MACKAY NAMED NEXT CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD CEO

Cushman & Wakefield has named Michelle MacKay, currently president and chief operating officer, as its new chief executive officer on July 1 following the retirement of current CEO John Forrester. Forrester will remain employed as a strategic advisor until December 31, 2023. In addition, MacKay was elected to serve on the board of directors, effective July 1. Brett White will remain as executive chairman of the board. Andrew McDonald, currently president of Cushman & Wakefield, was appointed to an expanded role of global president and chief operating officer overseeing all the firm’s service lines and regions.

MacKay joined Cushman & Wakefield as a member of its board in 2018. She was appointed to the position of COO in 2020 and promoted to president and COO on January 1, 2022, with direct operational and management oversight of many of the firm’s service lines and regions, including the EMEA region, Global Occupier Services and C&W Services.

Previously, MacKay served as executive vice president of investments and head of capital markets at iStar Inc., a real estate investment trust company (which has since merged with Safehold Inc.). She also has served in leadership roles at UBS (previously Paine Webber), JPMorgan Chase and The Hartford Insurance Company’s investment arm HIMCO.

Prior to his role as president, McDonald held senior leadership roles at the firm after 15 years as a top brokerage professional, including chief executive for the Americas region, president of the Americas West Region and regional managing principal of Southern California for Cushman & Wakefield.