Boston Properties taps top CBRE exec to head NYC division

From left: John Powers and Robert Selsam
From left: John Powers and Robert Selsam

Boston Properties has tapped veteran CBRE Group broker John Powers to be the new head of its New York operations, replacing stalwart Robert Selsam who is retiring in January.

Powers – who has worked closely with Boston Properties for several years and helped them design and lease their 1 million-square-foot tower at 250 West 55th Street — was a favorite to replace Selsam, who was at the helm of the real estate investment trust’s operations for nearly thirty years.

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The REIT saw another major leadership change earlier this year, when Owen Thomas stepped in to replace Mort Zuckerman as CEO.

“Boston Properties has been a client for many years and so this was a great fit for both of us,” Powers told Crain’s. Powers joins a slew of top CBRE executives who’ve made a jump to major landlords, such as Mitch Rudin, who went to Brookfield Office Properties, and Dean Shapiro, who is now a top executive at Oxford Properties, according to Crain’s. [Crain’s]Hiten Samtani