Cushman & Wakefield has picked an Avison Young executive to oversee its Midwest region as the current leader nears retirement and the global commercial real estate services firm's business gains momentum.
The Chicago-based company said Thursday it appointed Damla Gerhart as executive regional director for the Midwest Region. Gerhart will assume the role March 2, when Vicki Noonan is set to retire, the company said.
Cushman & Wakefield said Gerhart will oversee operations and growth initiatives in Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri. She will be based in the global headquarters at 225 W. Wacker Drive, reporting to Americas Markets President Victoria Malkin.
“We are thrilled to welcome Damla to Cushman & Wakefield as she takes on this critical leadership role,” Malkin said in a statement. “Her visionary approach, significant industry knowledge and strong commitment to exceptional client service will be tremendous assets as we continue to accelerate our growth and deliver outsized results across the Midwest.”
Gerhart held a similar role at Toronto-based Avison Young, where she oversaw more than 10 markets as leader of the Central region.
She has experience as a broker in business lines including capital markets, investment sales, development, construction and property management, Cushman said. Gerhart also has worked for BRE and JLL, the two world's two largest real estate services firms based on revenue.
Cushman & Wakefield, the world’s third-largest commercial brokerage, has been led by Michelle MacKay since she was promoted to CEO in 2023.
Like other brokerages, Cushman & Wakefield has weathered several challenges in recent years, such as slowdowns in dealmaking amid the lingering effects of COVID-19 and higher borrowing costs.
But, the firm reported an 11% increase in revenue during the third quarter of 2025, boosting the firm’s outlook for the rest of the year. The company is set to report fourth-quarter earnings this month.
“Cushman & Wakefield is in a period of incredible momentum, and I am excited to join the firm at such a pivotal time,” Gerhart said in the statement. “I look forward to collaborating with the many talented teams in the region and across the Americas to strengthen our client partnerships and unlock new, strategic avenues for growth.”
Noonan has been the head of the Chicago office since 2016 and the Midwest leader since last March.