Top Cushman exec exits a day after Massey Knakal deal

Head of North American operations left to “pursue other career opportunities," says rep

From left: James Underhill, Robert Knakal and Paul Massey
From left: James Underhill, Robert Knakal and Paul Massey

A day after Cushman & Wakefield announced the $100 million purchase of Massey Knakal Realty Services, James Underhill, the chief executive of North American operations at Cushman, exited the firm.

A representative for Cushman said Underhill left to “pursue other career opportunities,” Crain’s reported. Underhill is now president of Underhill Properties, according to his LinkedIn profile cited by Crain’s.

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John Santora, who serves on the Cushman board of directors and has worked at the firm for almost 40 years, is replacing Underhill as head of the firm’s operations in North America.

In the wake of the brokerage acquisition, Massey Knakal CEO Paul Massey will oversee sales brokerage operations for New York City. Robert Knakal will also fill a key role at Cushman, which aims to ramp up its portfolio of small and mid-sized buildings. [Crain’s]Mark Maurer