Cushman & Wakefield has added a high-profile Toronto dealmaker who's been directly involved in more than $40 billion in transactions as it grows across North America.
The Chicago-based global real estate services firm said it hired Walid Cheaib as vice chair of its Canadian capital markets team. Cheaib joins the firm after nearly two decades at BMO Capital Markets, where he most recently served as managing director and head of North American real estate brokerage.
He will lead large-scale, strategic transactions across all asset classes, working with institutional and private clients including pension funds, real estate investment trusts, private equity firms and high-net-worth investors, Cushman said. Cheaib is based in Toronto and will operate nationally across Canada and into the United States, the firm said.
“Walid’s arrival marks a major step forward in our strategy to scale institutional advisory across Canada,” said Allison Marsales, president of advisory in Canada, in a release. “His depth of experience and leadership in capital markets will help us deliver seamless, high-impact service to clients navigating complex transactions.”
Cheaib has spent over 25 years in investment banking and brokerage, with a focus on acquisitions, dispositions, and capital strategy. At BMO, he built and led a team advising public and private clients across North America and also served a director of BMO Capital Markets Real Estate.
“Adding Walid to our team accelerates our growth across the Americas,” said Miles Treaster, president of Americas Capital Markets at Cushman, in a statement. “We’ve reshaped our Capital Markets business this year, and his expertise will help us meet the evolving needs of institutional clients with greater scale and sophistication.”
Cushman & Wakefield operates in 60 countries with approximately 52,000 employees.