Lyndal Hanna joins Avison Young as VP, Information Technology

TORONTO, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ - Mark E. Rose, Chair and CEO of Avison Young, Canada's largest independently-owned commercial real estate services company, announced today that Lyndal Hanna has joined Avison Young as Vice-President, Information Technology. She will be based in the company's Chicago office.

Effective immediately, Hanna will be responsible for the strategic direction and day-to-day management of technology at Avison Young. This will include client-centric tools, the company website and back-office support.

"We are very fortunate to have someone with Lyndal's experience and record of accomplishment join our team as we continue to expand our brand's presence in North America and globally," comments Rose. "Lyndal will work closely with Avison Young's business leaders to develop a technology vision that is consistent with the company's strategic business goals and that positions the company for superior client support and growth."

Over the last 18 months, Avison Young has grown from 11 to 21 offices and from 300 to more than 700 real estate professionals across Canada and in the U.S.

Hanna brings to Avison Young 20 years of experience in real estate technology. Between 2000-2008, she served as Senior Vice-President of Information Technology at Grubb & Ellis Company in Chicago. Prior to that, she was Vice-President of Information Technology for Baird & Warner, one of the largest independent residential real estate brokerages in the U.S.; and Vice-President of Applications Development for The Balcor Company, the real estate subsidiary of American Express. For the past two years, she has acted as a consultant to the industry, including for Avison Young.

Hanna holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; a Master of Science degree in Communications (with a focus on technology strategy and planning) from Northwestern University in Evanston IL; and a Master of Business Administration degree from DePaul University in Chicago.

"I am impressed with the entrepreneurial spirit and client focus of Avison Young," says Hanna. "I look forward to building a comprehensive technology platform, with a focus on flexibility and scalability, to provide best-in-class tools for our clients and staff as well as support the continued international growth of the company. Having worked with Avison Young's senior management team before, I am also excited about the opportunity to innovate and create the tools to unlock client value."

Founded in 1978, Avison Young is Canada's largest independently-owned commercial real estate services company and the only national, Canadian-owned, principal-managed real estate brokerage firm in the country. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario and ranked among Canada's leading national commercial real estate organizations, Avison Young is a full-service commercial real estate company comprising more than 700 real estate professionals in 21 offices across Canada and in the U.S. The company provides value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management, financing and mortgage placement services to owners and occupiers of office, retail, industrial and multi-residential properties.

Editors/Reporters can now follow Avison Young on Twitter:

For industry news, press releases and market reports: www.twitter.com/avisonyoung

For Avison Young listings and deals: www.twitter.com/AYListingsDeals

- Editors/Reporters: please click on link to view and download photo of Lyndal Hanna:

http://www.avisonyoung.com/library/pdf/Media_Releases/Lyndal_Hanna_high_res_400.jpg

SOURCE Avison Young (Canada) Inc.