Young is in the process of changing the real esate service provider business model.
It will take a bit of time for the transition to be complete. But Michael McKiernan, managing director of Avison Young's Chicago office and vice-president Hiren Thakar offer a glimpse of what's to come in an an interview with REJournals.com.
"The expectation is that the industry will evolve from (multiple) advisory services into one entity capable of implementing an overall strategy," said McKiernan. "Clients are looking for this. They will drive the demand because it will be more cost effective for them."
Avison Young plans to bring typical consulting services like property management and construction management under one roof and build strong client relationships as a one-stop provider with integrated solutions.
To check out the full article, click on the link below.
http://www.rejournals.com/news/213091-avison-young-evolves-with-industry
It will take a bit of time for the transition to be complete. But Michael McKiernan, managing director of Avison Young's Chicago office and vice-president Hiren Thakar offer a glimpse of what's to come in an an interview with REJournals.com.
"The expectation is that the industry will evolve from (multiple) advisory services into one entity capable of implementing an overall strategy," said McKiernan. "Clients are looking for this. They will drive the demand because it will be more cost effective for them."
Avison Young plans to bring typical consulting services like property management and construction management under one roof and build strong client relationships as a one-stop provider with integrated solutions.
To check out the full article, click on the link below.
http://www.rejournals.com/news/213091-avison-young-evolves-with-industry
Monday, October 5, 2009
Expo Real kicks off in Munich
So far, so good for the Expo Real Forum in Munich.
On the event's first day last year, the global commercial real estate market crashed and dampened the mood accordingly. But there were no reports of any calamities Monday as the three-day 2009 conference and trade show kicked off.
The trade show includes 1,600 from 35 countries. Avison Young CEO Mark Rose, president of U.S. operations Earl Webb, and Vancouver-based partner Douglas McMurray are among those representing Canada's largest independently-owned commercial real estate services firm.
Tuesday's conference schedule will examine sustainability in times of conference. Speakers include Elisabeth Merck, head of Munich's urban planning department; Holger Hagge, global head of building and workplace development for Deutsche Bank AG; and Rainer Kohns, global co-ordinator of green building activities for Siemens AG.
Meanwhile, social networks are abuzz about Expo Real. CREO Point has a special section for Twitter tweets (www.creopoint.com) and several participants are sharing news and their experiences.
On the event's first day last year, the global commercial real estate market crashed and dampened the mood accordingly. But there were no reports of any calamities Monday as the three-day 2009 conference and trade show kicked off.
The trade show includes 1,600 from 35 countries. Avison Young CEO Mark Rose, president of U.S. operations Earl Webb, and Vancouver-based partner Douglas McMurray are among those representing Canada's largest independently-owned commercial real estate services firm.
Tuesday's conference schedule will examine sustainability in times of conference. Speakers include Elisabeth Merck, head of Munich's urban planning department; Holger Hagge, global head of building and workplace development for Deutsche Bank AG; and Rainer Kohns, global co-ordinator of green building activities for Siemens AG.
Meanwhile, social networks are abuzz about Expo Real. CREO Point has a special section for Twitter tweets (www.creopoint.com) and several participants are sharing news and their experiences.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Canada's job market recovers
Canada's job market is stabilizing, says a new report from Statistics Canada.
Results released Monday show that new and renewable employment insurance claims fell 8.5 per cent in July, the last month for which figures are available. Ontario and B.C. led the job-market improvements.
The findings are likely to influence Canada's recovering commercial real estate market. Avison Young CEO Mark Rose and other industry leaders believe that improved employment will be the catalyst for the evential complete recovery of the Canadian office, retail and industrial real estate markets.
While the commercial real estate sector is as one broker puts it, "bumping along the bottom of the recession right now," ongoing stronger employment figures are viewed as an indicator of a fully stable market.
Part of the reduction in EI claims can be attributed to benefits expiring based on respective rules in each province. It will take a while, probably a few months, to determine the full impact of the reduced employment insurance claims, but commercial real estate insiders hope they are sign of better times ahead.
For more details on Canada's improvement employment picture, click on the link below to see a story in today's Globe and Mail.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/ei-data-suggest-job-market-on-the-mend/article1304988/
Results released Monday show that new and renewable employment insurance claims fell 8.5 per cent in July, the last month for which figures are available. Ontario and B.C. led the job-market improvements.
The findings are likely to influence Canada's recovering commercial real estate market. Avison Young CEO Mark Rose and other industry leaders believe that improved employment will be the catalyst for the evential complete recovery of the Canadian office, retail and industrial real estate markets.
While the commercial real estate sector is as one broker puts it, "bumping along the bottom of the recession right now," ongoing stronger employment figures are viewed as an indicator of a fully stable market.
Part of the reduction in EI claims can be attributed to benefits expiring based on respective rules in each province. It will take a while, probably a few months, to determine the full impact of the reduced employment insurance claims, but commercial real estate insiders hope they are sign of better times ahead.
For more details on Canada's improvement employment picture, click on the link below to see a story in today's Globe and Mail.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/ei-data-suggest-job-market-on-the-mend/article1304988/
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Onex plans to invest in struggling U.S. market
Onex Corp. has announced that it plans to capitalize on opportunities in the struggling U.S. commercial real estate market.
"Our hope is that we will be able to partner with some of our institutional relationships to take advantage of the looming crisis in the U.S. commercial real estate industry," Onex managing director Andrew Sheiner told investors Wednesday.
Other Canadian companies with strong balance sheets and low debt have adopted a similar strategy as the U.S. commercial real estate market attempts to recover from the global financial meltdown and credit market crash. Avison Young CEO Mark Rose has made it known the brokerage firm has an aggressive U.S. expansion plan.
Onex's foray south of the border indicates the Toronto-based company could make wide-scale investors, especially as it plans to link with institutional investors, if it can find properties that fit.
Sheiner's comments were published in a Reuters article.
To check out the full story, click on the link below.
http://ca.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idCATRE58N3U320090924
"Our hope is that we will be able to partner with some of our institutional relationships to take advantage of the looming crisis in the U.S. commercial real estate industry," Onex managing director Andrew Sheiner told investors Wednesday.
Other Canadian companies with strong balance sheets and low debt have adopted a similar strategy as the U.S. commercial real estate market attempts to recover from the global financial meltdown and credit market crash. Avison Young CEO Mark Rose has made it known the brokerage firm has an aggressive U.S. expansion plan.
Onex's foray south of the border indicates the Toronto-based company could make wide-scale investors, especially as it plans to link with institutional investors, if it can find properties that fit.
Sheiner's comments were published in a Reuters article.
To check out the full story, click on the link below.
http://ca.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idCATRE58N3U320090924
Friday, September 18, 2009
Rose: Avison Young has big plans in U.S.
Avison Young is laying the groundwork for a major expansion into the U.S.
Mark Rose, the Toronto-based commercial real estate company's CEO, told syndicated columnist Mike Myatt, a leadership coach who writes the Leadership Matters blog, that Avison Young plans to move into several U.S. markets as soon as possible.
"As you might expect, with the U.S. market being one of the largest and most vibrant real estate markets in the world, we have big plans for expansion in the U.S.," Rose told Myatt. "We have already established a presence in the Chicago market, and have set our sights on immediate expansion in the key markets from coast to coast. Additionally, as a diversified company, we expect to expand in all facets of the commercial markets, in all property types, in order to meet the widespread demands of our institutional and corporate clients."
Rose made the comment in an insightful interview in which he explains how and why he became Avison Young's CEO. You can check out the full interview by clicking on the link below.
http://myattleadershipmatters.wordpress.com/2009/09/17/ceo-interview-mark-rose/
Mark Rose, the Toronto-based commercial real estate company's CEO, told syndicated columnist Mike Myatt, a leadership coach who writes the Leadership Matters blog, that Avison Young plans to move into several U.S. markets as soon as possible.
"As you might expect, with the U.S. market being one of the largest and most vibrant real estate markets in the world, we have big plans for expansion in the U.S.," Rose told Myatt. "We have already established a presence in the Chicago market, and have set our sights on immediate expansion in the key markets from coast to coast. Additionally, as a diversified company, we expect to expand in all facets of the commercial markets, in all property types, in order to meet the widespread demands of our institutional and corporate clients."
Rose made the comment in an insightful interview in which he explains how and why he became Avison Young's CEO. You can check out the full interview by clicking on the link below.
http://myattleadershipmatters.wordpress.com/2009/09/17/ceo-interview-mark-rose/
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