MORRISTOWN, NJ - Cushman & Wakefield's Robert J. Donnelly of Morris County, N.J., has been named Executive Vice Chairman, making him the first New Jersey broker and the eighth employee with the commercial real estate services firm worldwide to hold this distinguished title. A 34-year company veteran, Donnelly specializes in major corporate advisory, and tenant and landlord representation assignments.
"Bob has consistently been one of Cushman & Wakefield's top performing office brokers globally," said Jim Underhill, CEO, Americas, Cushman & Wakefield. "Above all, he has built his career and success on putting clients first. Within our organization and throughout the industry, he is credited with being a frontrunner in the development of comprehensive corporate services. Bob embodies every attribute that defines Cushman & Wakefield - integrity and respect; collaboration and trust; confidence, and mentorship. We congratulate him on this well-earned promotion and thank him for his innumerable contributions to our company."
Donnelly's long-standing relationships are among his most notable accomplishments. Among his very first assignments at Cushman & Wakefield, in 1980 he was appointed exclusive leasing agent for Headquarters Plaza, a 560,000-square-foot tower then under development in Morristown. Thirty-three years later, that agency may well be one of the longest-running continuous brokerage assignments in the country.
"Bob and his team are invaluable partners for us at Headquarters Plaza," said Brian Fischer, a principal with The Fisher Organization, which owns the property. "The New Jersey commercial real estate landscape has changed dramatically since this building opened. Our ability to draw and retain high-caliber tenants through several market cycles speaks to Bob's and Cushman & Wakefield's strategic vision and understanding of what it takes to position - and sustain - successful office properties."
Throughout his career, Donnelly has represented numerous Fortune 500 corporations. Among them, he has served as Account Executive for AT&T since 1993, interfacing with senior management throughout the U.S. Similarly, for many years he acted as Account Executive for General Electric and continues to serve in an Executive Advisor capacity for that account. A number of his relationships - with AT&T, General Electric and Alcatel-Lucent Technologies, to name a few - started in New Jersey and now extend globally.
Over the past three decades, Donnelly has negotiated sales involving more than 3,000 acres of land that resulted in 20 million square feet of office construction. He has completed transactions involving dozens of companies, including oversight responsibility for leases and sales totaling more than 100 million square feet.
"I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with more great people than I ever imagined I would by being part of this company," Donnelly said. "I especially thank my partners Marc Rosenberg and Rob Donnelly, Jr., for their support and dedication. Cushman & Wakefield's incredible talent and deep resources provide us with an unmatched platform for helping us meet our clients' real estate needs."