Cawley Overhauls Leadership as Zach Pruitt Takes CEO Role

A new leader is at the helm of Cawley Chicago, as its namesake founder steps down.

Zach Pruitt, who’s been serving as a managing principal for the real estate brokerage and services firm, is succeeding Dan Cawley as president and CEO of the company, REjournals reported.

A potential overhaul of the firm — which specializes in commercial real estate services for office and industrial markets, including leasing and capital markets brokerage — was hinted at five years ago when Cawley added five new principals, opened a downtown office and expanded its overall operations. Cawley will maintain his brokerage license with his eponymous company and continue serving select clients.

“Cawley Chicago has evolved into everything I envisioned it could be, and more, when I started the firm twenty-five years ago. We are executing that succession plan that will allow a talented group of hand-picked professionals to chart the firm’s trajectory for the next 25 years and beyond,” Cawley told the outlet.

The firm comprises 35 employees, including more than 20 brokers and a property management division with a team of seven. Its property management arm, launched in 2009, oversees an 8.3-million-square-foot portfolio spanning over 90 buildings. And Cawley typically completes more than 300 transactions annually, totaling more than 10 million square feet and worth around $500 million, the firm said.

The brokerage’s new ownership structure includes six other principals in addition to Pruitt: Anthony Marino; Joshua Hearne; Andrew Maletich; Rawly Lantz; Frank Melchert; and David Conroy.

Since founding the company in 1998, Cawley had a knack for maintaining workers. Hearne, for instance, started off as a college intern about 20 years ago and is now the longest-tenured principal at the company.

Cawley will also remain an active member of the Northern Illinois Commercial Association of Realtors and the Association of Industrial Real Estate while emphasizing mentoring young professionals in the industry.

Correction: The spelling of Zach Pruitt’s first name has been updated in this story.

— Quinn Donoghue