CHICAGO—Newmark Grubb Knight Frank has just brought in a new team of office specialists from The John Buck Co. to handle high-profile leasing assignments within Chicago's CBD. The duo of Bill Rolander and Jon Cordell have joined the firm's Chicago office as executive managing director and senior managing director, respectively.

Prior to joining NGKF, Rolander and Cordell served as principal and senior vice president, respectively, at JBC. They have operated as a team for several years, leasing a portfolio of Chicago trophy and iconic assets including: 155 N. Wacker, 161 N. Clark, 209 S. LaSalle, 33 N. LaSalle and 142 E. Ontario. More recently, the team has pursued anchor tenants for the new trophy office tower developments at 151 N. Franklin and 333 S. Wabash, which total over 1.8 million square feet. Rolander and Cordell have already signed two lead occupants for 151 N. Franklin, which will be anchored by CNA Insurance and Hinshaw & Culbertson.

“Bill and Jon are two powerhouse leasing brokers dedicated to CBD office assets,” says Michael Sheinkop, president of brokerage services at NGKF. “Their tenacity, professionalism and block and tackle style have generated significant value for the owners they represent. Their reputation and breadth of experience make them brilliant additions to enhance our CBD agency practice. I know they will flourish on our platform.”

“NGKF is a first-class organization,” says Rolander. “After 21 incredible years with JBC, the thought of embarking on a new chapter to compliment my 30 plus year career became motivating once we considered the resources available at NGKF.”

Rolander joined JBC in 1995 as vice president and had been principal of the firm and managing director of leasing since 2004. He worked on virtually all of JBC's office developments and office acquisitions including leasing responsibilities for numerous third party accounts and a project in Berlin. He was nominated for NAIOP's Suburban Office Transaction of the Year and Suburban Leasing Broker of the Year in 2000, as well as Crain's and the Greater Chicago Food Depository's Downtown Transaction of the Year in 2004.

Cordell began his career in commercial real estate more than 12 years ago, and served most recently as a senior vice president for JBC. He has completed 275 transactions valued at $1.3 billion throughout his career in Chicago's office sector.

Instant Insights /

NGKF Expands Leasing Power in Chicago CBD

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