2:00 PM
Newmark Grubb Knight Frank (NGKF) is pleased to announce that distinguished commercial real estate specialists Bill Rolander and Jon Cordell have joined the firm’s Chicago office as executive managing director and senior managing director, respectively. Joining NGKF from The John Buck Company (JBC), Rolander and Cordell specialize in high-profile office leasing assignments within Chicago’s central business district. The duo will continue to focus on select assets while leveraging the strength of the NGKF agency practice and full-service global platform.
Bringing more than 30 years of agency leasing success with their strategic and hands-on style to create ownership value, Rolander and Cordell have developed process and proficiency in all aspects of commercial leasing. Prior to joining NGKF, Rolander and Cordell served as principal and senior vice president, respectively, at JBC. They have operated as a team for several years, leasing a portfolio of Chicago trophy and iconic assets including: 155 N. Wacker, 161 N. Clark, 209 S. LaSalle (The Rookery), 33 N. LaSalle and 142 E. Ontario. More recently, the team has been entrusted to pursue anchor tenants to launch several new trophy office tower developments at 151 N. Franklin and 333 S. Wabash, which total over 1.8 million square feet. The duo has already signed two lead occupants for 151 N. Franklin, which will be anchored by CNA Insurance and Hinshaw & Culbertson.
“Bill and Jon are two powerhouse leasing brokers dedicated to CBD office assets. Their tenacity, professionalism and block and tackle style have generated significant value for the owners they represent. Their reputation and breadth of experience make them brilliant additions to enhance our CBD agency practice. I know they will flourish on our platform,” said Michael Sheinkop, president of brokerage services. “Moreover, I am confident that their transition will be seamless as we combine their familiarity with each unique asset and the capacity of our highly skilled existing team.”
“NGKF is a first-class organization,” said Rolander. “After 21 incredible years with The John Buck Company, the thought of embarking on a new chapter to compliment my 30 plus year career became motivating once we considered the resources available at NGKF. We also came to appreciate how NGKF’s entrepreneurial culture values customer service in the same intense manner as Jon and I do. As such, our excitement and enthusiasm for this opportunity grew, and we look forward to a clear and long runway for us to enhance this practice.”
Rolander joined JBC in 1995 as vice president and had been principal of the firm and managing director of leasing since 2004. He worked on virtually all of JBC’s office developments and office acquisitions including leasing responsibilities for numerous third party accounts and a project in Berlin, Germany. Prior to that, Rolander worked at Compass Management & Leasing as vice president of leasing and at CBRE as a senior associate. He is a long-time board member of the Chicago Office Leasing Brokers Association (COLBA) and past president. Rolander is also active with University of Illinois’ Alumni Real Estate Forum. Throughout his esteemed career, Rolander received Top Five salespersons honors while with CBRE in 1988, 1989 and 1991. He was nominated for NAIOP’s Suburban Office Transaction of the Year and Suburban Leasing Broker of the Year in 2000, as well as Crain’s and the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s Downtown Transaction of the Year in 2004. Rolander earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Illinois and he holds real estate broker’s licenses in the states of Illinois and Wisconsin.
Cordell began his career in commercial real estate more than 12 years ago, and served most recently as a senior vice president for JBC. He has completed 275 transactions valued at $1.3 billion throughout his career in Chicago’s office sector. Cordell earned his MBA with Honors from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management with majors in Finance, Business Strategy and Real Estate. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Cordell serves on the Leadership Board of Big Brothers Big Sisters and is a member of COLBA. He is also past President of the Illini Real Estate Forum, as well as past President of YOBA. Cordell maintains a real estate broker’s license in Illinois.
About Newmark Grubb Knight Frank
Newmark Grubb Knight Frank is one of the world’s leading commercial real estate advisory firms. Together with London-based partner Knight Frank and independently-owned offices, NGKF’s 14,100 professionals operate from more than 400 offices in established and emerging property markets on six continents.
With roots dating back to 1929, NGKF’s strong foundation makes it one of the most trusted names in commercial real estate. NGKF’s full-service platform comprises BGC’s real estate services segment, offering commercial real estate tenants, landlords, investors and developers a wide range of services including leasing; capital markets services, including investment sales, debt placement, appraisal, and valuation services; commercial mortgage brokerage services; as well as corporate advisory services, consulting, project and development management, and property and corporate facilities management services. For further information, visit www.ngkf.com.
NGKF is a part of BGC Partners, Inc., a leading global brokerage company servicing the financial and real estate markets. BGC’s common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol (NASDAQ: BGCP). BGC also has an outstanding bond issuance of Senior Notes due June 15, 2042, which trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol (NYSE: BGCA). BGC Partners is led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Howard W. Lutnick. For more information, please visit http://www.bgcpartners.com/.