CBRE appoints North America advisory heads
CBRE has made several leadership moves in its U.S. and Canada advisory business, led by Vikram Kohli, global CEO of Advisory Services. The real estate services firm promoted Chris Connelly to executive group president of U.S. and Canada Advisory Services. In his new role, CBRE said, Connelly will oversee the firm's geographic markets across the region, except New York, and its leasing business across the U.S. and Canada. Advisory is one of four CBRE segments and includes leasing, sales, debt origination, mortgage servicing and valuations.
CBRE also said it promoted James Millon and Tommy Lee to serve as co-heads of U.S. and Canada capital markets. Millon is a capital markets veteran who previously served as CBRE's president of the debt and structured finance group. Lee most recently led capital markets at Trammell Crow Co., CBRE’s real estate development subsidiary.
In another move, CBRE promoted Mike Casey to the new role of chief data officer for U.S. and Canada Advisory Services. In moves related to the executive changes, CBRE said Texas advisory leader Brooke Armstrong has been promoted to president of the advisory group's West region, and that Pete Schippits is now president of the group's East region and Canada. He previously led the advisory group's West region. Armstrong and Schippits report to Connelly.
Cresa grabs Newmark data center team
Cresa has recruited a data center team from Newmark that includes Michael Morris, who launched Newmark's practice dedicated to the sector nearly 20 years ago and has completed more than 1,000 transactions in over 50 markets across the globe. Morris joined Cresa as president of its data center capital markets and advisory group, and brought Sumner Putnam, a managing principal, and Matt Deutsch, an associate, with him from Newmark. The data center team will provide advisory, transaction structuring, planning and tenant and landlord representation for data center projects, Cresa said. Morris' group also will work with clients on their capital markets requirements, the firm said.
Morris, who rose to the rank of vice chair at Newmark, has led mission-critical projects for clients including Digital Realty Trust, Verizon, CyrusOne, Chevron, Memorial Sloan Kettering and CoreSite. Cresa CEO Tod Lickerman said the team's experience will enable the company to grow in the important property sector. “The data center infrastructure expansion underway is one of the most important technological challenges of our time,” Lickerman said in a statement. The data center team also includes Cresa Senior Analyst Mackensey Gawne and professionals from Knight Frank, Cresa’s global partner.
JLL names national sports director
JLL, the real estate services firm behind the Battery mixed-use project in Atlanta that's become a prototype for development adjacent to stadiums, has appointed Robert Koshgarian as national director of sports and entertainment within its Project and Development Services, or PDS group. Koshgarian joined JLL in December as vice president of PDS' sports and entertainment division. He has already made an impact with the sports and entertainment projects he's worked on, PDS Executive Director Ethan Milley said. “In his new role, Robert will be leading JLL’s work in the planning, design and construction phases of Sports and Entertainment related projects," Milley said in a statement.
As national leader of the division, Koshgarian will spearhead projects from professional sports venues, collegiate facilities, and youth and developmental program spaces, JLL said. Projects will include stadiums, arenas used for multiple purposes and soccer complexes, athletic campuses, convention centers and concert halls, JLL said.
Aimbridge promotes executive to chief commercial officer
Aimbridge Hospitality, a firm that says it's the world's largest third-party hotel operator, promoted Allison Handy to chief commercial officer of the Plano, Texas, firm. In her new role, Handy will report to CEO Craig Smith and lead all of Aimbridge's commercial functions, including national sales, revenue management, marketing and e-commerce, the company said. The teams will operate under a unified strategy designed to produce maximum profitability and performance across its portfolio, Aimbridge said.
Handy joined Aimbridge in 2021 and helped create an enterprise-wide commercial strategy that preserved its entrepreneurial and results-oriented philosophy, the firm said. Before joining Aimbridge, Handy held senior commercial roles at Prism Hotels & Resorts and Interstate Hotels & Resorts.
Trinity elevates Chen to investor relations head
Trinity Investments, an investment firm that focuses on hospitality properties, promoted Stephany Chen to head of investor relations. She joined the Honolulu-based company in July 2024 as senior vice president of acquisitions. In her new role, Chen will develop, manage and oversee Trinity's investor relations strategy and serve as the primary contact between the firm and its investors, the company said. In addition, she will collaborate with Dempsey Banks, vice president of investor relations, and Kamana Hobbs, an associate, Trinity said.
Before she joined Trinity, Chen worked for more than a decade at JLL Hotels and Hospitality group. “With the opportunity to continue growing our global network of investors and partners, it’s the right time to formalize this function under a seasoned leader with deep industry expertise like Stephany," Trinity managing partner, President and CEO Sean Hehir said in a statement.