Cresa, a tenant representation firm, in May announced that Jim Leslie has been named the firm’s next chief executive officer, succeeding Bill Goade, who founded the firm in 1993 and who has served as chairman or chief executive officer since the firm’s inception.
Leslie was formerly president and chief operating officer of the Staubach Company.
“We are extremely fortunate to have Jim as our next CEO,” said Goade. “His experience, leadership, management skills and deep understanding of our organization will be instrumental as Cresa seeks to leverage its recent dramatic growth.”
Leslie has served as an advisor to the Cresa board of directors since 2002 and was one of the founders of the firm’s Capital Markets Group.
During Leslie’s tenure at Staubach, the company grew by more than 35 percent each year while shareholder value increased dramatically. Leslie was also an officer or director of many of Staubach’s subsidiaries and affiliates. As a result of this experience, he has been involved with entrepreneurs and emerging companies consistently during his career and has been instrumental in the creation of more than 50 companies.
Leslie’s role in these enterprises has varied from accessing capital to setting strategic plans to establishing operating procedures. In addition to The Staubach Company, these companies have included Columbus Realty Trust, Amicus Partners, Sebring Capital Corporation and Ascendant Solutions, Inc.
“I am excited at the prospect of taking on the CEO role at Cresa,” said Leslie. “The organization has just completed its best two revenue years in its 20-year history and is poised for substantial growth. I look forward to helping Cresa become even more well-known and respected as a global resource for large corporations and as the industry leader in tenant representation services by local businesses.”
