Robert O'Brien, vice chairman, Deloitte LLP, held the position as head of Deloitte's US Real Estate and Construction Team since 2010.

NEW YORK CITY—Deloitte announced today that Jim Berry has been appointed a vice chairman and leader of the firm's US real estate and construction practice.

Berry, a partner and vice chairman with Deloitte & Touche LLP, most recently served as the US leader of the sector's audit and assurance services practice and has more than 32 years of experience serving companies in the real estate, construction and hospitality industries.

He succeeds Robert O'Brien, vice chairman, Deloitte LLP, who was named to the role in 2010 and who retains his position as Deloitte's global real estate and construction sector leader. O'Brien was appointed global leader in 2013 and will continue to advise on emerging trends and best practices for Deloitte's global network of clients and member firms, Deloitte reports.

Berry will now lead the overall strategic direction of the real estate and construction sector's efforts. Based out of Dallas, he will oversee the practice's approximately 1,600 professionals in the US.

“We are very pleased to have a senior partner like Jim stepping up to lead our real estate and construction practice at a time we see so much convergence of opportunities in the marketplace,” says Kenny Smith, a vice chairman of Deloitte LLP who leads the financial services industry group and serves as the overall U.S. industry program leader. “As with most industries today, we expect to see accelerating innovation and new investment opportunities rise in the sector.”

Berry says of his new role at Deloitte, “The industry is undergoing considerable change and experiencing many disruptive elements, which is generating enormous opportunities for our clients and the real estate and construction marketplace overall. Our team is investing heavily in all elements of our practice, focusing on those involving the technologies and innovations supporting our regulatory services. This includes the development of cutting-edge blockchain, robotic and cognitive learning applications to position our team and clients for success in today's and tomorrow's market.”

During his career with Deloitte, Berry has served as an advisor to public and private companies in numerous capacities including audit; mergers and acquisitions; and divestitures. He has extensive experience in areas such as public offerings, private placements and SEC filings. He has also held numerous client-service and practice-leadership roles at Deloitte, including audit practice leader for the North Texas offices, the audit, consulting, tax and advisory services firm states.

Berry is a certified public accountant and member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants. He is active in the Dallas community, where he serves in various leadership roles with The Real Estate Council, a 2,000-member organization representing the commercial real estate industry in North Texas. He also serves on the Community Impact Committee of the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas.

Deloitte LLP Deloitte

NEW YORK CITY—Deloitte announced today that Jim Berry has been appointed a vice chairman and leader of the firm's US real estate and construction practice.

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O'Brien Turns Reins to Berry as Leader of Deloitte's US Real Estate and Construction Team

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