A former top real estate executive at behemoths such as AIG and JPMorgan Chase is joining a much smaller firm based in Chicago, where he believes there is a big opportunity to help wealthy individuals and family offices manage all aspects of their property portfolios.
Sean Sullivan recently joined KWill RE, the real estate advisory arm of Hugh Williams’ KWill Merchant Advisors. Sullivan is president of the firm’s asset management business, which the firm plans to grow significantly in part through Sullivan’s industry relationships.
Sullivan most recently served as the global head of real estate at insurance giant AIG, also known as American International Group. Before that, he led JPMorgan’s Europe, Middle East and Asia real estate operations.
Williams, a former Northwestern University football linebacker who later played one professional season for the Paris Musketeers in a European football league, used a sports analogy in landing the new executive with roles at major corporations on his resume.
“When you get a chance to trade for Shaq or LeBron or Peyton Manning, you do it,” Williams joked.
Sullivan and Williams said they see opportunities to serve clients such as wealthy investors with a range of services such as acquisitions and dispositions, leasing, property and asset management, accounting and financial reporting. They also hope to work with smaller corporations that have far-flung portfolios in need of lease administration and broader strategies such as considering sale-leaseback deals.
“The kind of reach that Sean has is very difficult to come by,” Williams said. “He’s a guy who helps us get better in every way.”
Sullivan said the new role stems from his desire to do something more entrepreneurial than in past positions.
“The opportunity is to compete for those clients that might not be of a scale that really gets the big brokerages’ attention,” Sullivan said. “While KWill already has brokerage services, they’re looking to create a holistic real estate firm with boutique size and a white glove service model.”
After four years in the U.S. Marine Corps and degrees from Iona College and New York University, Sullivan’s real estate career has included stints at brokerage Avison Young, landlords such as Tishman Speyer and AvalonBay Communities, private-equity firms such as Aetos Capital, and in corporate real estate roles at AIG, JPMorgan, Unisys Corp. and Morgan Stanley. After living in cities including London and Hong Kong, Sullivan is now based in Orlando, Florida.
“I’ve lived all over the world, and I’ve quite literally done everything from the boiler room to the board room,” Sullivan said.
Williams, a former industrial property broker, expanded the business in 2023 by acquiring the commercial real estate brokerage division of Des Plaines, Illinois-based MK Asset Management, as part of a plan to expand the firm’s brokerage services throughout the country.
His holding company includes a consulting business, construction materials supplier and supply-chain company. KWill is based in a loft office building at 661 W. Lake St., known for its fishbowl-like entrance, which the firm bought last year.