Savills Studley Makes Bold Move in Atlanta

ATLANTA—Savills Studley just hired a new executive vice president and market leader for its Atlanta office—and he's not shy about what he's seeing in the local commercial real estate market. Industry veteran Chris White has some definite ideas about how talent fits into the success equation.

“The industry is not just about rental rates, vacancy and square footage absorption anymore,” White tells GlobeSt.com. “You have to understand the drivers of your client. You need to ask about the talent they're trying to attract and where they want their business to be in the next five years. Once the right strategy is in place, then you need to be able to negotiate a great real estate transaction.”

White will subscribe to that philosophy as he works to grow the Savills' Atlanta office into the city's premier tenant representation team. He will focus on metro Atlanta's booming office and industrial markets.

“Atlanta's commercial real estate market represents an incredible growth opportunity as we look to strategically strengthen the Savills Studley brand,” says Michael Colacino, president of Savills. “We are thrilled to have Chris' support in Atlanta and will continue to add key talent across the country, ensuring Savills Studley continues to provide best-in-class real estate council.”

White brings 20 years of experience to Savills. He spent 16 years at Cushman & Wakefield, most recently as senior director. White then served as the Southeast regional occupier service leader for Cassidy Turley. Most recently, he served as executive vice president and managing director for the Atlanta office for DTZ, where he grew the office significantly.

“Our Savills Studley US business enjoys a leading presence in New York, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles, and now we look forward to bolstering our presence in core markets such as Atlanta,” says Jeremy Helsby, CEO of Savills plc. “Chris' reputation of excellence strengthens Savills Studley's tenant representation platform and we are thrilled to welcome him.”

In 2014, White's representation of Worldpay in its 130,000-square-foot headquarters relocation to Midtown Atlanta won the Atlanta Business Chronicle's “Office Deal of the Year Award.” That deal also contributed to his recognition as one of the city's top 10 office tenant representatives by the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors.

“I'm convinced you must have two things in order to succeed in this business—capital and determined leadership,” says White. “And Savills Studley has both. We have the capital to invest in top talent and leadership committed to making us Atlanta's top occupier services firm, as we already are in other markets.”