Former Cushman Exec. Named Cresa Board Advisor

BOSTON—Commercial brokerage veteran Jim Underhill, a former executive with Cushman & Wakefield and founder of The Staubach Co.-Northeast, has been named strategic advisor to the board of directors at Cresa LLC.

Cresa, headquartered in Boston, brought Underhill on board in a consulting capacity to assist the firm in seizing strategic opportunities, unlocking growth potential in international and domestic markets, building its current client base, and expanding service lines, the brokerage states.

Underhill was the CEO of the Americas with Cushman & Wakefield based in its Washington, DC office from 2010 to 2014. He was also the founder and president of The Staubach Company – Northeast. Underhill established offices in Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, Philadelphia, and Boston for Staubach, which merged with JLL in 2008.

“Jim has tenant rep roots and brings great experience to the advisory role he is undertaking with our firm; he will be an excellent fit for Cresa as we continue to grow,” says Cresa managing principal and global CEO Richard Rhodes. “We look forward to Jim bringing valuable insight that will help us enhance our brand and advance to the next level.”

Cresa, which exclusively represents tenants and occupiers, operates nearly 60 offices in North America and 75 markets worldwide.

He is also president of Underhill Properties, a regional investment and development company he founded in 2002. In addition, he serves as chairman of Create, a real estate information service that provides real estate workflow tools in a 3D environment.

Underhill, who lives in the Washington, DC area, has served on the boards of many charitable organizations, including Junior Achievement, The Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, Neediest Kids, the National Rehabilitation Hospital, and the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. He is also a member of the World Presidents Organization and the Economic Club of Washington.