Cushman & Wakefield Names James Underhill CEO of the Americas

NEW YORK and WASHINGTON, Nov. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Cushman & Wakefield, the world's largest privately held commercial real estate services firm, announced today that James M. Underhill has been named Chief Executive Officer of the Americas, the company's largest operating region spanning 141 owned and alliance offices throughout North and South America. He will be based in Washington, D.C.

In his new role, Mr. Underhill will lead Cushman & Wakefield's business in the Americas and drive the firm's business growth and development, overseeing branch and area leaders in the United States, as well as Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. He will report directly to Glenn Rufrano, the firm's President and Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Underhill, who has been with Cushman & Wakefield for five years, replaces John Santora who was appointed CEO of Cushman & Wakefield's Client Solutions group in June 2010. Prior to becoming CEO of the Americas, Mr. Underhill served as Executive Vice President and Area Leader for Cushman & Wakefield in the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions.

"With its leadership position in the Americas, Cushman & Wakefield has a deep pool of talent," said Glenn Rufrano, Cushman & Wakefield's President and CEO. "Jim stood out among a strong list of internal and external candidates for this key position, and I am very pleased to have the opportunity to work with him to enhance value to our clients and grow our market share."

Mr. Underhill said, "This is an incredible opportunity for me to partner with my colleagues to further develop our platform into the industry's best-in-class model."

During Mr. Underhill's career, he has held a variety of operational and managerial positions with increasing authority and responsibility. He brings more than 25 years of real estate experience in the Mid-Atlantic and New England areas, and has developed many relationships in the business and charitable communities.

In his role as Executive Vice President and Area Leader for Cushman & Wakefield in the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions, he was responsible for all of the firm's activities in those territories, including major offices in Washington, D.C.; McLean, Va.; Bethesda and Baltimore, Md., Philadelphia and Boston. The service lines he oversaw included agency leasing, tenant representation, investment sales, project finance, and property and construction management.

Prior to joining Cushman & Wakefield, Mr. Underhill was Founder (1987) and President of The Staubach Company – Northeast, overseeing offices in Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, Philadelphia and Boston. He grew the organization to become the largest and most profitable operation outside of the firm's Dallas headquarters, building it from a single person to approximately 100 professionals. During his tenure at Staubach, he negotiated transactions with a combined value in excess of $1 billion involving more than three million square feet.

Prior to joining The Staubach Company, Mr. Underhill was a partner with the Trammell Crow Company where he developed more than 1.5 million square feet of Class A office space and was responsible for acquisition initiatives in Northern Virginia and the Dallas suburban market.

Mr. Underhill received his MBA degree from Harvard Business School and has taught at Harvard College. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Accounting from Washington & Lee University. He serves on the Boards of The National Rehabilitation Hospital, The Williams School at Washington & Lee University, and The Neediest Kids. Mr. Underhill is a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and the Economic Club, and was a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Cushman & Wakefield is the world's largest privately held commercial real estate services firm. Founded in 1917, it has 230 offices in 60 countries and 13,000 employees. The firm represents a diverse customer base, offering a complete range of services within four primary disciplines: Transaction Services, Capital Markets, Client Solutions and Valuation & Advisory Services. A recognized leader in global real estate research, the firm publishes a broad array of proprietary reports available on its online Knowledge Center at www.cushmanwakefield.com.

SOURCE Cushman & Wakefield