Head of Cushman US hotel group departs

Mark Gordon, an executive vice president at Cushman & Wakefield Sonnenblick Goldman and head of its national hotel group, departed the company yesterday after broaching the idea of leaving a few days earlier.

Gordon, 43, told The Real Deal he stepped down so he could consider new positions at other firms in the industry.

“I had completed almost $20 billion in hotel transactions and… it just seemed now is an opportune time to explore other opportunities,” he said.

The departure was not premeditated, however.

“Pretty much we discussed it last week and I made a final decision yesterday,” he said.

Gordon has worked on significant deals nationwide, including advising on the $212 million refinancing of a nine-hotel portfolio owned by FelCor Lodging Trust in May and in 2006 advising on the sale of the Beekman Tower Hotel and the Eastgate Hotel for a combined $151 million.

Gordon joined investment banking firm Sonnenblick Goldman in 1994, eventually becoming a principal with that company and head of its leisure group in 2000. In 2007, a majority of the firm was purchased by commercial services firm Cushman & Wakefield.

Two weeks ago, Cushman said in a statement it had acquired the remained 35 percent of Sonnenblick Goldman, but Gordon said his decision to leave was not related to the completion of the acquisition.

“We have a highly experienced US hospitality team in place that will continue to be led by the existing Cushman & Wakefield Sonnenblick Goldman team and we are looking forward to continuing to expand the practice,” a spokesperson said.

A Cushman spokesperson did not immediately identify who would be replacing Gordon. The story was first reported by Hotel Business.