USA AWARDS 2024 - CEO TODAY - - 31 - Bill, can you start by giving us a brief overview of your journey in the commercial real estate industry leading up to your role at Kidder Mathews? I started as an agent in the Seattle market with Cushman & Wakefield in 1990. I then went to Kidder Mathews with a team of three in 1993. During my tenure as an agent in 2000, I became the managing director of our South Puget Sound office and a member of the Kidder Mathews board of directors until I took over the presidency role in October of 2016. Then in 2020, I assumed the role of CEO and Chairman of the Board. What inspired you to pursue a career in commercial real estate? I started my career in finance and accounting in 1987 working for Evergreen International Airlines. One of my responsibilities was securing real estate at various airports around the world, which led to an introduction to Trammell Crow of the Trammell Crow development company. He opened my eyes to the dynamic commercial real estate industry, which motivated me to make the career change. As CEO of Kidder Mathews, how would you describe your leadership style, and how has it evolved over the years? My leadership style is all about decision-making, efficiency, trust, and accountability. I achieve this through instilling confidence in our leadership by recognizing our successes and failures. We celebrate the successes and work relentlessly on taking corrective action toward our failures. When managers are given the flexibility to problem solve and make decisions, their confidence grows, and with that comes accountability and a more efficient organization. Leaders often have a mix of innate qualities and learned skills. Which leadership traits do you believe you were born with, and which did you consciously develop over time? I am not sure I was born with these traits, but I certainly learned about decision-making, a strong work ethic, focus, clear communication, fairness, determination, and an aggressive “will to win” from my parents (Bill and Nancy) at a very early age. The number one trait I have consciously developed over time is effective communication. People respond much better when you talk “with” them, not “to” them. CEOs often speak about the loneliness at the top. How do you handle the pressures and isolation of the CEO role? Yes, it is often lonely at the top, especially when you have almost 1,000 people and their families relying on you every day to do the “right thing.” However, it is not nearly as lonely when you surround yourself with very capable senior leadership (most notably Brian Hatcher, our President & COO) and empower them to problem solve and make decisions. “When managers are given the flexibility to problem solve and make decisions, their confidence grows, and with that comes accountability and a more efficient organization.”
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