MICHAEL STRONG, CBRE’S EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, EMEA, TO RETIRE AT THE END OF 2015
London, 17 March 2015 – CBRE Group Inc., today announced that Michael Strong, Executive Chairman of its Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) region, will retire at the end of 2015.
Mike Strong, has spent more than 40 years at CBRE and its predecessor companies, and has served as Executive Chairman since 2001 and as Chief Executive Officer from 2005 to 2012. Mike Strong and Martin Samworth, Chief Executive Officer, EMEA, have together led the region for CBRE for the past two years.
“This has been one of the most difficult decisions of my career,” Mr. Strong said. “CBRE has been a central part of my life for decades, and leaving behind my colleagues and valued clients will not be easy. But the timing is right. Our business in EMEA is in great shape. We just completed one of our best years ever in 2014. The Norland integration has exceeded expectations, and the EMEA region has a strong management team in place under Martin to lead us into the future. Now’s the perfect time for me to hand over the leadership reins and move on to the next phase of my life.”
“Mike Strong has had a brilliant career at CBRE,” said Bob Sulentic, Chief Executive Officer of CBRE. “His tenure as Executive Chairman has been a period of dramatic growth for CBRE across EMEA and as important, continuous improvement in the quality and scope of service we provide our clients. Mike also built a highly capable leadership team and in partnership with Martin Samworth, planned and executed a strategy in EMEA that leaves us well positioned for the future. On a personal level, I have benefited significantly from his experience, insight and counsel. We thank him for his exceptional service to CBRE -- our clients, employees and shareholders.”
Under Mr. Strong’s leadership, CBRE’s total revenue in EMEA has grown from 0 million to .3 billion over the past 10 years. In this time, its EMEA employee base has increased from 3,600 to nearly 12,000 and its client base has expanded by more than 50%.
“Mike has been a terrific mentor to me and scores of other people at CBRE,” Mr. Samworth said. “I thank him for his support and counsel over the years and, on behalf of all our people across EMEA, wish him and his wife, Anne, all the very best for the future.”
Mr. Strong joined Richard Ellis (which was subsequently acquired by CBRE Group) in 1972. Over his long career, he has advised major corporations, such as HSBC, McKinsey, and Shell, and consulted on landmark real estate projects, including Canary Wharf, the Lanesborough Hotel, and Westfield London.