Movers: Steven Johnson jumps to Baird & Warner & more

While Lincoln Park last week was among Chicago’s most active battlefronts in the residential real estate agent talent war, Baird & Warner snagged a Gold Coast specialist from Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty in the latest brokerage switch. And on the commercial side, February has been punctuated by promotions at both brokerages and investment firms.

Here are some of Chicago’s other recent real estate career moves.

➤ Steven Johnson was recruited to Baird & Warner’s Gold Coast office, leaving Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty after serving as a residential agent there since 2016. He previously specialized in the lakefront neighborhood, as well, when he was an agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago.

He said Baird & Warner’s reputation for taking care of agents as well as buyers and sellers motivated him to make the switch, and its more than 100-year history as a Chicagoland brokerage was also attractive to the area native.

“Also, as someone born and raised in the Chicagoland area, Baird & Warner’s deep Chicago roots and commitment to innovation and integrity mirror my own values,” Johnson said in a statement.

➤ Chicago-based developer Fifield promoted two people that have aided its expansion in Miami and Denver.

Lindsey Senn, formerly an executive vice president based in the Chicago area for the firm, is now Fifield’s chief development officer. And Jim Clementi has moved into the senior vice president for construction role for the firm, where he has been an employee for 10 years, most recently serving in a similar role, vice president for construction.

Senn led Chicago development deals for Fifield on the 220-unit Logan apartments in Logan Square and the 188-unit Westerly, an 11-story apartment project in River West, which both opened and were leased to the point of stabilization during the pandemic. Clementi is leading construction on Fifield’s first Miami-area project, a 266-unit project near the Aventura Brightline rail station.

“Their promotions are a reflection of the talent and passion they bring to the work we do, as well as the excitement they share for the future of our firm as we continue to grow,” Fifield President Erin Spears said.

➤ Commercial brokerage Avison Young’s Chicago office brought on Michelle Osburn as a principal and senior director heading the firm’s U.S. Workplace Consulting team.

The role involves expanding a business for the brokerage consulting for its real estate clients, advising them on how to support and improve their employees and businesses.

“Michelle will chart new pathways to help our clients navigate the shifting dynamics of the ever-changing hybrid work environment,” Sheila Botting, Avison’s principal and president of its Americas Professional Services business line.

Osburn’s hop to Avison comes after working for more than 10 years in the Chicago office for global architecture and design firm Perkins&Will as a principal and leader of its workplace strategy consulting practice.

➤ Commercial tenant-rep brokerage Savills promoted Isabel Preskill to Managing Director in the company’s Chicago office.

She has worked with Savills for nearly seven years after starting in 2016 as an assistant director, and has specialized in serving higher education and nonprofit clients, as well as providing transaction management and financial structuring services.

➤ San Francisco-based investment firm Stockbridge Capital Group made three promotions in its Chicago office to start 2023.

Thomas Grusecki Jr. moved up into a senior vice president of capital markets role from his previous vice president role. He’s been with Stockbridge for nearly four years after serving more than five years as a vice president of investment sales for JLL’s Chicago office.

Joe Dunne was elevated to a vice president role after serving nearly four years as an acquisitions associate for Stockbridge. And Jack Yale became a capital markets associate for the firm, moving up from an analyst position.